People who are about to begin the Nutrisystem diet often come to me confused about how to plan and space out their meals. Someone recently asked me, “When are you supposed to eat Nutrisystem?” Is there a set time? What is the best way to space your meals? Is it possible to eat dessert and snacks whenever you like? These are the questions I’ll address in the next article.

They are very flexible and open-minded about meal times. You can do what works for you. I will share with you the best way to get your daily meals and snacks done in a day. You have at most five meals or five chances to eat each day. The Nutrisystem breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included. You also get a dessert and snack. If you break it down, you will find that you have three complete meals, three side dishes, a snack and a dessert. Or, eight opportunities.

Side items are usually very small so most people just add them to the meal they are currently eating. It’s simple to add milk or fruit to your Nutrisystem cereal as a breakfast option. For lunch, you can just add carrots or celery sticks to your diet hotdog. You might also choose a small salad to go with your turkey dinner. If you don’t feel hungry, you can add your snack or dessert to your lunch or dinner.

A sample schedule would include: a breakfast of cereal and milk at 8:00; lunch of hot dogs and carrot sticks with Nutrisystem butter flavored popcorn at 12:30; dinner of glazed turkey and salad, and dessert of Nutrisystem ice cream sandwiches for dessert at 6:30.

If you don’t feel hungry between meals, this would be the best way to do it. If you eat more than three meals per day, there’s nothing wrong with eating more frequently. You could, for example, skip the dessert and snack altogether and eat the popcorn or any other snack at 10:30 in the morning. The ice cream sandwich dessert might be a good afternoon snack around 4:30. You can save your sides to have for later if you want to eat more frequently. You have the option to eat less or more often, depending on what you find comfortable.

However, regardless of when you eat your meals, snacks, desserts, or sides, you will still be getting the same amount of calories, carbs and proteins. There are no set rules. It is important to experiment with what works for you, and that may vary from day to day. You might have more time one day to prepare a large meal, with desserts and sides, while the next you might be eating on the go. With a little planning, either scenario can be achieved.

The timing doesn’t really matter as long as you eat all your meals, sides, and snacks. You can eat whenever you want, depending on your hunger, schedule, preference, and preferences.