By the time Gary Shor gets home from work at six, he has had breakfast and three lunches. Forty-five minutes later, he'll eat dinner. Yet he weighs about 30 pounds less than back when he was eating only three meals a day.
晚上六点钟下班回家时，加里·肖尔(Gary Shor)已经吃过了早餐和三顿午餐。45分钟后，他还要吃晚餐。但他的体重已比一天只吃三餐时减轻了30磅左右（约13.6公斤）。
Mr. Shor belongs to a small but dedicated group who, heeding popular nutritional advice, has traded in the traditional breakfast-lunch-and-dinner lifestyle for a daylong stream of mini meals.
当前有一些关注流行营养建议的人放弃了早中晚三餐的传统生活方式，改为全天少吃多餐，这些人为数不多，但热衷此道，肖尔就是其中一员。
Every day Mr. Shor eats five or six pre-portioned combinations of lean protein, grain, vegetables and fruits, such as vegetable wraps, frittatas or grilled meat with salad. He tries to stay away from cookies and salty snacks, and relies on few store-prepared foods. He quells cravings with salads and may sweeten them with Splenda.
肖尔每天吃由精益蛋白质、谷物、蔬菜和水果（比如蔬菜卷、意式煎蛋饼或烤肉配沙拉）组成的膳食，他将这些食物分成五到六餐食用。他尽量不吃饼干和含盐零食，商店预制食品也吃得很少。他通过吃沙拉来抑制食欲，有时会放些善品糖(Splenda)让沙拉吃起来甜一些。
'I'm not really eating. I'm just grazing all day,' says Mr. Shor, 53 years old and a vice president at a Warren, N.J., financial planning firm. 'I'm not having a candy bar. It's a real meal.'
53岁的肖尔在新泽西州沃伦(Warren)的一家财务规划公司担任副总裁。他说：“我不吃正餐，我只是整天一小点一小点地吃。我不吃巧克力棒，那相当于一顿真正的大餐。”
Some fans think eating a little bit throughout the day will promote weight loss. Others want to battle hunger during long work hours or avoid sodium and additives found in many packaged foods.
一些热衷此道的人认为少吃多餐有助于瘦身。还有一些人想通过少吃多餐减轻长时间工作时的饥饿感，或者避免摄入许多预包装食品中的钠和添加剂。
Mr. Shor and his wife, Linda, began eating this way about five years ago, after watching a fitness infomercial on TV discussing the benefits of frequent small meals. Mr. Shor followed the fitness plan for a while but soon came up with his own version, where he doesn't count calories but limits sodium and sugar. He says he lost 30 pounds and has kept it off ever since.
肖尔和他的妻子琳达(Linda)是从大约五年前开始以这种方式进食的，当时他们在电视上看到一个有关瘦身的资讯型广告讨论少吃多餐的好处。肖尔跟着电视上的瘦身计划做了一段时间，但他没多久就有了自己的版本。他不计算卡路里，而只是限制钠和糖的摄入。他说，他的体重减轻了30磅（约13.6公斤），而且一直保持着这个体重。
Popular weight-loss advice often promotes eating mini meals as a way to regulate appetite, increase the sense of satiety and even help keep metabolism revved up. Dietitians emphasize the importance of controlling calories.
流行的瘦身建议通常主张将少吃多餐作为调节食欲，增加饱腹感乃至加快新陈代谢的方式。而营养师则强调控制卡路里的重要性。
'When you're eating constantly, it's really easy to overdo it at each meal,' says Karen Ansel, a nutritionist based in Laurel Hollow, N.Y., and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in Chicago. She recommends three meals plus a snack for her weight-loss clients.
驻纽约州劳雷尔霍洛(Laurel Hollow)的营养师、芝加哥美国营养和饮食学会(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)发言人凯伦·安泽尔(Karen Ansel)说：“如果你一直不停嘴，真的很容易每餐都吃多。”安泽尔向计划瘦身的客户建议一天吃三餐，外加一次零食。
Mini meals appear to be especially attractive to young adults and teens, including the group marketers call 'millennials.' Phil Lempert, a food industry expert (and spokesman for ConAgra Foods Inc.) who lives in Santa Monica, Calif., says eating six mini meals appeals to the sense of adventure many young people discover when they leave home and try cooking and tasting new foods. 'It's almost like having a buffet in your home,' he says.
少吃多餐似乎对年轻人和青少年（包括被营销人员称为“千禧一代”的群体）特别有吸引力。住在加州圣莫尼卡(Santa Monica)的食品行业专家（同时也是ConAgra Foods Inc.的发言人）菲尔·伦珀特(Phil Lempert)说，许多离开父母生活的年轻人尝试自己做饭和品尝新食物时会有一种探险的感觉，一天吃六小顿饭迎合了他们的这种心理。他说：“这很像在自己家里吃自助餐。”
In the course of a recent day, Eli Penberthy, 30, who works in marketing for a Seattle organic grocery-store chain, feasted on yogurt parfait, a vegetable frittata, eggplant Parmesan, curry and rice, an apple with almond butter and salmon with quinoa and kale.
30岁的伊莱·彭伯西(Eli Penberthy)在西雅图一家有机杂货连锁店做市场营销工作。最近，她一天的食谱包括酸奶冻糕、一个意式蔬菜煎蛋饼、帕尔玛干酪烤茄子、咖喱配米饭、苹果配杏仁酱，还有三文鱼配藜麦和甘蓝。
She prepares and freezes most of her meals ahead of time and brings them to work. Eating a variety of foods prepared in a hot dish keeps her feeling full through the day, she says. 'It's a procession of eating throughout the day.'
她会把大多数饭菜提前做好、冷藏起来，然后带到上班的地方。她说，吃各种食材做成的热食让她一整天都有饱腹感。她说：“我一天里会有序地进食。”
Eating this way is labor-intensive. Mr. Shor says he will spend a couple of hours on a Sunday preparing chili or meatloaf, dividing it up and freezing it; sometimes, he'll make enough for two weeks. It 'took a little legs' to get used to the routine, Mr. Shor says, but it makes him feel healthy.
这种吃法有些费事。肖尔说，星期天他会花几个小时准备辣肉酱或烘肉饼，把菜肴分成若干份然后冷藏起来；有时他会准备够吃两周的饭菜。肖尔说，习惯这一套程序“要费一点周折”，但这让他感觉很健康。
Researchers say there is conflicting scientific evidence as to whether eating frequent small meals has any specific weight-loss benefits. A 2011 study published in the journal Obesity followed 50 people who were asked to exercise at least 200 minutes a week and to eat from 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day. They were divided into two groups, one eating three meals a day and the other eating six.
研究人员称，少吃多餐究竟是否有助于瘦身还缺乏统一的科学依据。《肥胖研究》(Obesity) 2011年刊登的一项研究追踪了50名实验对象，研究者要求这些人一周至少锻炼200分钟，一天摄入1,200至1,500卡路里。实验对象被分为两组，一组一天吃三顿，另一组一天吃六顿。
People in both groups lost similar amounts of weight. But the group eating six smaller meals reported feeling less hungry, says Hollie Raynor, associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville who conducted the research.
这两组实验对象体重减少的数量相当。但进行此项研究的田纳西大学诺克斯维尔分校(University of Tennessee, Knoxville)助理教授哈莉·雷纳(Hollie Raynor)称，一天吃六小顿的实验组报告称他们的饥饿感较弱。
'We cannot say one or the other was better,' Dr. Raynor says, adding that in other research she has found normal-weight individuals tend to eat more often each day than overweight individuals.
雷纳称，“这两种方式哪一种更好还很难说。”她还表示，她在另一项研究中发现，体重正常者每天进餐的次数往往比超重者多。
Heather Leidy, assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Missouri, in Columbia, published a 2010 review of eating-frequency studies in the Journal of Nutrition and says they show consumption of fewer large meals may be slightly more beneficial for weight loss and satiety.
密苏里大学哥伦比亚分校(University of Missouri Columbia)的营养学助理教授希瑟·莱迪(Heather Leidy) 2010年在《营养学期刊》(Journal of Nutrition)上发表了一篇针对进餐频率相关研究的综述文章。她说，这些研究显示，少吃一些大餐可能更有助于减轻体重和增加饱足感。
On the other hand, she notes, eating fewer than three by skipping meal times is a known cause of weight gain.
但她指出，从另一方面来看，该吃饭的时候不吃，一日少于三餐是已知的导致体重增加的原因。
Even so, individuals are likely to find their own experiences vary. 'Three is not the magical number,' Dr. Leidy says.
不过，情况可能还是因人而异。莱迪说：“‘三’这个数字并没有什么神奇的魔力。”
Brian Wansink, a Cornell University behavioral economist and author of books including 'Mindless Eating' and 'Slim by Design,' says while a healthy snack might be a bag of almonds, a healthy mini meal involves more than two food groups. Mini meals should be eaten sitting down with silverware, not standing up.
康奈尔大学(Cornell University)的行为经济学家、《瞎吃》(Mindless Eating)和《苗条源自设计》(Slim by Design)等书作者布莱恩·汪辛克(Brian Wansink)称，健康的零食可以是一袋杏仁，而一顿健康的迷你餐要包含两种以上的食物。迷你餐应该坐下来用银制餐具吃，而不是站着吃。
Dr. Wansink says mini meals appeal to busy professionals and singles who don't cook every day. These consumers find many more healthy prepackaged options in supermarkets than existed just 10 years ago, 'We have very fractured [work] days and very attractive alternatives,' he says.
汪辛克说，迷你餐吸引忙碌的专业人士和单身人士，这些人不每天做饭。如今，这些消费者能够在超市里买到比10年前多得多的健康预包装食品。他还说：“现在我们的工作时间非常分散，而且我们也有可以替代正餐的很好的选择。”
Portions are downright tiny. Ms. Penberthy divides her vegetable frittata into seven-bite portions. Mr. Shor makes a salad with a handful of broccoli florets, thinly sliced carrots, a 'small hint' of mayonnaise and five dried cranberries.
每一份迷你餐都只有一点点。彭伯西把她的意式蔬菜煎蛋饼分成若干份，每份是七口的量。肖尔用一把花椰菜、切成细条的胡萝卜、“一丁点”蛋黄酱和五个蔓越橘干做沙拉。
Brendan Shea, 29, a university publicist in Chicago, says as a result of eating mini meals, he visits the grocery store twice a week rather than once. He says 'lunch' gets expensive. 'Instead of one lunch, I have to buy two lunches,' says Mr. Shea, who recently ate small portions of sushi and a kale salad from a nearby Whole Foods for his midday meals.
29岁的布兰登·谢伊(Brendan Shea)是芝加哥一所大学的公关人员。他说，以前他一周去一次杂货店，采用少吃多餐的方式之后，他一周需要去两次。他说，“午餐”变贵了。谢伊说，“买一份午餐不行，我必须要买两份。”谢伊最近午饭吃的是从附近一家Whole Foods买的小份寿司和甘蓝沙拉。
Steering away from a traditional diet can lead to raised eyebrows in the office. Mr. Shea says he tries to avoid bumping into co-workers in the morning, when he is carrying his bag of food and an 80-ounce water bottle. He says he doesn't want to seem high-maintenance when it comes to food.
不吃传统饮食在办公室里可能会引人侧目。谢伊说，早晨他提着一袋吃的和一瓶80盎司的水走进办公室时会尽量避免撞见同事。他说，他不想给人留下吃东西挑剔的印象。
'I try to be a little clandestine about it,' Mr. Shea says. 'And I have my own office, so they don't necessarily see me eating.'
谢伊说：“我想做得保密一点。我有自己的办公室，所以他们不一定会看到我吃东西。”
Kara Kilmer, a co-worker of five years, says she has noticed Mr. Shea's diet because he visits restaurants for lunch less frequently and no longer purchases a cookie that he used to share with co-workers for dessert. It has also changed the mood of happy hour gatherings. 'He'll come and just drink water,' she says.
与谢伊共事五年的同事卡拉·基尔默(Kara Kilmer)说，她注意到了谢伊饮食的变化，因为他午餐不常去餐馆吃了，也不像以前那样买饼干分给同事。谢伊的做法也改变了同事聚会畅饮时的气氛。她说：“他会来，但只喝水。”