Table 2 Dietary intake of study participants according to main meal frequency

Energy, kcal/day

2,221.2 ± 12.4¹⁾

2,021.8 ± 17.5

1,548.1 ± 51.1

< 0.0001³⁾

1,709.3 ± 8.6

1,511.9 ± 11.1

1,217.5 ± 32.9

< 0.0001

Carbohydrates, g/day

347.2 ± 1.8

293.7 ± 2.5

210.6 ± 6.6

< 0.0001

276.0 ± 1.4

227.9 ± 1.7

180.6 ± 5.0

< 0.0001

Protein, g/day

87.6 ± 0.6

82.7 ± 0.9

65.9 ± 3.0

< 0.0001

63.1 ± 0.4

57.6 ± 0.6

44.3 ± 1.6

< 0.0001

Fat, g/day

53.6 ± 0.6

57.4 ± 0.9

49.1 ± 3.1

0.0003

39.2 ± 0.4

41.1 ± 0.6

35.3 ± 1.5

< 0.0001

Fiber, g/day

29.5 ± 0.2

22.7 ± 0.3

15.9 ± 0.7

< 0.0001

25.6 ± 0.2

19.2 ± 0.2

13.6 ± 0.5

< 0.0001

%Energy from meal

 Breakfast

21.7 ± 0.2

7.7 ± 0.3

1.8 ± 0.7

< 0.0001

22.8 ± 0.1

11.2 ± 0.3

2.9 ± 0.6

< 0.0001

 Lunch

30.6 ± 0.2

31.4 ± 0.4

24.7 ± 2.3

0.0061

30.7 ± 0.2

30.7 ± 0.4

32.2 ± 2.3

0.7826

 Dinner

33.2 ± 0.2

40.8 ± 0.4

39.0 ± 2.6

< 0.0001

29.9 ± 0.2

35.0 ± 0.4

26.7 ± 2.1

< 0.0001

 Snack

14.5 ± 0.2

20.1 ± 0.4

34.5 ± 1.8

< 0.0001

16.6 ± 0.2

23.1 ± 0.3

38.1 ± 1.5

< 0.0001

Eat duration, h

12.9 ± 0.03

11.4 ± 0.1

9.0 ± 0.4

< 0.0001

12.1 ± 0.02

10.4 ± 0.1

8.8 ± 0.3

< 0.0001

Meal episodes, n

5.8 ± 0.02

4.7 ± 0.04

3.5 ± 0.1

< 0.0001

5.6 ± 0.02

4.6 ± 0.02

3.8 ± 0.1

< 0.0001

%Energy from eating out

40.6 ± 0.6

46.6 ± 0.8

46.7 ± 2.8

< 0.0001

28.9 ± 0.4

35.8 ± 0.6

46.7 ± 2.3

< 0.0001

Practicing healthy diet

< 0.0001

< 0.0001

 Yes

3,540 (51.4)²⁾

1,105 (35.9)

115 (42.3)

5,685 (64.1)

2,227 (52.7)

197 (52.0)

 No

2,962 (48.6)

1,802 (64.1)

151 (57.6)

2,996 (35.9)

1,752 (47.3)

167 (48.0)