The traditional three meals a day isn’t realistic for college students.

With demands from school, work and personal lives, many students do not eat on a regular schedule and instead fit it in when they have the time.

The typical eating schedule people were raised with can be hard to maintain when juggling classes, work and a social life. Students sometimes have to fit eating in before classes, between class and work, or skip it altogether.

Registered dietician and Sacramento State Family and Consumer Sciences Lecturer Julie Tharalson does not think unconventional eating habits are negative as long as students take care of their health.

“The breakfast-lunch-dinner [format] is quite unnatural,” said Tharalson. “While I support not conforming to the breakfast-lunch-dinner [schedule], I don’t like the direction it’s going.”

Food is what gives people’s bodies the energy it needs to make it through the day, and sacrificing meals can have negative effects on short and long-term health. Some students believe if they skip meals, they can make up for it later by overeating.

“It’s really bad going all day without eating, then gorging at night,” said Tharalson.

She said over-consuming is unhealthy, and something as simple as half an apple is enough to keep the body sustained.

“When you have time to have a larger meal, do so,” said Tharalson.

She said as long as the body is kept fueled, meal times and snack times can be somewhat flexible.

Michaela Erwin, English major, lives with her family and said meals are important but student life does not always provide opportunities to eat.

“I don’t eat a lot in one setting,” said Erwin. “Snacking is important for me.”

Consuming small amounts of food throughout the day may be viewed as ruining your appetite but science proves it can be beneficial for people’s nutritional health.

“Our blood sugar takes a dive every three hours,” said Tharalson. “I would spread eating out [because] responding to a drop in blood sugar is important.”

Stephanie Momber, art major, usually skips breakfast because she does not feel hungry in the morning. Momber tries to eat lunch and dinner on a regular schedule and thinks it is healthy to eat at least three meals a day.

“More frequent, smaller meals is better,” said Momber.

She also said occasional snacking is acceptable, depending on how large the regular meals are.

“Usually I only miss out on meals because of money or I forget,” said Erwin. “I try to [always] eat something for breakfast.”