If you want to gain more muscle mass rather than accumulating all those harmful fats, then you can think of opting for a 6 meals a day diet plan. This plan involves eating small portions of meals six times a day, rather than our usual thrice-a-day menu. It gives your body all the necessary nutrients, and at the same time, the energy levels are never reduced. However, if you are seriously thinking of following this diet, then you should remember not to have fat-rich foods, like dairy products, besides foods rich in sugars, such as candies and pastries. The following paragraphs would give you the advantages of eating six meals a day, besides a plan, which you can follow. Advantages One of the most important advantages of having six meals a day is that you don't feel hungry as you would often do when having three meals a day. Whenever you feel hungry, the tendency is to pop in whatever you find, and this may include fat and sugar rich foods. And if you have such foods too often, the chances are that you will accumulate more fat than required. So rather than having fat-rich snacks in between, following a 6 meals a day diet plan reduces your cravings, besides providing you with a healthy diet. However, adopting such a diet needs a great deal of planning and determination to resist the temptation of having sweets. Menu There are certain foods, which you can and can't eat while complying with this plan. Some of the foods, which should not be consumed include milk products, butter, cod-liver oil, egg yolks, and cream. Important : Do remember, that when it is mentioned about abstaining from milk products, it means pure milk and milk products, i.e., the ones, which contain fat content. Some amount of milk is essential for good health, and hence, skimmed milk (absolved completely of fats) and fat-free milk products should be consumed. Fat-free products, being completely devoid of calories, will be very nutritious should be consumed during this diet. Breakfast - For breakfast, you can have skimmed milk or soy milk (1 cup), high fiber toast (1 piece), and an egg white (egg whites contain proteins, while egg yolk contains fats). Alternatively you can also have an apple, a glass of skimmed milk, and a cup of oatmeal. Snacks (mid-morning) - This meal should be taken at around 10 in the morning and should include a sliced apple and a glass of water. You can have a spoon of peanut butter with the apple slices if you want. Or else, you can take half a cup of tofu along with a cup of green salad, and 6 ounce of chicken breast. Lunch - For lunch, you can have chunky Cambells soup (1 can), besides a lot of fruits. Alternatively, you can have a lot of fruits with fat-free desserts like jam or pudding (free of fat). You can also have steamed broccoli instead of chunky Cambells soup or tuna salad sandwich. Snack (mid-day) - An orange or a couple of bananas would do fine. Alternatively, you can also opt to have any protein supplement so that your body gets the required levels of protein. Vegetables like carrots are equally good, as it provides your body with the required high fiber diet. Supper - For supper, you can have chicken salad (grilled) or chicken breast, whole wheat macaroni (1 cup), cheddar cheese (fat-free), skimmed milk, raw or boiled vegetables, and a lot of fruits. Snacks (evening) - Fat-free yogurt (1 cup), crackers (4 pieces) along with fat-free cheddar cheese. You can also opt to have 2 cups of oatmeal, bananas, and a cup of tofu. Along with all these, you need to ensure that you have a lot of water (at least 8 ounce a day), and continue with your regular exercise regimen. Diet Regimen At the outset, you may think that this meal plan is difficult. However, it's not, as it is a matter of practice, and following the strict schedule eventually becomes easy. You should have a clear schedule for your meals, and follow it strictly. You should try to have the first meal by half past six or seven in the morning and the snacks (mid-day) by 10. You should take your lunch on time by noon, or round about the time convenient to you, preferably not late afternoon. You can have your mid-day snacks at about three, followed by supper at about six and evening snacks by nine at night. So this was your 6 meals a day diet plan, which you can follow. Whenever you are following this diet, make sure that you follow a proper schedule so that you can avail of all the benefits. Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.