Today, healthy eating is a very common and popular topic. The Internet is just full of advice and recommendations, but pointless following them is unreasonable and simply unhealthy.
Therefore, when compiling a menu for proper nutrition, you should consult a nutritionist. And in general it will not be superfluous to study the special literature on this subject. The main thing is to use reliable sources. For example, the World Health Organization regularly discusses the topic of proper nutrition in its teaching materials.
So, the specialists of the organization presented 10 principles that will make each diet more useful:
- A varied diet allows the body to receive the full variety of nutrients;
- Whole grains have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, improving its work;
- Fruits, vegetables and nuts are the best options for breakfast;
- One teaspoon of salt a day is the daily norm for an adult, so it is better to salt than to salt;
- It is necessary to monitor the level of sugar consumed, also to pay attention to the so-called hidden sugar;
- Moderate consumption of fatty foods;
- In the daily menu it is better to give preference to fish or poultry, limiting the consumption of red meat;
- Ready meals are a rich cocktail of trans fats, salt, sugar and a wide variety of artificial additives;
- Fried foods will never be healthy;
- Alcohol in all quantities is harmful to health.
Of course, the tips in this guide do not contain details, so they can not be used to compile a menu for proper nutrition. But to use it as a guide for further work - you can quite successfully.
In addition, the best option when choosing a new diet is to consult a nutritionist. A doctor with such training will give a professional opinion and will compile a menu that will be not only healthy, but also nutritious and tasty. And today you do not need to visit clinics for this. Many nutritionists hold open lessons and seminars where they share their secrets and teach others.
How to make a menu for proper nutrition?
The first step to a healthy diet is the menu. Ultimately, the list of "allowed" products will determine the variety of dishes, the snack system.
Nutritionists are guided by several key principles when compiling a menu for proper nutrition:
- Meat in the diet should be combined with vegetables and fruits;
- For proper functioning, you should eat approximately 100-150 grams of protein per day;
- If desired, sweets can be included in the diet. But it is important to remember that their use should be calculated strictly according to the amount of sugar and you should not eat desserts in the afternoon;
- Canned and semi-finished products, all kinds of sauces, as well as representatives of fast food restaurants under the strictest ban;
- The food pyramid is a great way to organize your meal to guide you.
In addition, when compiling the menu, it is important to focus on the time intervals between meals. Depending on their duration, the saturation of the dishes with certain elements is determined. But there are also quite general rules. For example, breakfast is best half an hour after waking up, and dinner is about three hours before bedtime.
Features of a diet plan for weight loss
It is important to understand that the diet plan also depends on what goals are being pursued. So, we can distinguish between a diet plan for children, a diet plan for various diseases, an athlete's diet plan before competitions and, of course, a diet plan for weight loss.
To begin with, we note that weight loss is impossible without a proper and balanced diet, and the latter has never meant the existence of water and vegetables. So we return to the principles of the WHO - a variety of foods provides the full range of useful elements of the human body. This rule must be taken into account when compiling the menu.
In addition, if you want to lose weight with the right diet, you need to follow a few more rules:
- You need to eat at certain intervals, then the body will develop a regime;
- The food should be partial, the best option is 5 times a day;
- When planning a meal, you can't go against your lifestyle. Rather, on the contrary, the menu should be tailored to it.
So we get two options for a diet designed for those who get up early and late:
| Dwarf diet | Diet for "Owls" | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7, 00 h | Breakfast | 10. 00 h | Breakfast |
| 10. 00 h | First breakfast | 13. 00 h | First breakfast |
| 13. 00 h | Dinner | 15. 00 | Dinner |
| 16. 00 h | Second breakfast | 5. 00 pm | Second breakfast |
| 19. 00 h | Dinner | 20. 00 | Dinner |
Another feature of drawing up a weight loss menu plan is calorie counting. To do this, you need to keep a record of all foods eaten during the day. And today it is quite simple to do so, because there are a large number of special applications for such purposes.
How to plan meals for each day?
Proper nutrition planning is a time-consuming process, the preparation of which should take into account the following:
- The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates - may be different depending on the goals pursued. For example, during the so-called "drying" it is recommended to increase the percentage of protein consumed;
- Total calculation of calorie content - while the required daily dose of calories, which varies depending on age and lifestyle, should be distributed evenly;
- A variety of products that are responsible in terms of nutrient content and calorie content - only a proper and balanced diet can work. Refusing to eat will only harm your health.
It is also important to keep in mind that "unplanned" snacks should not be taken as a tragedy, but it makes sense to analyze them and change the frequency or composition of subsequent meals. Another stumbling block may be new foods for the diet. while on a diet, it is best not to experiment with new flavor combinations, as they can also negatively affect the diet.
You can learn more about the rules of nutrition, the principles of forming a reasonable diet in dietetics courses.
Summarizing all the above, we can conclude that the following categories of products should be the basis of a proper diet:
- Chicken;
- Turkey;
- Fish;
- Seafood;
- Eggs;
- Dairy products;
- Fruits;
- Vegetables;
- Greens;
- Nuts;
- seeds;
- natural spices;
- spices;
- Whole grain products;
- legumes;
- Olive, flaxseed, corn, sesame oil.
It is necessary to exclude from the diet:
- Sausages;
- Smoked products;
- Canned foods;
- Vacuum packed snacks;
- Semi-finished products;
- sauces;
- Ready meals for heating in the microwave;
- Fast food;
- Carbonated drinks;
- Juices in packages.
Separately, it is worth noting that salted nuts do not belong to the proper diet, like all products containing elevated levels of spices, additives and flavors. As for confectionery products, they must be kept to a minimum, and the composition of such products must also be treated responsibly. For example, you might have a muffin with oatmeal for breakfast.
weekly food program
In general, a balanced healthy diet can be quite varied, so it is quite possible to develop a menu that will have new dishes every day. We present you an example of a menu for a week in accordance with all the above recommendations:
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday |
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Roasted fish, vegetable salad as a side dish. |
| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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Chicken fillet with roasted vegetables. |
| Thursday |
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Pie with lean beef, lettuce, dressing - natural yogurt, garlic and dill. |
| Friday |
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| Saturday |
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Couscous with carrots, onions, corn, green peas. |
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| Sunday |
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It should be noted that when small snacks are included in the diet, fruits and nuts will need to be removed from the main menu. In other words, an apple from breakfast is transferred to an afternoon snack. A similar system can be used in the opposite direction, adding snacks to the main meals - breakfast and lunch.
It is also important to remember that portions are calculated individually, based on age, health, lifestyle and daily calorie intake. Therefore, the portion size for men and women will be different.
Recipes for proper nutrition
We offer a few simple but delicious and healthy meals for every day.
- Smoothie - 67-70 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Banana - 1 pc.
- Oatmeal - 30 g.
- Yogurt (or kefir) - 100-150 g.
- Vanilla - to taste.
Grind all ingredients in a blender until smooth. If desired, you can add a peach or pear, but not without the abuse of sweet fruits.
- Oatmeal pancakes - 152 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Oatmeal - 80 g.
- Medium apple - 1 pc.
- Chicken egg - 1 pc.
- Honey - 30 g.
Grind the oats in a blender. Wipe the apple, mix with the resulting powder and egg. Fry the pancakes for about 3 minutes on each side. The dish can be served with honey.
- Lecho salad - 50 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Bulgarian pepper - 4 pcs.
- Eggplant - 1 pc.
- Tomato - 3 pcs.
- Vinegar - to taste.
- Greens - to taste.
- Salt to taste.
- Vegetable oil - art. spoon.
Bake the vegetables for 15 minutes in the oven, then remove the skin and cut. Add chopped herbs, oil, vinegar, salt to the resulting salad, stir.
- Mushroom puree soup - 30 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Champignons mushrooms - 700 g.
- Onions - 1 pc.
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Milk - 250 ml.
- Greens - to taste.
The mushrooms should be poured with boiling water, bring to a boil. Cut onions and carrots, cook for 15 minutes with mushrooms. Boil milk. Transfer the soup to a blender, add milk, then puree, garnish with herbs as desired.
- Stewed beef - 80 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Veal - 100 g.
- Buckwheat groats - 150 gr.
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Onions - 1 pc.
- Lemon juice - to taste.
- Greens - to taste.
Marinate the meat with onion and lemon juice for an hour. Stew carrots, tomatoes, onions and beef in a pan. When ready, add the greens. As a side dish - buckwheat (cook without salt).
- Lean sweet sausage - 269, 98 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Dates - 125 gr.
- Prunes - 125 g.
- Nuts - 100 gr.
- Sesame - 2 tbsp. spoons.
- Orange - 1 pc.
- Cinnamon - a teaspoon.
Prunes and dates should be washed and deboned, then sliced with a blender. In the resulting mixture add orange peel and 1 tbsp orange spoon, stir. Pre-roast the nuts in a pan (without adding oil). Mix all ingredients until smooth. Put the mixture on cling film, form a roll, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Put the sweet sausage in the refrigerator for half an hour.
If you want to create a menu for a specific purpose, such as weight loss, then the most effective option is to make a diet by a nutritionist. He will take into account the individual characteristics of your body and will prepare a diet plan that will help you achieve your goals.