Today, healthy eating is a very common and popular topic. The Internet is simply full of advice and recommendations, however, to follow them without thinking is unreasonable and simply unhealthy.
Therefore, when compiling an appropriate nutritional menu, you should consult a dietitian. And in general, it will not be superfluous to study the specialized literature on this issue. The main thing is to use reliable sources. For example, the World Health Organization regularly addresses the topic of good nutrition in its methodological documents.
So, the specialists of the organization presented 10 principles that will make any diet more useful:
- A varied diet allows the body to receive all the variety of nutrients;
- Whole grains favorably affect the intestinal microflora, improving its work;
- Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are the best snack options;
- One teaspoon of salt per day is the daily norm for an adult, so undersalt is better than oversalt;
- It is necessary to monitor the level of sugar consumed, also pay attention to so-called hidden sugar;
- Moderate consumption of fatty foods;
- On the menu of the day, it is better to favor 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 any quantity is harmful to health.
Of course, the tips in this manual do not contain details, therefore, on their basis, a proper nutritional menu cannot be compiled. But to use it as a guideline for further work, you may very well.
Also, the best option when choosing a new diet is to consult a nutritionist. A doctor with such training will give a professional opinion and draw up a menu that will be not only healthy, but also nutritious and tasty. And today it is not necessary to visit clinics for this. Many nutritionists hold classes and open workshops where they share their secrets and teach others.
How to make a good nutritional menu?
The first step to healthy eating is the menu. After all, it is the list of "allowed" products that will determine the variety of dishes, the system of snacks.
When compiling an appropriate nutritional menu, nutritionists are guided by several key principles:
- Meat in the diet should be combined with vegetables and fruits;
- For proper functioning, you need to consume about 100 to 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 strictly calculated by 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 under the strictest prohibition;
- The food pyramid is a great way to organize your meals to guide you.
In addition, when drawing up the menu, it is important to focus on the time intervals between meals. Depending on their duration, the saturation of dishes with certain elements is determined. But there are also fairly general rules. For example, breakfast is best half an hour after waking up, and dinner about three hours before bedtime.
Features of a Weight Loss Meal Plan
It is important to understand that the nutrition plan also depends on the objectives pursued. Thus, one can distinguish a nutrition plan for children, a nutrition plan for various diseases, an athlete's nutrition plan before competitions and, of course, a diet plan for weight loss.
To begin with, we note that weight loss is impossible without proper and balanced nutrition, and the latter has never meant life on water and vegetables. Thus, we return to the principles of WHO - a variety of foods provides the full range of elements useful to the human body. This rule must be taken into account when compiling the menu.
Also, if you want to lose weight on the right diet, you need to follow a few more rules:
- You need to eat at certain time intervals, then the body will develop a diet;
- Meals should be split, the most optimal option is 5 times a day;
- When planning meals, you can't go against your lifestyle. On the contrary, the menu must be adapted to it.
So, we get two options for a diet designed for early and late risers:
| Diet for "Alouettes" | Feeding mode for "Owls" | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. 00 | Breakfast | 10. 00 | Breakfast |
| 10. 00 | First snack | 1: 00 p. m. | First snack |
| 1: 00 p. m. | Having dinner | 3: 00 p. m. | Having dinner |
| 16. 00 | Second snack | 5: 00 p. m. | Second snack |
| 19. 00 | Having dinner | 20. 00 | Having dinner |
Another feature of compiling a menu plan for weight loss is calorie counting. To do this, you need to keep a record of all the foods eaten during the day. And today it is quite simple to do this, since there are a huge number of special applications for these purposes.
How to plan everyday meals?
Good nutritional planning is a time-consuming process, the preparation of which should consider the following:
- The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates - it can be different depending on the goals pursued. For example, during the so-called "drying" it is recommended to increase the percentage of protein consumed;
- General calculation of calorie content - while the required daily calorie intake, which varies according to age and lifestyle, should be distributed evenly;
- A variety of products that correspond in terms of nutrient content and calorie content - only proper and balanced nutrition can give the result. Refusing to eat will only harm your health.
It should also be kept in mind that "unplanned" snacking should not be taken as a tragedy, but that it makes sense to analyze it and modify the frequency or composition of subsequent meals. Another stumbling block can be new foods for the diet. For example, while dieting, it is best not to experiment with new flavor combinations, as they can also negatively affect the diet.
It is possible to learn more about the rules of nutrition, the principles of forming a reasonable diet in dietetics courses.
Summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that the following product categories should form the basis of a proper nutritional menu:
- Chicken;
- Turkey;
- Fish;
- Seafood;
- Eggs;
- Dairy;
- Fruit;
- Vegetables;
- Green vegetables;
- Nuts;
- seeds;
- natural spices;
- spices;
- whole grain products;
- legumes;
- Olive, linseed, corn, sesame oils.
It is necessary to exclude from the diet:
- Sausages;
- smoked products;
- Canned food;
- vacuum-packed snacks;
- Semi-finished products;
- sauces;
- ready meals to be reheated in the microwave;
- Fast food;
- Soft drinks;
- Juice in packets.
Separately, it should be noted that salted nuts do not belong to proper nutrition, like all products with an increased level of spices, additives and flavors. As for confectionery products, they should be kept to a minimum, and the composition of such products should also be treated responsibly. For example, maybe you have an oatmeal muffin for breakfast.
weekly nutritional program
In general, a healthy and balanced diet can be quite varied, so it is quite possible to draw up a menu where there will be new dishes every day. We present to you an example of a menu for a week in accordance with all the recommendations given above:
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Having dinner | Having dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday |
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Baked fish, vegetable salad as an accompaniment. |
| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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Chicken fillet with baked vegetables. |
| Thursday |
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Lean beef pita, lettuce, vinaigrette - plain yogurt, garlic and dill. |
| Friday |
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| Saturday |
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Couscous with carrots, onions, corn, 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 have 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 reverse, adding snacks to the main meals - breakfast and lunch.
It is also important to remember that portions are calculated individually, depending on age, state of health, lifestyle and daily calorie intake. Therefore, the serving size for men and women will be different.
Recipes for good nutrition
We offer several simple, but tasty and healthy dishes for every day.
- Smoothies - 67-70 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Banana - 1 pc.
- Rolled oats - 30 gr.
- Yogurt (or kefir) - 100-150 gr.
- Vanilla - to taste.
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. If you wish, you can also add a peach or a pear, but not without abusing sweet fruits.
- Oatmeal-apple pancakes - 152 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Rolled oats - 80 gr.
- Medium-sized apple - 1 pc.
- Chicken egg - 1 pc.
- Honey - 30 gr.
Grind oatmeal in a blender. Wipe the apple, mix with the resulting powder and egg. Brown 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 pieces
- Vinegar - to taste.
- Greens - to taste.
- Salt - to taste.
- Vegetable oil - Art. spoon.
Cook the vegetables for 15 minutes in the oven, then remove the skin and cut. Add chopped herbs, oil, vinegar, salt to the resulting salad, mix.
- Mushroom puree soup - 30 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Mushrooms Mushrooms - 700 gr.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Carrot - 1 pc.
- Milk - 250 ml.
- Greens - to taste.
Mushrooms should be poured with boiling water, let it brew. Cut the onion and the carrot, cook for 15 minutes with the mushrooms. Boil the milk. Transfer soup to a blender, add milk, then beat until smooth, garnish with herbs if desired.
- Beef stew - 80 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Beef - 100 gr.
- Buckwheat groats - 150 gr.
- Carrot - 1 pc.
- Tomatoes - 2 pieces
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Lemon juice - to taste.
- Greens - to taste.
Marinate the meat with the onion and lemon juice for one hour. Simmer the carrots, tomatoes, onions and beef in a skillet. 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 gr.
- Walnuts - 100 gr.
- Sesame - 2 tbsp. spoons.
- Orange - 1 pc.
- Cinnamon - teaspoon.
Prunes and dates should be washed and pitted, then chopped in a blender. In the resulting mixture, add the orange zest and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of orange juice, mix. Toast the walnuts in a frying pan a little beforehand (without adding oil). Mix all the ingredients until smooth. Put the mixture on a food film, form a sausage, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place the sweet sausage in the refrigerator for half an hour.
If you want to create a menu for a specific purpose, for example, to lose weight, the most effective option is to have a diet followed by a dietician. He will take into account the individual characteristics of your body and will establish a nutritional plan that will help you achieve your goals.