Today, healthy eating is a very common and popular topic. The Internet is full of advice and tips, but it is unwise and harmful to follow them without thinking.
Therefore, you should consult a dietitian when designing a proper nutrition menu. And in general, it is no longer necessary to study the specific literature on this issue. The key is to use reliable sources. For example, the World Health Organization in its methodological materials regularly addresses the issue of proper nutrition.
Thus, the experts of the organization presented 10 principles that will make any diet more useful:
- Different diets allow the body to absorb all the different nutrients;
- Whole grains have a positive effect on the intestinal microflora, improve its function;
- Fruits, vegetables and nuts are the best snack options;
- One teaspoon of salt a day is the daily norm for adults, so it is better to make less salt than salt;
- It is necessary to monitor the level of sugar consumed, as well as pay attention to the so-called hidden sugar;
- average consumption of fatty foods;
- It is better to prefer fish or poultry by limiting the consumption of red meat in the daily menu;
- Ready meals are a rich cocktail of trans fats, salt, sugar and various artificial additives;
- Fried foods will never be healthy;
- Any amount of alcohol is harmful to health.
Of course, the tips in this guide do not contain specific information, so a proper nutrition menu cannot be based on them. But to use it as a guide for further work - you can do quite successfully.
In addition, the best option when choosing a new diet is to consult a dietitian. Such a trained doctor 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 classes and seminars, where they share their secrets and teach others.
How to prepare a proper nutrition menu?
The first step towards a healthy diet is the menu. After all, it is a list of "allowed" products that will determine the variety of dishes, the snack system.
When designing a proper nutrition menu, nutritionists are guided by several basic principles:
- In the diet, meat should be combined with vegetables and fruits;
- To work properly, you need to consume about 100-150 grams of protein per day;
- If desired, sweets can be included in the diet. But keep in mind that their use should be strictly calculated 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 fast food representatives under the strictest ban;
- The Food Pyramid is a great way to organize your meals to guide you.
In addition, when designing the menu, it is important to pay attention to the time intervals between meals. Depending on their duration, it is determined that the dishes are saturated with certain elements. But there are enough general rules. For example, breakfast is best done half an hour after waking up, and dinner is best done about three hours before bedtime.
Features of a meal plan to lose weight
It is also important to understand that a nutrition plan also depends on what goals are being achieved. Thus, we 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 to lose weight.
To begin with, it is impossible to lose weight without a proper and balanced diet, and the latter never meant the presence of water and vegetables. Thus, we return to the principles of the WHO - different foods provide the human body with all the beneficial elements. This rule should be taken into account when designing the menu.
In addition, if you want to lose weight with a proper diet, you need to follow a few more rules:
- Need to eat at certain time intervals, then the body will develop a regimen;
- Meals should be in fractions, the optimal option is 5 times a day;
- You can't go against your lifestyle when planning meals. Rather, the menu should be adapted to it.
Thus, we get two options for a diet designed for early and late risers:
| Diet for "Larks" | Diet for "owls" | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. 00 | Breakfast | 10. 00 | Breakfast |
| 10. 00 | The first snack | 13. 00 | The first snack |
| 13. 00 | Supper | 15. 00 | Supper |
| 16. 00 | Second snack | 17. 00 | Second snack |
| 19. 00 | Supper | 20. 00 | Supper |
Another feature in designing a menu to lose weight is the calculation of calories. To do this, you need to keep a record of all foods eaten during the day. And today it is quite simple to do, because there are many special programs for such purposes.
How to plan meals for each day?
Proper nutrition planning is a time-consuming process that should take into account the following:
- The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates can vary depending on the goals. For example, it is recommended to increase the percentage of protein consumed during the so-called "drying";
- General calculation of calorie content - the required daily caloric dose, which varies according to age and lifestyle, should be evenly distributed;
- A variety of products that match the content of nutrients and calories - only a proper and balanced diet can give results. Refusing to eat will only harm your health.
It should also be borne in mind that "unplanned" snacks should not be considered 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. For example, when dieting, it is best not to experiment with new flavor combinations, as they can also negatively affect the regimen.
In dietary courses it is possible to learn more about the rules of nutrition, the principles of forming a reasonable diet.
Summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that the following product categories should form the basis of a proper nutrition menu:
- chicken;
- Turkey;
- fish;
- sea products;
- eggs;
- dairy products;
- fruit;
- vegetables;
- Greens;
- nuts;
- seed;
- natural spices;
- spices;
- whole grain products;
- legumes;
- Olive, flax, corn, sesame oils.
It should be excluded from the diet:
- sausage;
- smoked products;
- Canned food;
- Snacks in vacuum packaging;
- Semi-finished products;
- sauces;
- Ready meals to heat in the microwave;
- Fast food;
- carbonated drinks;
- Juices in packages.
It should be noted that salted nuts, like any product with a high level of spices, additives and flavors, do not belong to a proper diet. As for confectionery, they should be minimized and the composition of such products should be treated responsibly. For example, you might have oatmeal bread for breakfast.
weekly nutrition program
In general, a balanced healthy diet can be very diverse, so it is quite possible to prepare a menu that will have new dishes every day. Here is an example of a weekly menu in accordance with all the recommendations given earlier:
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Supper | Supper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday |
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Baked fish as a side dish, vegetable salad. |
| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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Chicken fillet with baked vegetables. |
| Thursday |
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Lean beef, lettuce, pita with 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 a snack in the afternoon. A similar system can be used in reverse by adding snacks to the main dishes - breakfast and lunch.
It is also important to remember that portions are calculated individually based on age, health status, lifestyle and daily calorie intake. Therefore, the portion size will be different for men and women.
Recipes for proper nutrition
We offer a few simple but delicious and healthy dishes for every day.
- Smoothies - 67-70 kcal / 100 q.
Ingredients:
- banana - 1 piece.
- oatmeal - 30 q.
- Yogurt (or kefir) - 100-150 g.
- Vanilla - to taste.
Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. If desired, you can also add a peach or pear, but without abusing the sweet fruit.
- Oatmeal pancakes - 152 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- oatmeal - 80 q.
- medium-sized apples - 1 piece.
- Chicken eggs - 1 piece.
- points - 30 q.
Chop the oatmeal in a blender. Wipe the apples, mix with the resulting powder and eggs. Fry the pancakes on each side for about 3 minutes. Meals can be given with honey.
- Lecho salad - 50 kcal / 100 g.
Ingredients:
- Bulgarian pepper - 4 pieces.
- eggplant - 1 piece.
- Tomatoes - 3 pcs.
- Vinegar - to taste.
- Greens - to taste.
- Salt - to taste.
- Vegetable oil - Art. spoon.
Bake the vegetables in the oven for 15 minutes, then peel and cut. Add chopped greens, oil, vinegar, salt and mix to the resulting salad.
- Mushroom puree soup - 30 kcal / 100 g.
Ingredients:
- Mushrooms - 700 g.
- Onion - 1 piece.
- Carrot - 1 piece.
- Milk - 250 ml.
- Greens - to taste.
Mushrooms should be poured with boiling water and infused. Cut onions and carrots, cook for 15 minutes with mushrooms. Boil the milk. Transfer the soup to a blender, add milk, then beat until puree, garnish with herbs if desired.
- cooked beef - 80 kcal / 100 g.
Ingredients:
- beef - 100 g.
- buckwheat - 150 g.
- Carrot - 1 piece.
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Onion - 1 piece.
- Lemon juice - to taste.
- Greens - to taste.
Marinate the meat with onion and lemon juice for an hour. Fry carrots, tomatoes, onions and beef in a pan. When ready, add the herbs. As a garnish - buckwheat (cook without salt).
- Sweet sausage without fat - 269, 98 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Dates - 125 gr.
- plum - 125 g.
- nuts - 100 g.
- Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp. spoons.
- Orange - 1 piece.
- Cinnamon - a teaspoon.
Plums and dates should be washed and cleaned from the pit, then chopped with a blender. In the resulting mixture add orange peel and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of orange juice, mix. Fry the nuts a little earlier (without adding oil). Mix all ingredients until smooth. Put the mixture on the adhesive film, make 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, for example, to lose weight, then the most effective option is to diet by a nutritionist. He will take into account the individual characteristics of your body and develop a nutrition plan that will help you achieve your goals.