Today, healthy eating is a very common and popular topic. The internet is simply full of advice and recommendations, however mindlessly following them is irrational and just plain unhealthy.
Therefore, when designing a proper nutritional menu, 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 addresses the topic of adequate nutrition in its methodological materials.
Thus, the experts of the organization presented 10 principles that will make any diet more useful:
- A varied diet allows the body to receive the full range of nutrients;
- Whole grains favorably affect the intestinal microflora, improving their work;
- Fruits, vegetables and nuts are the best snack options;
- A teaspoon of salt a day is the daily norm for an adult, so it's better to salt less than too much.
- It is necessary to monitor the level of sugar consumed, pay attention also to the so-called hidden sugar;
- Moderate consumption of fatty foods;
- In the menu of the day, it is better to give preference to fish or poultry, limiting the consumption of red meats;
- 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 amount is harmful to health.
Obviously, the tips in this manual do not contain specifics, so based on them, an adequate nutritional menu cannot be compiled. But to use it as a guide for future work - you can quite successfully.
In addition, the best option when choosing a new diet is to consult a nutritionist. A doctor with this background will give a professional opinion and design a menu that will not only be healthy, but also nutritious and tasty. And today it is not necessary to visit clinics for this. Many nutritionists hold open classes and workshops where they share their secrets and teach others.
How to make a proper 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 snack system.
Nutritionists in compiling an appropriate nutritional menu are guided by several key principles:
- Meat in the diet should be combined with vegetables and fruits;
- For proper functioning, you need to consume approximately 100-150 grams of protein per day;
- If desired, sweets can be included in the diet. But it is important to remember that its use must be strictly calculated according to the amount of sugar, and you must not eat desserts in the afternoon;
- Canned and semi-finished products, all kinds of sauces, as well as representatives of fast foods under the strictest prohibition;
- The Food Pyramid is a great way to organize your meals to guide you.
Also, when compiling 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 very general rules. For example, breakfast is best half an hour after waking up and dinner is about three hours before bed.
Features of a weight loss meal plan
It is important to understand that the nutrition plan also depends on what goals are being pursued. Thus, we can distinguish between a nutrition plan for children, a nutrition plan for various diseases, an athlete 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 never meant water and vegetables. So we're back to the WHO principles - a variety of foods provide the full range of useful elements to the human body. This rule must be taken into account when compiling the menu.
Also, if you want to lose weight with the right diet, you must follow a few more rules:
- You must eat at certain intervals of time, then the body will develop a regimen;
- Meals should be divided, the most ideal 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.
Thus, we have two options for a diet designed for those who wake up early and late:
| Diet for "Larks" | How to eat for "Owls" | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. 00 | Breakfast | 10. 00 | Breakfast |
| 10. 00 | first snack | 1 pm | first snack |
| 1 pm | Dinner | 15: 00 | Dinner |
| 16: 00 | second snack | 17: 00 | second snack |
| 19: 00 | Dinner | 20: 00 | Dinner |
Another feature in compiling a weight loss menu plan is calorie counting. To do this, you need to keep a record of all the food consumed during the day. And today it is quite simple to do this, because there are a huge number of special applications for these purposes.
How to plan meals for every day?
Proper nutritional planning is a time-consuming process, the preparation of which must take into account the following:
- The proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates - 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 allowance of calories, which varies according to age and lifestyle, should be evenly distributed;
- A variety of products that match in terms of nutrient content and calorie content - only proper and balanced nutrition can do the trick. Refusing to eat will only harm your health.
It should also be borne in mind that "unscheduled" snacks should not be viewed as a tragedy, but it makes sense to analyze them and alter the frequency or composition of subsequent meals. Another obstacle may be new foods to the diet. For example, while dieting, it is better not to experiment with new flavor combinations, as they can also negatively affect the regimen.
It is possible to 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 product categories should be the basis of an adequate nutritional menu:
- Chicken;
- Peru;
- Fish;
- Seafood;
- Eggs;
- Dairy products;
- Fruit;
- Vegetable;
- greens;
- 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;
- Meals ready for heating in the microwave;
- Fast food;
- carbonated drinks;
- Juices in packs.
Separately, it is worth noting that salted nuts do not belong in proper nutrition, like any product that contains an increased level 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 handled responsibly. For example, maybe you have an oatmeal muffin for breakfast.
weekly nutrition program
In general, a healthy and balanced diet can be quite varied, so it is quite possible to develop a menu where there will be new dishes every day. We present a sample menu for a week according to all the recommendations given above:
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Dinner | 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 roasted vegetables. |
| Thursday |
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Pita with lean meat, lettuce, sauce - plain 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 reverse, adding snacks to main meals - breakfast and lunch.
It is also important to remember that servings are calculated individually, based on age, health status, lifestyle and daily calorie intake. Therefore, the portion size for men and women will be different.
Recipes for proper nutrition
We offer several simple but tasty and healthy dishes for every day.
- Smoothies - 67-70 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Banana - 1 pc.
- 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 pear, but not without the abuse of sweet fruit.
- Oatmeal and apple pancakes - 152 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Oats - 80 gr.
- Medium-sized apple - 1 pc.
- Chicken egg - 1 pc.
- Honey - 30 g.
Grind the oats in a blender. Clean the apple, mix with the resulting powder and the 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. a spoon.
Roast 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:
- Champignon mushrooms - 700 gr.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Carrot - 1 unit.
- Milk - 250ml.
- Greens - to taste.
Mushrooms must be poured with boiling water, let it ferment. Cut the onion and carrot, cook for 15 minutes with mushrooms. Boil the milk. Transfer the soup to a blender, add the milk and blend until pureed, garnish with herbs if desired.
- Stewed meat - 80 kcal / 100 gr.
Ingredients:
- Meat - 100 g.
- Buckwheat grains - 150 gr.
- Carrot - 1 unit.
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Lemon juice - to taste.
- Greens - to taste.
Marinate the meat with onion and lemon juice for an hour. Cook the carrots, tomatoes, onions and meat 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.
- Dried plums - 125 gr.
- Nuts - 100 g.
- Sesame - 2 tbsp. spoons.
- Orange - 1 pc.
- Cinnamon - teaspoon.
Plums and dates should be washed and pitted, then chopped with a blender. In the resulting mixture, add orange zest and 1 tbsp. a spoon of orange juice, mix. Toast the walnuts in a frying pan a little beforehand (without adding oil). Mix all ingredients until smooth. Put the mixture in plastic wrap, form a roll, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Put the sweet sausage in the fridge 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 go on a diet by a nutritionist. He will take into account the individual characteristics of your body and come up with a nutrition plan that will help you achieve your goals.