The desire to get rid of excess weight leads overweight people to different weight loss systems. Recently, complex methods have become more and more popular. But in most cases, weight loss efforts are limited to choosing a particular diet. Diets vary according to allowed and prohibited food lists, deadlines, and general rules. In the following material we will talk about the cabbage diet.
cabbage diet
Cabbage is a very popular product. Salads, soups and hot dishes are made from it. It is fermented, salted, pickled with other vegetables. You can easily buy cabbage at the nearest supermarket or grow it on your own.
Cabbage is delicious, both fresh and cooked. At the same time, it is rich in vitamins, minerals, trace and macro elements necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. It contains:
- B vitamins support the work of the central nervous system, strengthen the immune system;
- vitamins of group E, necessary for the organs of vision;
- group C vitamins, which are the basis of immunity. You only need to eat 250 grams of cabbage to make up for your daily intake;
- iron participates in the processes of transporting nutrients to cells;
- magnesium, which is necessary for the normal growth and development of muscle tissue;
- calcium is an important component for the health of bones, teeth and nails;
- methionine is a special substance involved in cell activity.
In addition, cabbage contains a large amount of natural plant fiber (fiber), which improves the functioning of the digestive tract and helps to clean it.
As with all varieties, cabbage is part of a very low-calorie composition - 28 kcal per 100 grams. And in sauerkraut it is even less - 19 kcal per 100 grams. Any type of cabbage is suitable for the diet: white, cauliflower, broccoli. And how to use it correctly - we will consider in the next paragraph.
General rules
The basis of the diet, as the name implies, is cabbage. It is combined with other products depending on the type of diet. There are three main types:
- Soft or classic options. In this case, the dietary menu is very diverse, includes many other products, but cabbage salads, casseroles or sauerkraut, soups with it are added to lunch and dinner.
- Hard choice or fasting days: cabbage-kefir, cabbage-curd, cabbage-vegetable diet.
- Mono-option: only for a few days cabbage.
Experts do not recommend the last two options, as they can be dangerous to health, leading to irreversible consequences. The main thing of the cabbage diet is to monitor the number of calories consumed, not to reduce the daily rate below 1000 kcal.
In general, for all three types, the general rules of the diet are the same:
- completely exclude sweets, powdered products, semi-finished products and fast foods from the diet;
- cook dishes with a minimum amount of salt, vegetable oil, can bake food on a griddle or in the oven, using a double boiler or non-stick pan;
- drink plenty of water - up to two liters per day or at the rate of 30 ml per kilogram of body weight;
- It is also recommended to replace coffee with herbal decoction, green tea.
A switch to foods, where the main product is cabbage, can only be made with the permission of a specialist, therapist or nutritionist.
Advantages and disadvantages
The cabbage diet has several advantages:
- The main advantage of the cabbage diet is availability. You can easily buy cabbage at the store closest to your house, in addition, it is notable for its low price.
- The next advantage is the ability to cook a variety of dishes. Soups, salads, main dishes or snacks made from cabbage, it is fermented, salted or eaten fresh.
- But the main thing is the high use of cabbage. As already mentioned, it contains a large amount of vitamins, micro and macro elements.
Just adding cabbage to your regular diet won't do any harm. But a diet based solely on this vegetable is considered unhealthy, unbalanced. You should know that an abundance of cabbage in the diet can adversely affect health. Usually, people who lose weight have the following side effects: decreased efficiency, concentration, appearance of lethargy, headache. This is due to the reduced total calorie content of the diet, the inability to meet the body's needs for protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
In addition, eating too much cabbage in the diet can increase the acidity of the stomach, causing fermentation processes, characterized by pain, bloating and gas.
You should also know that the cabbage diet is contraindicated:
- pregnant and lactating women;
- minors (under 18 years old);
- with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- with pressure problems: hypertension or hypotension;
- with diabetes;
- kidney and liver disease.
In general, single-cabbage diets or fasting days, such as cheese and cabbage, are considered unbalanced and dangerous. Experts do not recommend using them for weight loss. It will be better if you add cabbage salad or cabbage soup on sauerkraut to the menu.
Allowed Product Table
It is not necessary to only eat cabbage in the diet. The diet should be made as varied, delicious, and nutritious as possible. The menu should meet the body's needs for protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Therefore, you should enable the following:
- Types of cabbage: white, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, red, guise leaves, broccoli, Beijing, kohlrabi, sea cabbage.
- Other vegetables: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beets, radishes, radishes, zucchini, eggplants, pumpkins, onions.
- Green vegetables: lettuce, parsley, dill, basil, scallions.
- Fruit: apple, orange, grapefruit, pear, nectarine, apricot, peach.
- Berries: raspberries, strawberries, cherries, cherries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries.
Dishes are recommended to be cooked with the minimum amount of oil added. It is recommended to bake in the oven or grill, stew with a non-stick pan, use a double boiler.
Products are fully or partially restricted
In moderation, small servings of the cabbage diet are allowed:
- Low-fat dairy products and yogurt: milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, cheese.
- Chicken or quail eggs.
- Poultry: chicken, turkey.
- Meat: lean pork, beef, rabbit.
- Durum wheat pasta, rye bread.
- Grains: buckwheat, oatmeal, barley, rice.
- Low-fat cottage cheese.
- Ham chicken diet.
Allowed from beverages, decoctions of herbs, coffee or tea without added sugar.
Table of prohibited products
From this diet you must completely exclude:
- semi-finished products;
- fast food;
- bakery;
- candy;
- carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices;
- alcohol.
If the diet menu is balanced, meeting the body's needs for calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, then along with the diet, you should include physical activity in your regular routine. The main problem is to find the kind of sport that brings joy, which is within our power and corresponds to the present physicality.
Cabbage diet menu (diet)
The menu for the cabbage diet is easy to make on your own. To do this, you need to calculate your body's calorie needs. This can be done using a special recipe or through an online calculator service.
Another option is to use a ready-made one-week diet. If things are simple with single options, a full-fledged high-quality menu looks much more complicated:
Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snack | Dinner | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Monday | Cheesecake with yogurt, berries, raisins. | Sandwich with curd cheese, herbs, salmon. | Diet soup from fresh cabbage, 100 grams of boiled chicken breast, a slice of rye bread. | Any fruit, any 15-20 nuts. | "Korean-style" seaweed salad. |
Tuesday | Oatmeal with milk, cheese sandwich. | Cheesecake with berries. | Shredded diet cabbage with garnish with buckwheat, vegetable salad. | Any fruit, any 15-20 nuts. | Omelette, coleslaw with greens, a glass of kefir. |
Wednesday | Cheese casserole with dried fruit. | Dietary protein bars or cookies. | Cauliflower and white cabbage stew, vegetable salad. | Any fruit, any 15-20 nuts. | Salad with cabbage, chicken and corn. |
Thursday | Two hard-boiled eggs, toast with peanut butter. | Toast with ham, lettuce, tomato. | Cabbage stew with prunes in the slow cooker. Vegetable salad. | Any fruit, any 15-20 nuts. | Omelette, sauerkraut. |
Friday | Wheat porridge with any berries. | Sandwich with ham, cheese, tomato. | Grilled chicken with vegetables. | Any fruit, any 15-20 nuts. | Vegetable salad, steamed pollock, a glass of kefir. |
Saturday | Scrambled eggs with herbs and tomatoes. | Cheesecake with berries. | Chicken soup with vegetables, a slice of rye bread. | Any fruit, any 15-20 nuts. | Salad: seaweed with eggs. |
Sunday | Milk rice porridge, cold meat bread. | Diet protein pudding with berries. | Lean pork roast with asparagus. | Any fruit, any 15-20 nuts. | Omelette with herbs, vegetable salad, a glass of yogurt. |
It is not necessary to strictly follow the table. You can experiment, invent your own dishes or search for interesting dishes on the Internet.
Dietary recipes for the cabbage diet
For the cabbage diet, you can use all kinds of dishes, recipes with photos and step-by-step instructions abound on the Internet. Using ready-made recipes or creating your own dishes, the main thing to remember are the basic rules for cooking cabbage when losing weight:
- Minimize salt intake. You can replace it with spices and herbs.
- Do not use vegetable oil for frying, but it can be added to salads.
- Use non-stick pan, steamer, electric grill, oven to cook.
- People who work in offices and study should bring food in containers. This will help you avoid unwanted snacks.
In principle, any dish with cabbage that does not contain mayonnaise or products that are on the banned list is suitable for the cabbage diet.
Diet soup from fresh cabbage
To prepare a healthy version of your regular soup, you will need the following basic ingredients:
- chicken breast or chicken fillet - 300 grams;
- fresh carrots - 1 tuber;
- fresh cabbage - 300-400 g;
- tomato - a small one;
- a small potato;
- onion - 1 bulb;
- greens: onion, dill, parsley.
Cut chicken fillet into cubes, cook in 1-1. 5 liters of water for 30-40 minutes. Prepare the vegetables: grate the carrots on a coarse grinder, cut the cabbage, cut the tomatoes and potatoes into cubes. Dip them in water and cook until soft.
After the vegetables are soft, you can salt, add black pepper, herbs (dill, parsley, onion). Serve with low-fat sour cream.
Recipe for diet cabbage slices
An ideal option for a vegetarian menu is shredded cabbage. To prepare them you will need:
- 600 grams of white cabbage;
- two chicken eggs;
- a light;
- salt and pepper;
- 2 tablespoons rice or any other flour.
The cooking process is very simple. First you need to finely chop the cabbage. Knead well by hand, squeeze out the juice. Add the chopped onion, eggs and flour, salt, and black pepper to the minced cabbage. Cutlet form. Put them in a non-stick mold, bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the cake is golden.
Such cutlets will go well with sour cream sauce, for which you need:
- sour cream - 200 grams;
- 3-4 cloves of garlic;
- bunch of dill.
Squeeze garlic cloves into sour cream, add finely chopped dill, a little salt - the sauce is ready.
Cauliflower and cabbage stew
Cabbage casserole is another fun option for a delicious lunch or dinner. To cook you will need:
- white cabbage - 300 grams;
- cauliflower - 300 grams;
- carrot - a small tuber;
- two or three eggs;
- milk - 200 ml;
- salt and pepper.
White cabbage must be chopped. Color - separated into inflorescences. Mix the two types of cabbage, grated carrots and fry in a non-stick pan. Mix eggs, milk, salt, and black pepper separately. Pour the resulting mixture into the casserole, put in the oven at 80 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
The finished casserole can be sprinkled with low-fat cheese, garnished with herbs.
You can use any type of cabbage in this recipe. It is especially delicious with broccoli and color.
Salad with cabbage, chicken and corn
This salad is an ideal choice for dinner, as it is not only delicious but also satisfying. In addition, it is ideal for a big party. To cook you need:
- a medium-sized Chinese cabbage;
- boiled chicken fillet - 300 grams;
- a purple onion;
- canned corn - 1 can;
- parsley;
- olive oil for dressing;
- lemon juice for dressing;
- salt, ground pepper, Provence herbs.
The process of preparing the salad is extremely simple, taking only a few minutes. First, you need to cut the chicken into squares, marinate with olive oil, salt, Provence herbs, leave for about 15-20 minutes. Add the chopped cabbage, red onion, canned corn, and parsley to the chicken. Season the salad with a little oil, drizzle with lemon juice.
You can also add homemade rye bread to salads. Instead of butter, use low-fat sour cream.
Salad (seaweed with eggs)
Another quick and delicious salad for seaweed lovers. It is the ideal dish for dinner, providing the body with protein, useful micro and macro elements. To prepare it you will need:
- 150 grams of seaweed;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 50 grams of low-fat sour cream;
- Salt.
To prepare a salad, you need to mix chopped eggs with seaweed, sour cream, salt.
This recipe is considered a classic. But there are also many varieties. They often prepare a salad with seaweed, eggs and:
- crab stick or crab meat;
- Melted cheese;
- cucumber;
- Corn;
- green bean;
- Squid;
- cheese;
- rice
- The potatoes;
- pepper.
Such a salad is a kind of builder that allows you to create a delicious and, most importantly, healthy dinner from what is.
Cabbage stew in slow cooker with prunes
A rather strange, but delicious recipe is stewed cabbage with prunes. To prepare it, you will need a slow cooker and the following ingredients:
- half a head of white cabbage;
- a medium carrot;
- a small onion;
- three to four medium tomatoes;
- prunes - 100 grams;
- olive oil - 1 tbsp;
- sour cream or greek yogurt - 2 tbsp;
- lemon juice - 1 teaspoon;
- salt and pepper.
The cooking process is as follows:
- Shredded cabbage, grated carrot, sliced onion.
- Pour olive oil into a multi-purpose bowl, add cabbage, onions, carrots. Set to "Fry" for 7 minutes.
- Tomatoes cut into squares.
- Wash the plums and cut them in half.
- Put tomatoes, salad in a bowl of vegetables. Add Greek yogurt, lemon juice.
- Set to "extinguish" mode for 25 minutes.
After turning off the machine, open the lid, salt, add ground black pepper.
"Korean-style" seaweed salad
The ultimate option for a delicious, nutritious dinner is a specially formulated seaweed salad. It is ideal for lovers of spicy, spicy, aromatic foods. To cook you will need:
- seaweed - 150 g;
- a small carrot;
- onion;
- two red bell peppers;
- vinegar - 1 teaspoon;
- ground black pepper;
- bay leaf - 2-3 pieces;
- olive oil - 5 tbsp;
- soy sauce - 3 teaspoons;
- coriander - 4 g;
- garlic - 3-5 cloves;
- sesame - 18 g.
The cooking process is as follows:
- First you need to soak the seaweed in water for a few hours. So it will absorb other flavors, it will be tastier and sweeter. Water should be changed every 30-40 minutes.
- Cut vegetables into small pieces.
- Heat a pan, add half of the olive oil.
- Add the vegetables, stir-fry until cooked.
- As soon as they become soft, remove from heat, cool.
- Mix vegetables with seaweed, season with oil, vinegar, soy sauce and remaining seasonings into the salad. Sprinkle roasted sesame on top.
Salads can also be served warm. And replace the fresh carrots with Korean carrots.
Get out of the diet
A sensible way out of the diet is the key to maintaining results. It is not possible to let the lost kilograms return immediately. Here the rule is very simple: the longer the exit, the better. In doing so, the following recommendations should be observed:
- gradually increase the calorie content of the diet;
- keeping the amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates consumed, ensuring that the daily standard for important nutrients is met;
- maintain water balance;
- don't forget sport: any activity that provides pleasure appropriate to the level of physical activity;
- walk 8-10 thousand steps per day.
Expert opinion
Monophasic diets and rigidly diluted cabbage diets can have adverse effects on health, so extreme caution should be exercised when using them. A balanced menu that includes eating cabbage regularly will only bring benefits and help you lose weight safely.