Proper nutrition is a balanced diet, healthy foods and a varied menu. What is the best way to create a menu for a healthy diet? How to make it interesting?
Proper nutrition: the secret
What should proper nutrition look like? Healthy and delicious! It is important to combine these two ingredients.
First of all, the diet must be balanced. That is, the menu must have enough protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other valuable substances. And from there follows another rule: the menu should be varied. You can't just eat vegetables or grains. Then the body will not receive everything it needs. Product must be fresh. Don't forget calories. You need to choose a daily standard and stick to it.
Proper nutrition involves reducing sugar and salt consumption. So, instead of salt, you should add lemon juice, spices, onions, garlic and fresh herbs to your dishes. As for sugar, you should use a lot of fruits, dried fruits, and berries. They can easily replace a harmful product.
You can't go hungry, because proper nutrition will leave you satisfied. But at the same time, overeating is prohibited. Portions should be small. You need to eat little but often. It is best to eat three main meals and 2-3 snacks.
Healthy lifestyle: healthy and diverse menu
Proper nutrition is part of a healthy lifestyle. Of course, a healthy lifestyle involves not only nutrition but also giving up bad habits, playing sports and having a reasonable daily routine. However, nutrition plays an important role in life.
How to create a menu correctly? You need to take into account all the secrets of proper nutrition, while also keeping in mind your preferences. You can't cook food you don't like, even if it's healthy. This will ruin everything and delay the transition to a healthy lifestyle.
Below is an example of a healthy nutritional menu for the week.
1 day:
- morning: pumpkin and pear porridge, yogurt, green tea;
- snack: fruit smoothie (apple, banana, yogurt, blueberries);
- lunch: vegetarian cabbage soup, grilled seabass, salad with peppers and tomatoes, dried fruit jam;
- Afternoon snack: cheese with dill;
- in the evening: stewed vegetables (zucchini, carrots, onions, eggplant, tomatoes), a piece of boiled chicken, a slice of bread, kefir.
Day 2:
- breakfast: omelet with tomatoes and sweet peppers, bread, apples, black tea;
- snack: some nuts;
- lunch: buckwheat soup with vegetables, beef stew with vegetables, cranberry juice;
- Afternoon snack: yogurt, four apricots;
- dinner: salad and boiled fish, fermented baked milk.
Day 3:
- in the morning: cottage cheese with cinnamon and apples, cocoa;
- snack: sandwich with cheese, parsley, tomatoes, freshly squeezed orange juice;
- lunch: beetroot soup, two chicken cutlets with dill, celery salad with sour cream, raspberry jam, apple and pear;
- Afternoon snack: some nuts and dried fruit;
- evening: corn porridge with stewed carrots and dill, yogurt.
4th:
- breakfast: oatmeal with nuts and banana, 100 ml yogurt, rose water;
- snack: fruit salad (kiwi, peach, melon slices);
- lunch: pickle sauce, vinaigrette, bread, carrot juice;
- Afternoon snack: cheese, toast, cocoa;
- dinner: meat rolls with broccoli and sweet peppers, tea with lemon.
Day 5:
- in the morning: three cheesecakes, a branch of grapes;
- snack: boiled eggs, cucumber, bread;
- lunch: fish soup, two slices of boiled beef, cabbage salad, celery stalks and carrots, bread, grapefruit juice;
- Afternoon snack: fruit salad and strawberries, kiwi, pineapple;
- evening: grilled fish with vegetables, kefir.
6th:
- breakfast: sandwich with boiled veal, sweet pepper and basil, coffee;
- snack: three cheese dumplings with natural yogurt;
- lunch: mushroom soup, eggplant rolls with nuts and herbs, cranberry juice;
- Afternoon snack: fruit;
- dinner: rice with seafood and vegetables, kefir with cinnamon.
7th:
- morning: apricot milk porridge, fruit juice;
- snack: salad of celery stalks, dill and herbs;
- lunch: chicken broth, beef ribs, boiled cauliflower and green beans, ginger tea;
- Afternoon snack: a few oatmeal cookies, cocoa;
- in the evening: chicken liver pancakes, bread, tomato and cucumber salad, fermented baked milk.
As you can see, a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition are not a reason to give up delicious food.
The secret to having a reasonable diet
You can come up with a lot of interesting recipes. We offer delicious recipes for every day of the week.
Here are some hearty breakfast options.
Healthy bread
A slice of rye bread, a piece of cheese curds, a slice of tomato, a sprig of basil.
Oatmeal with fruit
Cut the pears, sprinkle with sugar and heat. Cook oatmeal, add pears.
milk porridge
Cook rice in milk. Finally add some cinnamon and vanilla.
Below are recipes for lunch.
Pumpkin soup
Chop 500g pumpkin, purple onions, carrots, add water. Cook until done. At the end, add salt, add spices and beat with a blender.
Dumpling soup
Chop carrots, onions, peppers, celery. Pour in water and cook for twenty minutes. Add salt and pepper. Mix 100 g of finely grated cheese, one egg and a little flour. Shape dumplings. Place them one by one into the soup. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.
Chicken patties
Cut the chicken fillet lengthwise, whisk well, salt and pepper. Put pre-boiled broccoli, cheese, wrap and bake.
Dill salad
Thinly slice a fennel bulb, half a red onion, a bell pepper and basil. Season with vegetable oil and lemon juice.
And dishes for dinner.
Grilled fish
Season the fish with salt and pepper and place on foil. Place any vegetables nearby. Cover with foil and bake for half an hour.
Hearty salad
Boil half a chicken breast, cut into small pieces. Chop onion, two tomatoes and bell pepper. Season with salt and vegetable oil.
Cut celery roots, carrots, onions, Jerusalem artichokes and radishes into cubes. Simmer for fifteen minutes, add salt, oregano, simmer until soft.
Other recipes will also work. You just need to use your imagination and don't forget about healthy products.
Proper nutrition: 10 healthy breakfast recipes
Today we propose to divide humanity into those who do not eat in the morning and those who start their day with breakfast. And also for those who eat anything for breakfast and who know a lot about a proper breakfast. With the help of tips and recipes from MedAboutMe, you can easily move from the first category to the second. And it will be right.
Why is breakfast important?
Scientists have answered this question by studying the question from top to bottom.
People who choose not a cup of coffee on the run but a normal, healthy, reasonable breakfast control their weight better, adhere better to nutritional recommendations and generally eat properly. more reasonable. On average, they had higher cardiometabolic risk scores and performed better on tests measuring attention and cognitive function. Some studies also show that skipping breakfast causes a person to expend less energy during the day, reducing physical activity.
Starting the day with breakfast, we gain energy for effective activities in all aspects. People who want to lose extra pounds should not forget about breakfast, because the body will try to compensate for lost calories in the morning and late afternoon. But we all remember how bad it is to eat too much at night, right?
The right breakfast: what is it?
In addition to eating breakfast properly, it must contain protein, fat and carbohydrates in optimal proportions.
You should add at least 25g of protein to your breakfast. Fats and carbohydrates should also not be avoided, but the latter should be represented by so-called "complex carbohydrates" so as not to sharply increase blood sugar levels. For example, a good combination would be a serving of oatmeal with fruit instead of sugar, eggs, and a vegetable salad. The total calorie intake of breakfast should be between 400-500 calories. This will provide enough energy for active work.
10 simple recipes: Healthy breakfasts for everyone
Oatmeal with berries and yogurt
You can cook it in the morning or the evening the day before, in the morning just warm it up in the microwave. Add a small cup of 2% fat Greek yogurt and some fresh or frozen berries or fruit. These can be: black currants, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries or cranberries, cherries, plums; pieces of apple, pineapple or banana, melon, kiwi or papaya. By simply substituting one fruit for another, you can vary the flavors almost endlessly.
Oatmeal with cheese and vegetables
Who says you can't add grated cheese to oatmeal? That's right, no one. So add it for your health, it will enrich the flavor of porridge and provide the protein your body needs. 25-30 g of cheese is enough for one serving of oatmeal. You can supplement this breakfast with sliced cucumbers and a handful of cherry tomatoes.
A cup of green tea with plant-based milk will complete your breakfast.
By the way, tea and coffee at breakfast are not prohibited at all. Just don't add sugar or a lot of heavy cream to your cup. You can also make smoothies with prepared green tea.
Buckwheat porridge with chicken and sweet peppers
Buckwheat with a piece of chicken breast and sliced sweet peppers will keep you full for a long time without feeling heavy and give you abundant energy. Buckwheat in general is one of the healthiest foods. Don't forget her.
Buckwheat porridge with yogurt and fruit/berries
Pour natural yogurt over buckwheat cooked in the evening, add some berries or sliced bananas. A hearty and healthy breakfast is ready.
Fried zucchini
Cooking is simple and quick. For a serving for one person, simply puree one medium-sized zucchini on a coarse blender and squeeze out the juice. Add one egg and 1-2 tablespoons of whole grain flour (rye or wheat). The amount of powder depends on how well you squeeze the excess water out of the zucchini. A little sea salt, vegetable seasoning. Fry in an almost dry frying pan so that the cake does not absorb excess fat. Serve with yogurt or sour cream. You can sprinkle with herbs or shredded cheese.
By the way, similar pancakes can be made from apples. Try it, it's delicious!
Pita with vegetables and chicken breast
Pita can be filled with whatever is in the refrigerator: lettuce or cabbage, cucumbers, cut into strips, celery, cherries or tomatoes. Add a few slices of grilled or simply boiled chicken breast, two spoons of yogurt - and you have a hearty, healthy breakfast.
salmon toast
Take a few thin slices of whole grain bread and toast them lightly in the toaster or oven. Spread cream cheese and top with smoked salmon slices and lettuce. You can add a few olives or black olives, just not too salty. Salmon is a valuable source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
But if you don't have salmon, you can easily replace it with canned tuna.
Omelet with tomatoes and sweet peppers
A very delicious and satisfying dish. It's simply impossible to cook.
Wash and cut into slices a medium tomato or several small ones. Wash, remove seeds and cut into slices or cubes a sweet pepper. Fry the prepared vegetables over medium heat with a small amount of oil. Lightly beat two eggs with sea salt, pour over the tomatoes and peppers, sprinkle with chopped herbs, cover and cook for a few minutes.
If you add a spoonful of sour cream or milk to the eggs, the dish will have a more delicate taste. Adding a little grated cheese will make the dish more calorie-dense, and spices will enrich the taste to perfection.
Small rolled oats
Although you can buy it at the store, preparing it yourself can be of much higher quality because you will know exactly what is in its ingredients and you will not be using any preservatives, dyes or chemicals. or any flavor enhancer. This is not difficult to do. Granola prepared on the weekend will be a great addition to various breakfasts for a week or two.
To prepare it, you will need 1 large package of the most common oatmeal without any additives. Add 150-200 g of any nuts, 100 g of berries or dried fruit to the flakes, 2-3 spoons of natural honey and 2 spoons of butter. Usually they take olives, but it is quite possible to replace it with almonds, cedar, walnuts or sesame.
The flavor of the finished product will vary depending on the type of dried fruit and nuts you use. For example, it could be walnuts with dried cranberries, or the classic combination of hazelnuts with raisins and dried apricots, or cashews with dates and bananas, or gourmet almondswith dried cherries. You can also add a little dark chocolate and shredded coconut.
The mixed mixture is placed on a baking tray and baked in a preheated oven at 150°C, stirring thoroughly every 5-8 minutes. After about 30 minutes, the granola will reach the desired state: golden and crispy. The cooled product can be placed in a sealed jar, in which it will be perfectly stored for 2-3 weeks.
Granola can be added to cheese or yogurt, sprinkled on sandwiches spread with cream cheese, added to fruit salads and puddings.
Smoothie
The range of variety is immense, as a blender or mixer allows you to create delicious, nutritious mixtures from a variety of ingredients.
For example, try starting with this: a glass of oat milk, a banana, a handful of blueberries (ice cream is fine), 2 tablespoons cottage cheese. Beat with a blender. All.
Bonus: how many healthy breakfasts can be made with cottage cheese! Cheese pancakes with yogurt and berries, cottage cheese casserole, cottage cheese with shredded carrots and herbs, cheese spread on crackers with canned tuna and herbs, etc. v.
One week healthy nutrition program
In general, a healthy, balanced diet can be quite varied, so building a menu with new dishes every day is entirely possible. We present an example of a menu for a week according to all the recommendations previously given:
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner |
| Monday | Oatmeal with dried fruit; 2/3 cup low-fat milk; fruit. | Vegetable salad (for example, you can use olive oil as a dressing); whole grain sandwich with herbs, boiled chicken breast and soft cheese; fruit. | Grilled fish, vegetable salad as side dishes. |
| Tuesday | Whole grain toast; cheese; boiled eggs; fruit. | Bulgur, chicken breast and cherry tomato salad (can be mixed with honey and Dijon mustard); fruit. | Whole grain pasta with tomatoes and dried herbs; Herbal tea. |
| Wednesday | Cheese with honey; nuts; fresh fruit juice. | Sandwich with salmon, avocado and dill on whole grain bread; natural yogurt. | Chicken fillet with grilled vegetables. |
| Thursday | Two omelettes; tomato; cheese; Small baked apples with honey and cinnamon. | Chicken soup with vegetables; salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, flaxseeds with olive oil dressing. | Pita with lean beef, lettuce, sauce – natural yogurt, garlic and dill. |
| Friday | Smoothie (banana, yogurt, vanilla); rolled with salmon, avocado and cucumber. | Grilled pumpkin salad, spinach, feta cheese and lemon avocado dressing; rye bread with lean ham; fruit. | Fresh steak; Baked apples with honey and cinnamon. |
| Saturday | Buckwheat with carrots and bell peppers; natural yogurt; fruit. | Couscous with carrots, onions, corn, green beans. | Roasted radish; rye bread with soft goat cheese; olive. |
| Sunday | Cheesecake with maple syrup; natural yogurt; fruit. | Broth with toast and boiled eggs; tomato and mozzarella salad with balsamic dressing. | Bell peppers stuffed with brown rice and ground beef; cherry tomatoes with soft cheese and flavorful herbs. |
It should be noted that when including small snacks in the diet, fruits and nuts will need to be eliminated from the main menu. In other words, the apple from breakfast is transferred to the afternoon snack. A similar system can be used in the opposite direction, adding snacks to the main meals - breakfast and lunch.
It is important to remember that portions are calculated individually, based on age, health, lifestyle and daily calorie intake. Therefore, dietary intake will be different between men and women.
How to follow a healthy diet
Many people try to lose weight using various methods. It is important to follow a specific diet for the process to be most effective. Proper nutrition allows you to quickly lose extra pounds, but only if you adhere to its principles. It is necessary to build a suitable menu to maintain a balance between protein, fat and carbohydrates.
What kind of nutrition can be called correct?
Proper (sometimes called healthy) nutrition involves eating only natural foods that benefit the body. The diet of a person who plans to eat according to this principle should include dishes that contain the necessary amount of nutrients. We are talking about the following components:
It is necessary to count them to ensure daily needs. It is important to follow other rules to ensure proper nutrition. Therefore, fast food, processed foods, carbonated drinks and other harmful foods should not be included in your diet. You should also limit the amount of salt, exclude fried, steamed or boiled, stewed or grilled dishes. You should eat food at the same time every day.
How to create a menu for the week
The peculiarity of proper nutrition is that it does not imply compliance with a strict menu. It must be compiled taking into account the characteristics of the person and his dietary preferences. The main thing is to follow the basic principles of combining products. We are talking about the following rules:
- breakfast should be rich in carbohydrates;
- dinner should contain a large amount of carbohydrates;
- Each meal should include foods containing fiber (vegetables, fruits, bran);
- If you want to eat sweets, you should only do this in the first half of the day;
- It is important to distribute calories correctly.
Usually, people who adhere to proper nutrition will create a menu for the entire week in advance and then simply prepare dishes that fit that menu.
Monday
Assume the daily nutritional menu includes 5 meals. On the first day of the week you can eat as follows:
- Prepare oatmeal for breakfast. It can be supplemented with any fruit. It is recommended to use tea or coffee as a beverage.
- The second breakfast may include dried fruit and cheese. You should not pursue low-fat fermented milk products because you believe they are most beneficial for weight loss. This opinion is wrong. Experts recommend eating fatty cheese because it is absorbed better.
- Monday lunch might include cabbage soup with broth and boiled chicken. Be sure to include fiber-rich vegetables. As a drink - compote.
- For an afternoon snack, you can enjoy a fruit salad and sugar-free crackers.
- For dinner, you should prepare an omelette, vegetable salad and tea. With proper nutrition, you can forget the rule of not eating after 18 hours. But the last dose is not later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Tuesday
Monday's menu is compiled according to the same principles as Monday. Breakfast should be rich in carbohydrates, but porridge should be prepared differently. Tuesday's diet might look like this:
- For breakfast, you should cook buckwheat porridge. It can be supplemented with vegetables and tea.
- The second breakfast you can eat yogurt and an apple.
- Lunch always includes a first course and a second course. On Tuesday, you can prepare buckwheat soup as the first course, the second course is fish cutlets and mashed potatoes. As a drink - compote made from dried fruits.
- Afternoon snacks include cheese, toast and cocoa.
- For dinner, you can eat boiled chicken fillet with vegetables and drink tea.
Wednesday
You can eat more than just porridge for breakfast. For example, an omelet would be a good choice. This is what is recommended to eat on day three. In general, the menu for Wednesday can be summarized as follows:
- For breakfast, people losing weight eat omelettes, toast and vegetable salad. He chose tea as his drink.
- The second breakfast consists of eating yogurt and toast.
- For lunch, you can cook fish soup and boiled veal with a side dish of vegetables. You should also not forget about drinks, natural fruit juices can play this role.
- For an afternoon snack, you can safely eat yogurt and cheese.
- For dinner, meat should be cooked and served with rice. You should also serve this dish with a vegetable salad. Tea can be used as a drink.
Thursday
One of the principles of proper nutrition is variety. You should not eat the same food every day. The menu is designed so that the options are not repeated. Therefore, on Thursday you should eat according to the following regimen:
- For breakfast, you can cook porridge and season with dried fruits. Drink coffee as a beverage.
- The second breakfast may include bananas and kefir.
- For lunch, you can cook soup with cereals. For the second dish, you should choose grilled fish, served with rice. A salad dressing, such as vinaigrette, would not be suitable. The drink is compote.
- For an afternoon snack, experts advise eating cottage cheese with sour cream and dried fruits.
- A great option for dinner is grilled meat with vegetables. You can supplement by drinking yogurt.
Friday
Friday's diet is no different from all previous days, since it is carried out according to the same principles. The menu might look like this:
- For breakfast, a person eats oatmeal, fruit and drinks coffee.
- For the second breakfast, you can eat crackers, washed down with juice.
- You can prepare vegetable soup as a first course for lunch. The second dish can be goulash with baked or boiled potatoes as a side dish. Additionally, lunch must include a vegetable salad. The drink is fruit juice.
- For an afternoon snack, fruit should be eaten in the form of salad and yogurt.
- Dinner – stewed vegetables, ham, tea.
Weekend
Some people believe that on weekends they can allow themselves to deviate from their diet and eat unhealthy foods that are not included in the diet on other days. This opinion is erroneous, since such an action can negate all the benefits of the previous menu. Of course, sometimes you can buy something that is not very useful, but in small quantities. Heavy food can be consumed on holidays, but not on weekends.
The menu for Saturday with proper nutrition may be as follows:
- Breakfast includes oatmeal and baked apples. As a beverage, you should use unsweetened tea.
- Second breakfast – yogurt and banana.
- For lunch you can cook chicken soup with vegetables. Experts recommend choosing fish as your second dish. Salad – vinaigrette. The drink is compote.
- For an afternoon snack, you can eat yogurt and add nuts to it. You can choose dried fruit instead.
- For dinner, a great option would be ham and vegetable stew. The drink is tea.
On Sunday, you can treat yourself to cheese casserole for breakfast. It should be seasoned with honey. You can also eat toast with tea. For the second breakfast you can choose yogurt and crackers. Lunch includes borscht, chicken cutlets with buckwheat, compote. An excellent option for an afternoon snack, as usual, will be cottage cheese with the addition of dried fruit. For dinner, it is recommended to eat boiled veal and vegetable salad.