Proper nutrition includes a balanced diet, healthy foods and a varied menu. What is the best way to create a healthy eating menu? How do you make it interesting?
Proper nutrition: secrets
What should the right diet look like? Healthy and tasty! It is important to combine these two components.
First of all, the diet must be balanced. This means that the menu should contain enough proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other valuable substances. And this leads to another rule: the menu should be varied. You can't eat only vegetables or grains. Then the body does not receive everything it needs. The products must be fresh. Don't forget about calories. You need to choose a daily norm and adhere to it.
Proper nutrition includes reducing sugar and salt consumption. That's why you should add lemon juice, spices, onions, garlic and fresh herbs to your dishes instead of salt. When it comes to sugar, you should use more fruits, dried fruits and berries. You can easily replace a harmful product.
You cannot go hungry because proper nutrition should be filling. But at the same time, overeating is prohibited. Portions should be small. You need to eat little but often. Three main meals and 2-3 snacks are best.
Healthy lifestyle: healthy and varied menu
Proper nutrition is part of a healthy lifestyle. Of course, a healthy lifestyle not only includes diet, but also giving up bad habits, exercising and having a regular 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 and at the same time remember 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.
Here is an example of a healthy food menu for the week.
1 day:
- Morning: rice porridge with pumpkin and pear, yogurt, green tea;
- Snack: fruit smoothie (apple, banana, yogurt, blueberry);
- Lunch: vegetarian cabbage soup, baked sea bass, salad with peppers and tomatoes, dried fruit compote;
- Afternoon snack: cottage cheese with dill;
- In the evening: vegetable stew (zucchini, carrots, onions, eggplant, tomatoes), a piece of boiled chicken, a slice of bread, kefir.
Day 2:
- Breakfast: omelette with tomatoes and peppers, bread, apple, black tea;
- Snack: a handful of nuts;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with vegetables, beef with stewed 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 apple, cocoa;
- Snack: sandwich with cheese, parsley, tomato, freshly squeezed orange juice;
- Lunch: beetroot soup, two chicken cutlets with dill, celery salad with sour cream, compote of raspberries, apples and pears;
- Afternoon snack: a handful of nuts and dried fruits;
- Evening: corn porridge with stewed carrots and dill, yogurt.
Day 4:
- Breakfast: oatmeal with nuts and bananas, 100 ml yogurt, rosehip infusion;
- Snack: fruit salad (kiwi, peach, melon slice);
- Lunch: cucumber sauce, vinaigrette, bread, carrot juice;
- Afternoon snack: cheese, toast, cocoa;
- Dinner: meat rolls with broccoli and peppers, tea with lemon balm.
Day 5:
- in the morning: three cheesecakes, a sprig of grapes;
- Snack: boiled egg, cucumber, bread;
- Lunch: fish soup, two slices of boiled beef, salad of Chinese cabbage, celery sticks and carrots, bread, grapefruit juice;
- Afternoon snack: fruit and berry salad of strawberries, kiwi, pineapple;
- Evening: baked fish with vegetables, kefir.
Day 6:
- Breakfast: sandwich with boiled beef, peppers and basil, coffee;
- Snack: three quark 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.
Day 7:
- Morning: rice pudding porridge with apricots, fruit juice;
- Snack: salad of celery sticks, fennel and herbs;
- Lunch: chicken broth, beef chop, cooked 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 dishes.
Recipes for proper nutrition
There are many interesting recipes to be found. We offer delicious recipes for every day of the week.
Here are some hearty breakfast options.
Healthy sandwich
A slice of rye bread, a piece of cottage cheese, a circle of tomatoes, a sprig of basil.
Oatmeal with fruits
Cut the pear into slices, sprinkle with sugar and heat. Cook oatmeal, add pears.
Milk porridge
Cook rice in milk. Finally add some cinnamon and vanilla.
Here are the lunch recipes.
pumpkin soup
Chop 500 g pumpkin, red onion, carrots, add water. Cook until done. At the end add salt, add spices and beat with a mixer.
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, an egg and a little flour. Form dumplings. Add to the soup one at a time. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.
Chicken sandwiches
Cut the chicken fillet lengthwise, beat, salt and pepper. Place pre-cooked broccoli florets and cheese on top, wrap and bake.
fennel salad
Thinly slice a fennel bulb, half a red onion, a pepper and basil. Season with vegetable oil and lemon juice.
And dishes for dinner.
Baked fish
Season the fish with salt and pepper and place on foil. Place vegetables nearby. Cover with foil and bake for half an hour.
Hearty salad
Boil half a chicken breast, chop finely. Dice onion, two tomatoes and peppers. Season with salt and vegetable oil.
Cut celery root, carrots, onions, Jerusalem artichokes and beets into cubes. Simmer for fifteen minutes, add salt and oregano and simmer until tender.
Other recipes work too. You just have 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 the day with breakfast. And also for those who eat everything for breakfast and are familiar with real breakfast. Using MedAboutMe's tips and recipes, you can easily move from the first category to the second. And it will be right.
Why is breakfast important?
Scientists have already answered this question by studying the question thoroughly.
If you don't opt for a cup of coffee on the go, but rather for a normal, healthy and proper breakfast, you control your weight better, follow nutritional recommendations better and generally eat more rationally. On average, they have better cardiometabolic risk scores and perform better on tests measuring attention and cognitive function. Some studies have also shown that skipping breakfast causes a person to use less energy and engage in less physical activity throughout the day.
When we start the day with breakfast, we give ourselves energy for fruitful activities in every way. If you want to lose extra pounds, you should not forget about breakfast, as the body tries to compensate for the calories lost in the morning in the late afternoon. But we all remember how harmful it is to eat too much at night, don't we?
Real breakfast: what is it?
In addition to the fact that breakfast should be, it should also be correct, that is, contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the optimal ratio.
You should consume at least 25g of protein with your morning meal. Fats and carbohydrates should not be avoided either, but the latter should be represented by so-called "complex carbohydrates" that do not cause a sharp increase in blood sugar levels. A good combination would be, for example, a portion of oatmeal with fruit instead of sugar, eggs and a vegetable salad. The total calorie contentBreakfast should be between 400 and 500 calories to provide enough energy for active work.
10 simple recipes: a healthy breakfast for everyone
Oatmeal with berries and yogurt
You can cook it in the morning or evening the day before and just heat it in the microwave in the morning. Add a small glass of 2% fat Greek yogurt and a handful of berries or fruit, fresh or frozen. These can be: black currants, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries or cranberries, cherries, plums; Apple, pineapple or banana pieces, melon, kiwi or papaya. By simply replacing one fruit with another, you can vary the flavor almost endlessly.
Oatmeal with cheese and vegetables
Who said you can't add grated cheese to oatmeal? That's right, nobody. Therefore, add it for your health, it enriches the taste of the porridge and provides the proteins that the body so urgently needs. 25-30 g of cheese is enough for one portion of oatmeal. You can supplement this breakfast with slices of cucumber and a handful of cherry tomatoes.
A cup of green tea with plant milk completes your breakfast.
By the way, tea and coffee are not forbidden at breakfast at all. Just don't put sugar or a lot of cream in your cup. You can also make smoothies with pre-made green tea.
Buckwheat porridge with chicken and peppers
Buckwheat with a piece of chicken breast and sliced peppers fills you up without complaining to your stomach and provides a good supply of energy. Buckwheat is generally one of the healthiest foods. Don't forget her.
Buckwheat porridge with yogurt and fruits/berries
Pour natural yogurt over the buckwheat cooked in the evening and add a handful of berries or banana slices. A hearty and healthy breakfast is ready.
Zucchini fritters
Cooking is easy and quick. For a portion for one person, it is enough to grate a medium-sized zucchini on a coarse grater and squeeze out the juice released. Add an egg and 1-2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour (rye or wheat). The amount of flour depends on how well you squeeze the excess juice out of the zucchini. Some sea salt, vegetable seasoning. Fry in an almost dry pan so that the pancakes do not absorb excess fat. Serve with yogurt or sour cream. You can sprinkle with chopped herbs or cheese.
By the way, exactly the same pancakes can be made from apples. Try it, it's very tasty!
Pita with vegetables and chicken breast
Pita can be filled with anything that is in the refrigerator: lettuce or cabbage, cucumber, cut into strips, celery, cherry or tomatoes. Add a few slices of baked or simply boiled chicken breast and two spoonfuls of yogurt for a hearty, healthy breakfast.
Salmon toast
Take a few thin slices of whole wheat bread and lightly toast them in a toaster or oven. Spread with cream cheese and top with slices of smoked salmon and lettuce. You can add a few olives or black olives, but not too salty. Salmon fish is a source of valuable omega-3 fatty acids.
However, if you don't have salmon, you can easily substitute it with canned tuna.
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers
A very appetizing and filling dish. It's simply impossible to cook.
Wash and slice one medium or a few small tomatoes. Wash a pepper, remove the seeds and cut into slices or cubes. Fry the prepared vegetables in a little oil over medium heat. Lightly beat two eggs with sea salt, pour over the tomatoes and peppers, sprinkle with chopped herbs, cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes.
If you add a spoonful of sour cream or milk to the eggs, the dish will acquire a more delicate taste. Adding a handful of grated cheese makes it more high-calorie, and spices perfectly enrich the taste.
granola
Although you can buy it in the store, the preparation itself can be much higher quality, knowing exactly what is included in the composition and not using preservatives, dyes or flavor enhancers. That's not hard. Muesli made on the weekend makes a great addition to various breakfasts for a week or two.
To prepare it, you need 1 pack of the most common large oat flakes without additives. Add to the flakes 150-200 g of any nuts, 100 g of dried berries or fruits, 2-3 tablespoons of natural honey and 2 tablespoons of butter. Usually they take olive, but it is quite possible to replace it with almond, cedar, walnut or sesame.
The taste of the finished product will vary depending on which dried fruits and nuts you use. This could be, for example, walnuts with dried cranberries or the classic combination of hazelnuts with raisins and dried apricots, or cashews with dates and banana or gourmet almonds with dried cherries. Adding some dark chocolate and desiccated coconut is also fine.
The well-mixed mixture is placed on a baking tray and baked in an oven preheated to 150 ° C, stirring thoroughly every 5-8 minutes. After about 30 minutes, the granola will have reached the desired state: it will be golden brown and crispy. The cooled product can be placed in a tightly closed jar, where it will keep perfectly for 2-3 weeks.
Muesli can be added to cottage cheese or yogurt, sprinkled on sandwiches spread with cream cheese, added to fruit salad and pudding.
Smoothie
There is enormous scope for variety, as a mixer or mixer can be used to create delicious, nutritious mixtures from a wide variety of ingredients.
For example, start with this: a glass of oat milk, a banana, a handful of blueberries (ice cream will do too), 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese. Beat with a mixer. All.
Bonus: How many healthy breakfasts can you make with cottage cheese! Cheese pancakes with yogurt and berries, cottage cheese casserole, cottage cheese with grated carrots and herbs, curd spread on crackers with canned tuna and herbs, etc.
Healthy eating program for a week
In general, a balanced, healthy diet can be very varied, so it is entirely possible to develop a menu with new dishes every day. We present a sample menu for a week in accordance with all the recommendations given previously:
| weekday | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner |
| Monday | oatmeal with dried fruits; 2/3 cup low-fat milk; Fruit. | Vegetable salad (for example, you can use olive oil as a dressing); a sandwich made with whole wheat bread with herbs, cooked chicken breast and soft cheese; Fruit. | Baked fish, vegetable salad as a side dish. |
| Tuesday | whole wheat toast; Cheese; boiled egg; Fruit. | Bulgur, chicken breast and cherry tomato salad (can be dressed with honey and Dijon mustard); Fruit. | Whole wheat pasta with tomatoes and dry herbs; Herbal tea. |
| Wednesday | cottage cheese with honey; Nuts; fresh juice. | Sandwich with salmon, avocado and dill on whole wheat bread; Natural yoghurt. | Chicken fillet with baked vegetables. |
| Thursday | Omelette with two eggs; Tomato; Cheese; small baked apple with honey and cinnamon. | Chicken soup with vegetables; Salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, flaxseeds with olive oil dressing. | Pita with lean beef, salad, dressing – natural yogurt, garlic and dill. |
| Friday | smoothie (banana, yogurt, vanilla); Roll with salmon, avocado and cucumber. | salad of baked pumpkin, spinach, feta cheese and lemon butter dressing; rye bread with lean ham; Fruit. | steak with fresh stuff; Baked apple with honey and cinnamon. |
| Saturday | buckwheat with carrots and peppers; Natural yoghurt; Fruit. | Couscous with carrots, onions, corn, green peas. | Baked beets; Rye bread with soft goat cheese; Olives. |
| Sunday | cheesecake with maple syrup; Natural yoghurt; Fruit. | broth with croutons and boiled egg; Tomato and mozzarella salad with balsamic dressing. | Peppers stuffed with brown rice and minced meat; Cherry tomatoes with soft cheese and herbs to taste. |
It should be noted that when including small snacks in the diet, fruits and nuts must be eliminated from the main menu. In other words: the apple from breakfast is transferred to the afternoon snack. A similar system can be applied in the opposite direction by adding snacks to the main meals - 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 differs between men and women.
How to eat healthy
Many people strive to lose weight using various methods. In order for the process to be as effective as possible, it is important to follow a certain diet. With proper nutrition, you can quickly lose extra pounds, but only if you stick to the principles. It is necessary to create the correct menu that maintains a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Which diet can be considered correct?
Proper nutrition (sometimes called healthy) includes eating natural foods that only benefit the body. The diet of a person who wants to eat according to this principle should include dishes that contain the required amount of nutrients. We are talking about the following components:
Counting them is necessary to ensure daily requirements. It is also important to follow other rules that allow proper nutrition. Therefore, fast food, processed foods, carbonated drinks and other harmful foods should not be included in your diet. It is also recommended to limit the amount of salt, exclude fried foods, steam or boil dishes, braise or bake. You should eat at the same time every day.
How to create a menu for the week
The peculiarity of proper nutrition is that it does not require adherence to a strict menu. It must be composed taking into account the characteristics of the person and his food 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;
- Every meal should contain foods containing fiber (vegetables, fruits, bran);
- if you want to eat sweets, this should only be done in the first half of the day;
- It is important to distribute calories correctly.
Typically, people who adhere to proper nutrition create a menu for the week in advance and then simply prepare the dishes after that.
Monday
It is assumed that the daily nutrition plan includes five meals. On the first day of the week you can eat as follows:
- Prepare oatmeal for breakfast. It can be supplemented with any fruit. We recommend using tea or coffee as a drink.
- Second breakfast can include dried fruits and cottage cheese. You should not chase low-fat fermented milk products, believing that they are most conducive to weight loss. This opinion is wrong. Experts recommend eating fatty cottage cheese as it is better absorbed.
- Lunch on Monday can consist of cabbage soup in meat broth and boiled chicken. Be sure to add fiber-rich vegetables. As a drink - compote.
- As an afternoon snack, you can enjoy fruit salad and unsweetened crackers.
- For dinner it is recommended to prepare an omelet, vegetable salad and tea. With the right diet, you can forget the rule that you can't eat anything after 6 p. m. However, the last dose should be taken no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Tuesday
The menu for the second day is prepared according to the same principles as on Monday. Breakfast should be rich in carbohydrates, but the porridge should be prepared differently. Tuesday's diet might look something like this:
- For breakfast it is recommended to cook buckwheat porridge. It can be supplemented with vegetables and tea.
- For second breakfast you can eat yogurt and an apple.
- Lunch always consists of a first and second course. On Tuesday, you can prepare buckwheat soup first, and fish cutlets and mashed potatoes second. As a drink - dried fruit compote.
- The afternoon snack includes cottage 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 option. This should be eaten on the third day. In general, the menu for Wednesday can be put together as follows:
- For breakfast, a person losing weight eats an omelet, toast and vegetable salad. He chooses tea as a drink.
- The second breakfast consists of yogurt and toast.
- For lunch you can prepare fish soup and boiled beef with a vegetable side dish. Don't forget about the drink either, as natural juice can play a role.
- You can safely eat yogurt and cottage cheese as an afternoon snack.
- For dinner, it is recommended to cook meat and add a side dish of 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 shouldn't eat the same dishes every day. The menu is designed so that the options are not repetitive. Therefore, it is recommended to eat on Thursday according to the following scheme:
- For breakfast, you can cook rice porridge and season it with dried fruits. Drink coffee as a beverage.
- The second breakfast may contain banana and kefir.
- For lunch you can prepare soup with cereals. As a second course, you should choose baked fish, supplemented with a side dish of rice. A salad, for example a vinaigrette, wouldn't be a bad idea either. The drink is compote.
- For an afternoon snack, experts recommend eating cottage cheese with sour cream and dried fruits.
- An excellent option for dinner is baked meat with vegetables. You can supplement it with drinking yogurt.
Friday
Friday's diet is not much different from all previous days, as it is composed according to the same principles. The menu could look like this:
- For breakfast you eat oatmeal and fruit and drink coffee.
- For second breakfast, you can eat cookies and wash them down with juice.
- You can prepare vegetable soup as a first course for lunch. The second course can be goulash with a side dish of baked or boiled potatoes. In addition, lunch must contain a vegetable salad. The drink is juice.
- As an afternoon snack, we recommend eating fruit in the form of a salad and yogurt.
- Dinner – vegetable stew, ham, tea.
The weekend
Some people believe that they can allow themselves to deviate from their diet on the weekend and eat unhealthy foods that were not on the menu on other days. This opinion is incorrect, since such an action can negate all the benefits of the previous menu. Of course, sometimes you can afford something that is not very useful, but in small quantities. Heavy food can be eaten on holidays, but not every weekend.
The menu for Saturday, with proper nutrition, could look like this:
- Breakfast includes oatmeal and baked apple. As a drink, you should use tea without sugar.
- Second breakfast – yogurt and banana.
- For lunch you can prepare chicken soup with vegetables. Experts recommend choosing fish as a second course. Salad – vinaigrette. The drink is compote.
- As an afternoon snack, you can eat yogurt and add nuts. You can also choose dried fruits instead.
- For dinner, a ham and vegetable stew would be a good option. The drink is tea.
On Sunday, you can treat yourself to a cottage cheese casserole for breakfast. It should be flavored with honey. You can also eat toast with tea. For second breakfast you can choose yogurt and crackers. Lunch consists of borscht, chicken cutlets with buckwheat and compote. As always, an excellent option for an afternoon snack would be cottage cheese with the addition of dried fruits. For dinner it is recommended to eat boiled beef and vegetable salad.