Proper nutrition is a balanced diet, healthy food 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
How should nutrition be? Healthy and delicious! It is important to combine these two components.
First of all, the diet must be balanced. That is, the menu should have enough protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other valuable substances. And from this follows another rule: the menu should be changed. You can't eat only vegetables or grains. Then the body will not receive everything it needs. The product must be fresh. Don't forget about calories. You need to choose a daily norm and stick to it.
Proper nutrition involves reducing the consumption of sugar and salt. Therefore, instead of salt, you should add lemon juice, spices, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs to your dishes. As for sugar, you should use more fruits, dried fruits, and berries. They can easily replace harmful products.
You should not be hungry, because proper nutrition should satisfy. But at the same time, overeating is prohibited. Portions should be small. You need to eat little, but often. It is better if there are three main dishes and 2-3 snacks.
Healthy lifestyle: healthy and varied menu
Proper nutrition is part of a healthy lifestyle. Of course, a healthy lifestyle does not only involve eating, but also abandoning bad habits, exercising, and having the right daily routine. However, nutrition plays an important role in life.
How to make a menu correctly? You need to take into account all the secrets of proper nutrition, while remembering your choices. You can't cook food you don't like, even if it's healthy. This will spoil everything and delay the transition to a healthy lifestyle.
Here is an example of a healthy eating menu for this week.
1 day:
- morning: rice porridge with pumpkin and pear, yogurt, green tea;
- snack: fruit smoothie (apple, banana, yogurt, blueberry);
- lunch: vegetarian cabbage soup, grilled sea bream, salad with peppers and tomatoes, dried fruit compote;
- afternoon snack: cottage cheese with dill;
- in the evening: boiled vegetables (zucchini, carrots, onions, eggplant, tomatoes), a piece of boiled chicken, a piece of bread, kefir.
Day 2:
- breakfast: omelette with tomato and sweet pepper, 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: beet soup, two pieces of chicken with dill, celery salad with sour cream, raspberry compote, apple and pear;
- afternoon snack: a handful of nuts and dried fruits;
- afternoon: corn porridge with boiled carrots and dill, yogurt.
Day 4:
- breakfast: oatmeal with nuts and bananas, 100 ml yogurt, rosehip infusion;
- snack: fruit salad (kiwi, peach, watermelon slices);
- lunch: pickle sauce, vinaigrette, bread, carrot juice;
- afternoon snack: cheese, toast, cocoa;
- dinner: meat roll with broccoli and sweet pepper, tea with lemon balm.
Day 5:
- in the morning: three cheesecakes, a bunch of grapes;
- snack: boiled egg, cucumber, bread;
- lunch: fish soup, two pieces of stewed beef, Chinese cabbage salad, celery sticks and carrots, bread, grapefruit juice;
- afternoon snack: fruit salad and strawberries, kiwi, pineapple;
- evening: grilled fish with vegetables, kefir.
Day 6:
- breakfast: sandwich with boiled beef, sweet pepper and basil, coffee;
- snack: three cottage cheese dumplings with natural yogurt;
- lunch: mushroom soup, eggplant rolls with beans and herbs, lingonberry juice;
- afternoon snack: fruits;
- dinner: rice with seafood and vegetables, kefir with cinnamon.
Day 7:
- morning: milk rice porridge with apricots, fruit juice;
- snack: salad of celery stalks, fennel and herbs;
- lunch: chicken soup, cut beef, boiled cauliflower and green beans, ginger tea;
- afternoon snack: a pair of 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 is not an excuse to abandon delicious dishes.
Recipes for proper nutrition
You can come up with many interesting recipes. We offer delicious recipes for every day of the week.
Here are some delicious breakfast options.
Healthy sandwiches
A piece of rye bread, a piece of curd cheese, a circle of tomatoes, a sprig of basil.
Oatmeal with fruit
Cut the pears, sprinkle with sugar and heat. Cook oats, add pears.
Milk porridge
Cook rice in milk. At the end add a little cinnamon and vanilla.
Here is a recipe for lunch.
Pumpkin soup
Cut 500 g of pumpkin, red onion, carrot, add water. Cook until done. At the end, add salt, add spices, and beat with a blender.
Dumpling soup
Cut carrots, onions, peppers, celery. Pour water and cook for twenty minutes. Add salt and pepper. Mix 100 g of finely grated cheese, eggs and a little flour. Dumpling shape. Place one at a time into the soup. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.
Chicken rolls
Cut the chicken fillet lengthwise, beat it, salt and pepper. Place boiled broccoli florets, cheese, wrap and bake.
Fennel salad
Thinly slice a fennel tuber, half a red onion, a bell pepper, and basil. Season with vegetable oil and lemon juice.
And a meal 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.
Appetizing salad
Boil half a chicken breast, finely chopped. Chop the onion, two tomatoes, and bell pepper. Season with salt and vegetable oil.
Dice the celery root, carrot, onion, Jerusalem artichoke, and turnip. Simmer for fifteen minutes, add salt, oregano, simmer until soft.
Other recipes will also work. 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 anything for breakfast, and those who know a lot about the right 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 already answered this question, having studied it from top to bottom.
Those who choose not a cup of coffee while running, but a normal, healthy, correct breakfast, control their weight better, follow nutritional recommendations more, and generally eat more rationally. On average, they had better cardiometabolic risk scores and better performance on tests measuring attention and cognitive function. Some studies have also shown that skipping breakfast causes a person to use less energy throughout the day, reducing physical activity.
Starting the day with breakfast, we give ourselves energy for activities that are beneficial in all aspects. Those who want to lose weight should not forget breakfast, because the body will try to compensate for the calories lost in the morning in the late afternoon. But we all remember how dangerous it is to overeat at night, right?
The right breakfast: what is it?
In addition to the fact that breakfast should be, it should also be correct, that is, contain protein, fat and carbohydrates in the optimal ratio.
You should get at least 25 g of protein with your morning meal. Fats and carbohydrates should also not be avoided, but the latter should be represented by so-called "complex carbohydrates" that do not cause a sudden increase in blood glucose levels. For example, a good combination is an oatmeal dish with fruits instead of sugar, eggs and vegetable salad. The total calorie content of breakfast should be between 400-500 calories. This will provide enough energy for active work.
10 easy recipes: a healthy breakfast for everyone
Oatmeal with berries and yogurt
You can cook it in the morning or evening the day before, and in the morning just heat it in the microwave. Add a small glass of 2% fat Greek yogurt and a handful of berries or fruit, fresh or frozen. These may be: black currants, strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries or cranberries, cherries, plums; slices of apple, pineapple or banana, watermelon, kiwi or papaya. By simply replacing one fruit with another, you can change the flavor almost endlessly.
Oatmeal with cheese and vegetables
Who says you can't add grated cheese to oatmeal? That's right, no one. Therefore, add it for your health, it will enrich the taste of the porridge and provide the protein that the body desperately needs. 25-30 g of cheese is enough for an oatmeal dish. You can complete this breakfast with a slice of cucumber 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 during breakfast is not prohibited at all. Just don't add sugar or a lot of heavy cream to your cup. You can also make smoothies using pre-prepared green tea.
Buckwheat porridge with chicken and sweet pepper
Buckwheat with a piece of chicken breast and slices of sweet pepper will fill you up without feeling heavy in your stomach and give you a good supply of energy. Buckwheat is generally one of the healthiest foods. Don't forget about him.
Buckwheat porridge with yogurt and fruits/berries
Pour plain yogurt over cooked buckwheat in the evening, add a handful of berries or sliced bananas. A delicious and healthy breakfast is ready.
Fried zucchini
Cooking is easy and quick. For a meal for one person, it is enough to grate one medium zucchini on a coarse grater and squeeze out the juice. Add an egg and 1-2 tablespoons of whole grain flour (rye or wheat). The amount of flour depends on how well you squeeze the excess juice from the zucchini. A little sea salt, vegetable seasoning. Fry in a pan that is almost dry 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, the same 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 fridge: lettuce or cabbage, cucumbers, cut into strips, celery, cherries or tomatoes. Add a few pieces of baked or boiled chicken breast, two spoons of yogurt - and get a tasty and healthy breakfast.
Salmon toast
Take a few thin slices of whole grain bread and toast lightly in a toaster or oven. Spread with cream cheese and top with smoked salmon slices and lettuce. You can add some 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 substitute it with canned tuna.
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and sweet pepper
A very appetizing and filling dish. It is impossible to cook.
Wash and cut into slices one medium tomato or several small ones. Wash, remove the seeds and cut into slices or cubes one sweet pepper. Fry the prepared vegetables over medium heat in a little oil. Lightly beat two eggs with sea salt, pour them 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 egg, the dish will have a more delicate taste. Adding a handful of grated cheese will make it richer in calories, and the seasoning will enrich the taste perfectly.
Granola
Although you can buy it in the store, preparing it yourself can be of higher quality, because you will know exactly what is in the composition, and you will not use any preservatives, colorings, or flavor enhancers. This is not difficult to do. Granola prepared on the weekend will be an excellent addition to various breakfasts for a week or two.
To prepare, you need 1 pack of the most common large oatmeal flakes without any additives. To the pieces add 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 olives, but it is quite possible to replace them with almonds, cedar, walnuts or sesame.
The taste of the finished product will vary depending on the dried fruits and nuts you use. It can be walnuts with dried cranberries, for example, or the classic combination of hazelnuts with raisins and dried apricots, or cashews with dates and bananas, or gourmet almonds with dried cherries. You can also add a little dark chocolate and coconut flakes.
The well-mixed mixture is placed on a baking sheet and baked in an oven heated to 150 ° C, stirring thoroughly every 5-8 minutes. After about 30 minutes, the granola will reach the desired state: it will be golden and crunchy. The cooled product can be placed in a tightly closed jar, where it will be perfectly preserved for 2-3 weeks.
Granola can be added to cottage cheese or yogurt, sprinkled on sandwiches spread with cream cheese, added to fruit salads and puddings.
Smoothies
The scope for variation is huge, as a blender or mixer allows you to create a tasty and nutritious mixture from a wide variety of ingredients.
Try starting, for example, with this: a glass of oat milk, a banana, a handful of blueberries (ice cream is good), 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese. Beat with a blender. All.
Bonus: how many healthy breakfasts can be made using cottage cheese! Cheese pancakes with yogurt and berries, cottage cheese casserole, cottage cheese with carrots and grated herbs, curd spread on crackers with canned tuna and herbs, etc.
Healthy eating program for a week
In general, a balanced and healthy diet can be quite varied, so it is very possible to develop a menu with new dishes every day. We present a sample menu for a week according to all the recommendations given earlier:
| Day of the week | Breakfast | dinner | dinner |
| Monday | Oats with dried fruits; 2/3 cup low-fat milk; fruits. | Vegetable salad (you can use, for example, olive oil as a dressing); a sandwich made of whole grain bread with herbs, stewed chicken breast and soft cheese; fruits. | Grilled fish, vegetable salad as a side dish. |
| Tuesday | Whole grain toast; cheese; boiled eggs; fruits. | Bulgur, chicken breast and cherry tomato salad (can be dressed with honey and Dijon mustard); fruits. | Whole grain pasta with tomatoes and dried herbs; Herbal tea. |
| Wednesday | Cottage cheese with honey; beans; fresh juice. | Sandwich with salmon, avocado and dill on whole grain bread; natural yogurt. | Chicken fillet with grilled vegetables. |
| Thursday | Two omelettes; tomatoes; cheese; small baked apples with honey and cinnamon. | Chicken soup with vegetables; salad with tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, flax seed with olive oil dressing. | Pita with lean beef, salad, sauce – natural yogurt, garlic and dill. |
| Friday | Smoothies (banana, yogurt, vanilla); roll with salmon, avocado and cucumber. | Salad of roasted pumpkin, spinach, feta cheese and lemon butter dressing; rye bread with lean ham; fruits. | Steak with fresh ingredients; baked apples with honey and cinnamon. |
| Saturday | Buckwheat with carrots and bell peppers; natural yogurt; fruits. | Couscous with carrots, onions, corn, green beans. | Baked beets; rye bread with soft goat cheese; olive. |
| Sunday | Cheesecake with maple syrup; natural yogurt; fruits. | Soup with croutons and boiled eggs; tomato and mozzarella salad with balsamic dressing. | Stuffed Bell Peppers with Brown Rice and Ground Beef; cherry tomatoes with soft cheese and herbs to taste. |
It should be noted that when including small snacks in the diet, fruits and nuts should be removed 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 meal - breakfast and lunch.
It is also important to remember that meals are calculated individually, based on age, health, lifestyle and daily calorie intake. Therefore, serving sizes will differ between men and women.
How to make a healthy diet
Many people try to lose weight using various methods. It is important to adhere to a certain diet in order for the process to be most effective. Proper nutrition allows you to lose weight quickly, but only if you follow the principles. It is necessary to create a proper menu, which maintains a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
What kind of nutrition can be called right?
Proper nutrition (sometimes called healthy) involves eating natural foods that only 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 calculate them to ensure daily needs. It is also important to follow other rules that make nutrition correct. Therefore, fast food, processed food, 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, boil or bake dishes. You should eat food at the same time every day.
How to make a menu for the week
The specialty of proper nutrition is that it does not imply adherence to a strict menu. It must be arranged taking into account the characteristics of people and their 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;
- Each meal should contain foods that contain fiber (vegetables, fruits, bran);
- if you want to eat sweets, then this should be done only in the first half of the day;
- It is important to distribute calories correctly.
Usually, people who adhere to proper nutrition make a menu for a week in advance, and then just prepare meals according to it.
Monday
It is assumed that the daily nutritional menu includes five meals. On the first day of the week you can eat as follows:
- Prepare oatmeal for breakfast. It can be added with any fruit. It is recommended to use tea or coffee as a drink.
- The second breakfast may include dried fruit and cottage cheese. You should not chase low-fat fermented milk products, believing that they are most suitable for weight loss. This opinion is wrong. Experts recommend eating fatty cottage cheese, as it is better absorbed.
- Lunch on Monday may consist of cabbage soup in meat broth and stewed chicken. Make sure you add fiber-rich vegetables. As a drink - compote.
- For an afternoon snack, you can enjoy a fruit salad and sugar-free crackers.
- For dinner, it is suggested to prepare an omelette, vegetable salad and tea. With proper nutrition, you can forget the rule that says you can't eat after 18. 00. But the last dose should be no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Tuesday
The second day's menu is organized according to the same principles as on Monday. Breakfast should be rich in carbohydrates, but porridge should be prepared differently. Tuesday's diet might look like this:
- For breakfast it is suggested to cook buckwheat porridge. It can be added to vegetables and tea.
- For the 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 as the first, and cut fish and mashed potatoes as the second. As a drink - compote made from dried fruits.
- Afternoon snacks include 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 choice. This is what is suggested to eat on the third day. In general, the menu for Wednesday can be arranged as follows:
- For breakfast, people who lose weight eat omelets, toast and vegetable salad. He chose tea as a drink.
- The second breakfast involves eating yogurt and toast.
- For lunch you can prepare fish soup and stewed beef with a side dish of vegetables. You shouldn't forget the drink either; natural juices can play their role.
- For an afternoon snack, you can safely eat yogurt and cottage cheese.
- For dinner, it is recommended to cook the meat and complement it with 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 should not eat the same meal every day. The menu is designed in such a way that options are not repeated. So, on Thursday it is recommended to eat 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 include bananas and kefir.
- For lunch you can make soup with grains. As a second course, you should choose grilled fish, complete with a side dish of rice. Salads, for example, vinaigrette, will not go wrong. The drink is compote.
- For an afternoon snack, experts advise eating cottage cheese with sour cream and dried fruits.
- An excellent choice for dinner is roast meat with vegetables. You can increase it by drinking yogurt.
Friday
Friday's diet is not so different from all the previous days, because it is organized according to the same principles. The menu might look like this:
- For breakfast, one eats oatmeal and fruit and drinks coffee.
- For the second breakfast, you can eat biscuits, washing them down with juice.
- You can prepare vegetable soup as the first dish for lunch. The second course can be goulash with a side dish of baked or boiled potatoes. Also, lunch must include a vegetable salad. The drink is juice.
- For an afternoon snack, it is recommended to eat fruit in the form of a salad and yogurt.
- Dinner - boiled vegetables, ham, tea.
Weekend
Some people believe that on the weekend they can allow themselves to deviate from their diet and eat unhealthy foods that are not in the diet on other days. This opinion is wrong, because such actions can negate all the benefits of the previous menu. Of course, you can sometimes afford to buy something not so useful, but in small quantities. Heavy meals can be eaten on holidays, but not every weekend.
The menu for Saturday in the correct eating mode may look like this:
- Breakfast includes oatmeal and baked apples. 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.
- For an afternoon snack, you can eat yogurt and add nuts to it. You can choose dried fruits instead.
- For dinner, a good choice is ham and vegetable soup. The drink is tea.
On Sunday, you can treat yourself to a cottage 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 consists of borscht, chicken cutlets with buckwheat, compote. An excellent option for an afternoon snack, as usual, is cottage cheese with the addition of dried fruits. For dinner, it is recommended to eat boiled beef and vegetable salad.