Proper nutrition: the menu and how to make it

Proper nutrition is the key to health and good shape

Today, healthy eating is a very common and popular topic. The internet is simply full of advice and recommendations, but following them thoughtlessly is unreasonable and simply unhealthy.

Therefore, you should consult a dietitian when putting together a proper nutrition menu. And in general, it will not be superfluous to study the particular literature on this question. The most important thing is to use reliable sources. For example, the World Health Organization regularly addresses the topic of proper nutrition in its methodological materials.

So the organization's specialists presented 10 principles that will make any diet more useful:

  1. A varied diet allows the body to receive all the many different nutrients;
  2. Whole grains positively affect the intestinal microflora, which improves its work;
  3. Fruits, vegetables and nuts are the best snack options;
  4. One teaspoon of salt a day is the daily norm for an adult, so it is better to undersalt than oversalt;
  5. It is necessary to monitor the level of sugar consumed, also pay attention to the so-called hidden sugar;
  6. Moderate consumption of fatty foods;
  7. In the daily menu it is better to prefer fish or poultry, which limits the consumption of red meat;
  8. Ready meals are a rich cocktail of trans fat, salt, sugar and a variety of artificial additives;
  9. Fried food will never be healthy;
  10. Alcohol in any quantity is harmful to health.

Of course, the tips from this manual do not contain details, therefore a proper nutrition menu can not be compiled based on them. But to use it as a guideline for further work - you can with great success.

In addition, the best option when choosing a new diet is to consult a nutritionist. A doctor with such an education will give a professional opinion and prepare 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 lessons and workshops where they share their secrets and teach others.

How to make a proper nutrition menu?

The first step towards a healthy diet is the menu. After all, it is the list of "permitted" products that determines the range of dishes, the system of snacks.

Nutritionists, when putting together a proper nutrition menu, are guided by several key principles:

  • Meat in the diet should be combined with vegetables and fruits;
  • To function properly, you need to consume about 100-150 grams of protein a day;
  • If desired, sweets can be included in the diet. But it is important to remember that their use should be calculated strictly according to the amount of sugar, and you should not eat desserts in the afternoon;
  • Canned and semi-finished products, all kinds of sauces as well as representatives of fast food under the strictest prohibition;
  • The Food Pyramid is a great way to organize your meals to guide you.

In addition, when composing 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 pretty general rules. For example, breakfast is best half an hour after waking up, and dinner is about three hours before bedtime.

Features of a weight loss meal plan

It is important to understand that the nutrition plan also depends on what goals are being pursued. So we can distinguish between a nutrition plan for children, a nutrition plan for various diseases, an athlete's 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 has never meant existence on water and vegetables. Thus, we return to the principles of WHO - 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.

Proper and balanced nutrition for weight loss

Additionally, if you want to reduce weight with the right diet, you should follow a few more rules:

  • You should eat at certain time intervals, then the body will develop a cure;
  • Meals should be fractionated, the most optimal option is 5 times a day;
  • When planning meals, you can not go against your lifestyle. On the contrary, the menu should be tailored to it.

Thus, we get two options for a diet designed for those who get up early and late:

Dinner for "Larks" Eating condition for "Owls"
7. 00 Breakfast 10. 00 Breakfast
10. 00 First snack 13. 00 First snack
13. 00 Dinner 15. 00 Dinner
16. 00 Second snack 17. 00 Second snack
19. 00 Dinner 20. 00 Dinner

Another feature of preparing a menu plan to lose weight is calorie counting. To do this, keep a record of all the foods eaten during the day. And today it is quite simple to do this because there are a large number of special applications for such purposes.

How to plan meals for each day?

Proper nutrition planning is a time consuming process, the preparation of which must take into account the following:

  • The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates - it 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 dose of calories, which varies depending on age and lifestyle, should be distributed evenly;
  • A range of products that match in terms of nutrition and calorie content - only proper and balanced nutrition can give the result. Refusing to eat will only harm your health.

It is also necessary to keep in mind that "unplanned" snacking should not be taken as a tragedy, but it makes sense to analyze them and change the frequency or composition of subsequent meals. Another stumbling block may be new foods for the diet. For example, while on a diet, it is best not to experiment with new flavor combinations as they can also adversely affect the diet.

It is possible to learn more about the rules of nutrition, the principles of forming a reasonable diet in dietary courses.

By summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that the following categories of products should be the basis of a proper nutrition menu:

  • Chicken;
  • Turkey;
  • Fish;
  • Fish and shellfish;
  • Egg;
  • Dairy;
  • Fruit;
  • Vegetables;
  • Green;
  • Nuts;
  • frog;
  • natural spices;
  • spices;
  • Whole grain products;
  • legumes;
  • Olives, flaxseed, corn, sesame oil.

It is necessary to exclude from the diet:

  • Sausages;
  • smoked products;
  • Canned food;
  • Snacks in vacuum packing;
  • Semi-finished products;
  • Saucer;
  • Ready meals for heating in the microwave;
  • Fast food;
  • Carbonated beverages;
  • Juice in packets.
To lose weight, fast food snacks are replaced with fruits

Separately, it is worth noting that salted nuts do not belong to proper nutrition, like all products that contain an increased level of spices, additives and flavors. As far as confectionery products are concerned, they should be reduced to a minimum and the composition of such products should also be treated responsibly. For example, you might have an oatmeal muffin for breakfast.

weekly nutrition program

In general, a balanced healthy diet can be quite varied, so it is quite possible to develop a menu where new dishes are added every day. We present an example of a menu for a week in accordance with all the previously given recommendations:

Day of the week Breakfast Dinner Dinner
Monday
  • Oatmeal with dried fruits;
  • 2/3 cup low-fat milk
  • fruit.
  • Vegetable salad (you can, for example, take olive oil as a dressing);
  • wholemeal bread sandwich with herbs, boiled chicken breast and soft cheese;
  • fruit.
Baked fish, vegetable salad as an accompaniment.
Tuesday
  • Whole grain toast;
  • cheese;
  • boiled egg;
  • fruit.
  • Salad of bulgur, chicken breast and cherry tomatoes (can be seasoned with honey and Dijon mustard);
  • fruit.
  • Whole grain pasta with tomatoes and dry herbs;
  • herbal tea.
Wednesday
  • Cottage cheese with honey;
  • nuts;
  • fresh juice.
  • Sandwich with salmon, avocado and dill on wholemeal bread;
  • natural yogurt.
Chicken fillet with baked vegetables.
Thursday
  • The omelet from two eggs;
  • tomato;
  • cheese;
  • small baked apple with honey and cinnamon.
  • Chicken soup with vegetables;
  • salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, flaxseed with dressing (olive oil).
Pita with lean beef, salad, dressing - natural yogurt, garlic and dill.
Friday
  • Smoothies (banana, yogurt, vanilla);
  • roll with salmon, avocado and cucumber.
  • Salad of baked pumpkin, spinach, cheese and lemon-oil dressing;
  • rye bread with lean ham;
  • fruit.
  • Steak with fresh vegetables;
  • baked apple with honey and cinnamon.
Saturday
  • Buckwheat with carrots and peppers;
  • natural yogurt;
  • fruit.
Couscous with carrots, onions, corn, green peas.
  • Baked beets;
  • rye bread with soft goat cheese;
  • olive.
Sunday
  • Cheesecakes with maple syrup;
  • natural yogurt;
  • fruit.
  • Broth with croutons and boiled eggs;
  • tomato and mozzarella salad with balsamic dressing.
  • Peppers stuffed with brown rice and minced beef;
  • cherry tomatoes with soft cheese and herbs to taste.

It should be noted that when small snacks are included in the diet, fruits and nuts should 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 conversely and adds snacks to the 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.

  1. Smoothies - 67-70 kcal / 100 gr.Yogurt-based smoothies in a healthy diet

    Ingredients:

    • Banana - 1 pc.
    • Oatmeal - 30 gr.
    • Yogurt (or kefir) - 100-150 gr.
    • Vanilla - to taste.

    Blend all ingredients in a blender to a smooth mass. If desired, you can also add a peach or pear, but not without the abuse of sweet fruits.

  2. Oat-apple pancakes - 152 kcal / 100 gr.If you eat right, you can prepare oatmeal-apple pancakes for breakfast

    Ingredients:

    • Oatmeal - 80 gr.
    • Medium-sized apple - 1 pc.
    • Chicken eggs - 1 pc.
    • Honey - 30 gr.

    Grind oatmeal in a blender. Dry the apple, mix with the resulting powder and egg. Fry the pancakes for about 3 minutes on each side. The dish can be served with honey.

  3. Lecho salad - 50 kcal / 100 gr.Lecho salad can serve as a tasty and healthy accompaniment.

    Ingredients:

    • Bulgarian pepper - 4 pcs.
    • Eggplant - 1 pc.
    • Tomato - 3 pcs.
    • Vinegar - to taste.
    • Green - to taste.
    • Salt - to taste.
    • Vegetable oil - Art. a spoon.

    Bake vegetables for 15 minutes in the oven, then remove the peel and cut them. Add chopped herbs, oil, vinegar, salt to the resulting salad, mix.

  4. Mushroom puree soup - 30 kcal / 100 gr.Mushroom puree soup - a fragrant dish for a healthy diet

    Ingredients:

    • Mushroom mushrooms - 700 gr.
    • Onions - 1 pc.
    • Carrot - 1 pc.
    • Milk - 250 ml.
    • Green - to taste.

    Mushrooms should be poured with boiling water, let it brew. Cut onion and carrot, cook for 15 minutes with mushrooms. Boil milk. Transfer the soup to a blender, add milk, then whisk until puree, garnish with herbs if desired.

  5. Stewed beef - 80 kcal / 100 gr.The menu with proper nutrition includes stewed beef with vegetables

    Ingredients:

    • Beef - 100 gr.
    • Buckwheat groats - 150 gr.
    • Carrot - 1 pc.
    • Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
    • Onions - 1 pc.
    • Lemon juice - to taste.
    • Green - to taste.

    Marinate meat with onion and lemon juice for an hour. Fry carrots, tomatoes, onions and beef in a pan. When ready, add greens. As an accompaniment - buckwheat (cook without salt).

  6. Lean sweet sausage - 269, 98 kcal / 100 gr.Useful dried fruits for making lean sweet sausage

    Ingredients:

    • Dates - 125 gr.
    • Prunes - 125 gr.
    • Nuts - 100 gr.
    • Sesame - 2 tbsp. shave.
    • Orange - 1 pc.
    • Cinnamon - teaspoonful.

    Prunes and dates should be washed and stoned and then chopped with a blender. In the resulting mixture add orange peel and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of orange juice, mix. Grate the nuts in a frying pan a little beforehand (without adding oil). Mix all ingredients until smooth. Put the mixture on cling film, form a roll, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Put the sweet sausage in the fridge for half an hour.

If you want to make a menu for a specific purpose, for example to lose weight, then the most effective option is to make a diet of a dietitian. He will take into account the individual characteristics of your body and draw up a nutrition plan that will help you achieve your goals.