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: secrets
What should proper nutrition look like? Healthy and tasty! It is important to combine these two components.
First of all, the diet must be balanced. That is, the menu must contain enough proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other valuable substances. And another rule follows from this: the menu must be varied. You can't eat only vegetables or cereals. Then the body will not receive everything it needs. The products must be fresh. Don't forget about calories. You must choose a daily rule and stick to it.
Proper nutrition involves reducing sugar and salt consumption. Therefore, instead of salt, you should add lemon juice, spices, onion, garlic and fresh herbs to your dishes. As for sugar, it is advisable to use more fruits, nuts and berries. They can easily replace a harmful product.
You can't starve because proper nutrition should be satiating. But at the same time, overeating is prohibited. Portions should be small. You need to eat little, but often. It is best to have three main meals and 2-3 snacks.
Healthy lifestyle: healthy and varied menu
Proper nutrition is part of a healthy lifestyle. Of course, a healthy lifestyle involves not only diet, but also abandoning bad habits, practicing sports and maintaining an appropriate daily routine. However, nutrition plays an important role in life.
How to create a menu correctly? You must take into account all the secrets of proper nutrition, at the same time remembering 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 nutrition menu for the week.
1 day:
- morning: rice porridge with pumpkin and pear, yogurt, green tea;
- snack: fruit smoothie (apple, banana, yogurt, blueberries);
- lunch: vegetarian cabbage soup, baked sea bass, salad with peppers and tomatoes, dried fruit compote;
- snack: cottage cheese with dill;
- in the evening: vegetable stew (zucchini, carrot, onion, eggplant, tomato), a piece of boiled chicken, a slice of bread, kefir.
Day 2:
- breakfast: omelet with tomatoes and sweet peppers, bread, apple, black tea;
- snack: a handful of nuts;
- lunch: buckwheat soup with vegetables, beef with stewed vegetables, cranberry juice;
- 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 chicken cutlets with dill, celery salad with sour cream, compote of raspberries, apples and pears;
- snack: a handful of nuts and dried fruits;
- evening: corn porridge with stewed carrots and dill, yogurt.
Day 4:
- breakfast: oatmeal with nuts and banana, 100 ml of yogurt, rosehip infusion;
- snack: fruit salad (kiwi, peach, melon slice);
- lunch: pickle sauce, vinaigrette, bread, carrot juice;
- snack: cheese, toast, cocoa;
- dinner: meat rolls with broccoli and sweet 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, Chinese cabbage salad, celery and carrot stalks, bread, grapefruit juice;
- snack: fruit and berry salad of strawberries, kiwi, pineapple;
- evening: baked fish with vegetables, kefir.
Day 6:
- breakfast: boiled beef, pepper and basil sandwich, coffee;
- snack: three cottage cheese dumplings with natural yogurt;
- lunch: mushroom soup, eggplant rolls with walnuts and herbs, lingonberry juice;
- snack: fruit;
- dinner: rice with seafood and vegetables, kefir with cinnamon.
Day 7:
- morning: rice pudding porridge with apricots, fruit juice;
- snack: celery stalk, fennel and herb salad;
- lunch: chicken broth, veal cutlet, cauliflower and boiled green beans, ginger tea;
- snack: a couple 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 are no reason to give up delicious dishes.
Recipes for proper nutrition.
You can come up with many interesting recipes. We offer delicious recipes for every day of the week.
Below are some hearty breakfast options.
Healthy sandwich
A slice of rye bread, a piece of cottage cheese, a circle of tomato, a sprig of basil.
Oatmeal with fruit
Cut the pear, 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 you have the recipes for lunch.
Pumpkin soup
Chop 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
Chop carrots, onions, peppers, celery. Pour water and cook for twenty minutes. Add salt and pepper. Mix 100 g of finely grated cheese, an egg and a little flour. Form dough balls. Place one at a time in soup. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.
chicken rolls
Cut the chicken fillet lengthwise, beat it, season with salt and pepper. Place the previously boiled broccoli florets, cheese, wrap and bake.
Fennel salad
Thinly slice a fennel tuber, 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 aluminum foil. Place vegetables nearby. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for half an hour.
Hearty salad
Boil half a chicken breast, chop finely. Chop the onion, two tomatoes and the bell pepper. Season with salt and vegetable oil.
Cut the celery root, carrots, onions, Jerusalem artichoke and turnips into cubes. Simmer for fifteen minutes, add salt, oregano and simmer until tender.
Other recipes will 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 between 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 proper breakfasts. With the help of MedAboutMe tips and recipes, you can easily move from the first category to the second. And it will be correct.
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 and adequate breakfast, control their weight better, follow nutritional recommendations better and, in general, eat more rationally. On average, they have better cardiometabolic risk scores and perform better on tests that measure attention and cognitive function. Some studies have also shown that skipping breakfast causes a person to expend less energy throughout the day, reducing physical activity.
Starting the day with breakfast, we give ourselves energy for fruitful activities in all aspects. Those who want to lose extra kilos should not forget about breakfast, since the body will try to replace the calories lost in the morning by the end of the afternoon. But we all remember how harmful it is to overeat at night, right?
Proper breakfast: what is it?
In addition to what breakfast should be, it must also be correct, that is, contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the optimal proportion.
You should consume at least 25g of protein with breakfast. Fats and carbohydrates should also not be avoided, but the latter should be represented by the so-called "complex carbohydrates" that do not cause a sharp increase in blood glucose 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 content of breakfast should be between 400 and 500 calories. This will provide enough energy for active work.
10 simple recipes: a healthy breakfast for everyone
Oatmeal with red fruits and yogurt
You can cook it in the morning or in the 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 fruits, fresh or frozen. These could be: black currants, strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries or lingonberries, cherries, plums; pieces of apple, pineapple or banana, melon, kiwi or papaya. By simply replacing one fruit with another, you can vary the flavor almost infinitely.
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 will enrich the flavor of the porridge and provide the proteins that the body needs so much. For one serving of oatmeal, 25-30 g of cheese is enough. You can complement this breakfast with sliced cucumber and a handful of cherry tomatoes.
A cup of green tea with plant milk will complete your breakfast.
By the way, tea and coffee at breakfast are not prohibited at all. Just don't add sugar or much heavy cream to your cup. You can also prepare smoothies with previously prepared green tea.
Buckwheat porridge with chicken and sweet pepper
Buckwheat with a piece of chicken breast and sliced sweet pepper will satisfy you without heaviness in the stomach and will give you a good boost of energy. Buckwheat is generally one of the healthiest foods. Don't forget about her.
Buckwheat porridge with yogurt and fruits/berries
Pour natural yogurt over cooked buckwheat in the evening, add a handful of berries or sliced banana. A hearty and healthy breakfast is ready.
Zucchini Fritters
Cooking is simple and fast. For a serving for one person, simply grate a medium zucchini on a coarse grater and squeeze out the juice that comes out. 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 from the zucchini. A little 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 with apples. Try it, it's very delicious!
Pita with vegetables and chicken breast.
The pita can be filled with whatever is in the refrigerator: lettuce or cabbage, cucumber cut into strips, celery, cherry tomatoes or tomatoes. Add a couple of slices of baked or simply boiled chicken breast, two tablespoons of yogurt and enjoy a hearty and healthy breakfast.
salmon toast
Take some thin slices of whole wheat bread and toast them lightly in the toaster or oven. Spread with cream cheese and top with slices of smoked salmon and lettuce. You can add a couple of olives or black olives, but not too salty. Salmon is a source of valuable omega-3 fatty acids.
But if you don't have salmon, you can easily substitute it with canned tuna.
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and sweet peppers
A very appetizing and satisfying dish. It is simply impossible to cook.
Wash and slice a medium-sized tomato or a couple of small ones. Wash, remove the seeds and cut a sweet pepper into slices or cubes. 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 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 handful of grated cheese will make it more calorie-dense and the seasonings will enrich the flavor perfectly.
Big wave
Although you can buy it in a store, preparing it yourself can be of much higher quality, because you will know exactly what is included in its composition and you will not use preservatives, colorings or flavor enhancers. This is not difficult to do. Granola made on the weekend will be a great addition to various breakfasts for a week or two.
To prepare it you will need 1 package of the most common large oat flakes without any additives. To the flakes add 150-200 g of nuts, 100 g of dried berries or fruits, 2-3 tablespoons of natural honey and 2 tablespoons of butter. They usually take olive, but it is very possible to replace it with almond, cedar, walnut or sesame.
The flavor of the finished product will vary depending on the dried fruits and nuts you use. It could be walnuts with dried cranberries, for example, or the classic combination of hazelnuts with raisins and dried apricots, or cashews with dates and banana, or gourmet almonds with dried cherries. It's also okay to add some dark chocolate and coconut flakes.
The well-mixed mixture is placed on a baking sheet and baked in a preheated oven at 150°C, stirring well every 5-8 minutes. After about 30 minutes, the granola will reach the desired state: it will be golden and crispy. The cooled product can be placed in a tightly closed jar, in which it will keep perfectly 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.
Smoothie
The scope for variety is extremely large, because a blender or mixer allows you to create delicious and nutritious mixtures from a wide variety of ingredients.
Try starting with, for example, this: a glass of oat milk, a banana, a handful of blueberries (ice cream is fine), 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese. Mix with a mixer. All.
Bonus: how many healthy breakfasts can be made 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 nutrition program for a week.
In general, a balanced and healthy diet can be quite varied, so it is very possible to create a menu with new dishes every day. We present you an example of a menu for a week in accordance with all the recommendations given above:
| Weekday | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner |
| Monday | Oatmeal with nuts; 2/3 cup low-fat milk; fruit. | Vegetable salad (you can use, for example, olive oil as a dressing); a sandwich of whole wheat bread with herbs, boiled chicken breast and soft cheese; fruit. | Baked fish, vegetable salad as a garnish. |
| Tuesday | Whole toast; cheese; hard-boiled egg; fruit. | Bulgur, chicken breast and cherry tomatoes salad (can be dressed with honey and Dijon mustard); fruit. | Whole wheat pasta with tomato and dried herbs; Herbs tea. |
| Wednesday | Cottage cheese with honey; walnuts; fresh juice. | Salmon, avocado and dill sandwich on whole wheat bread; natural yogurt. | Chicken fillet with vegetables in the oven. |
| Thursday | Two egg omelet; tomato; cheese; Small apple baked with honey and cinnamon. | Chicken soup with vegetables; salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, flaxseed with olive oil dressing. | Pita with lean meat, lettuce, dressing – natural yogurt, garlic and dill. |
| Friday | Smoothie (banana, yogurt, vanilla); roll with salmon, avocado and cucumber. | Baked Pumpkin Salad, 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 bell pepper; natural yogurt; fruit. | Couscous with carrots, onions, corn, peas. | Baked beets; rye bread with soft goat cheese; Olives. |
| Sunday | Cheesecakes with maple syrup; natural yogurt; fruit. | Broth with croutons and boiled egg; Tomato and mozzarella salad with balsamic dressing. | Bell Peppers Stuffed 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, it will be necessary to eliminate fruits and nuts from the main menu. That is, the apple from breakfast is transferred to the snack. A similar system can be used in the opposite direction, adding snacks to the main meals: breakfast and lunch.
It is also important to remember that servings are calculated individually, based on age, health, lifestyle and daily calorie intake. Therefore, the serving size will differ between men and women.
How to have a healthy diet
Many people strive to lose weight using various methods. It is important to follow a specific diet so that the process is more effective. Proper nutrition allows you to quickly lose those extra pounds, but only if you adhere to its principles. It is necessary to create the right menu, which maintains a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
What kind of nutrition can be called correct?
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 count them to ensure the daily requirement. It is also important to follow other rules that make nutrition correct. 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, stew or bake 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 prepared taking into account the characteristics of the person and their food preferences. The main thing is to follow the basic principles of product combination. 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 do it only in the first half of the day;
- It is important to distribute calories correctly.
Usually, people who follow proper nutrition create a menu for the week in advance, and then simply prepare dishes according to it.
Monday
The daily nutritional menu is supposed to include five meals. On the first day of the week you can eat as follows:
- Make oatmeal for breakfast. It can be complemented with any fruit. It is recommended to use tea or coffee as a drink.
- The second breakfast may include nuts and cottage cheese. You should not chase low-fat dairy products, believing that they are the most conducive to weight loss. This opinion is wrong. Experts recommend eating fatty cottage cheese, as it is better absorbed.
- Monday lunch can consist of cabbage soup in meat broth and boiled chicken. Be sure to add fiber-rich vegetables. As a drink - compote.
- For snack, you can enjoy a fruit salad and sugar-free crackers.
- For dinner it is recommended to prepare omelette, vegetable salad and tea. With proper nutrition, you can forget about the rule that says you can't eat after 6: 00 p. m. But the last dose should be given no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Tuesday
The menu for the second day is drawn up according to the same principles as Monday. Breakfast should be rich in carbohydrates, but porridge should be prepared differently. Tuesday's diet could look like this:
- For breakfast it is suggested to cook buckwheat porridge. It can be complemented with vegetables and tea.
- For the second breakfast you can eat yogurt and an apple.
- Lunch always consists of a first and a second course. On Tuesday you can prepare buckwheat soup as a first and fish cutlets and mashed potatoes as a second. As a drink: compote based on dried fruits.
- The 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 omelette would be a good option. This is what you propose to eat on the third day. In general, Wednesday's menu can be made as follows:
- For breakfast, a person who loses weight eats omelet, toast and vegetable salad. Choose tea as a drink.
- The second breakfast consists of eating yogurt and toast.
- For lunch you can prepare fish soup and boiled beef with a vegetable garnish. You shouldn't forget about the drink either, natural juice can play its role.
- For a snack, you can safely eat yogurt and cottage cheese.
- For dinner it is recommended to cook meat and complement it with a side dish of rice. This dish should also be served 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 in such a way that the options are not repeated. Thus, 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 drink.
- The second breakfast may include banana and kefir.
- For lunch you can prepare soup with cereal. As a second course, you should choose baked fish, complemented with a side dish of rice. A salad, for example, a vinaigrette, wouldn't hurt. The drink is compote.
- For a snack, experts advise eating cottage cheese with sour cream and dried fruits.
- An excellent option for dinner is baked meat with vegetables. You can complement it by drinking yogurt.
Friday
Friday's diet is not much different from that of all previous days, because it is drawn up according to the same principles. The menu could look like this:
- For breakfast, a person eats oatmeal and fruit and drinks coffee.
- For the second breakfast, you can eat cookies and accompany them with juice.
- You can prepare vegetable soup as the first course of lunch. The second course can be goulash garnished with baked or boiled potatoes. Also, lunch should include a vegetable salad. The drink is juice.
- For a snack, it is recommended to eat fruit in the form of salad and yogurt.
- Dinner: vegetable stew, ham, tea.
Weekend
Some people believe that on weekends they can allow themselves to deviate from their diet and eat unhealthy foods that were not present in the diet on other days. This opinion is erroneous, since such an act can nullify all the benefits of the previous menu. Of course, sometimes you can afford something that is not very useful, but in small quantities. Heavy meals can be consumed on holidays, but not every weekend.
Saturday's menu with proper nutrition may look like this:
- Breakfast includes oatmeal and baked apple. As a drink, it is advisable to use unsweetened tea.
- 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 snack, you can eat yogurt and add nuts to it. You can choose dried fruits instead.
- For dinner, a great option would be the ham and vegetable stew. The drink is tea.
On Sunday you can have 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 cutlet with buckwheat and compote. An excellent option for a snack, as usual, would be cottage cheese with dried fruits. For dinner it is recommended to eat boiled beef and vegetable salad.