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 be like? Healthy and tasty! It is important to combine these two components.
First of all, the diet must be balanced. That is, the menu should have enough proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other valuable substances. And from this follows another rule: the menu should be varied. You can’t eat only vegetables or cereals. Then the body will not receive everything it needs. Products 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 a harmful product.
You can’t go hungry, because proper nutrition should be satisfying. But at the same time, overeating is prohibited. Portions should be small. You need to eat little, but often. It is best if there are 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 nutrition, but also giving up bad habits, playing sports, and having a proper 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 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.
Here 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, 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, eggplants, tomatoes), 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;
- 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 banana, 100 ml of yogurt, rosehip infusion;
- snack: fruit salad (kiwi, peach, melon slice);
- lunch: pickle sauce, vinaigrette, bread, carrot juice;
- afternoon 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, salad of Chinese cabbage, celery stalks 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 veal, sweet pepper and basil, coffee;
- snack: three cottage cheese dumplings with natural yoghurt;
- lunch: mushroom soup, eggplant rolls with nuts and herbs, lingonberry juice;
- afternoon snack: fruit;
- dinner: rice with seafood and vegetables, kefir with cinnamon.
Day 7:
- morning: milk rice porridge with apricots, fruit juice;
- snack: salad of celery stalk, fennel and herbs;
- lunch: chicken broth, beef chop, boiled cauliflower and green beans, ginger tea;
- afternoon 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 not a reason to give up delicious dishes.
Recipes for proper nutrition
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 sandwich
A slice of rye bread, a piece of curd cheese, a circle of tomato, a sprig of basil.
Oatmeal with fruit
Slice the pear, sprinkle with sugar and heat through. Cook oatmeal, add pears.
Milk porridge
Cook rice in milk. At the end add a little cinnamon and vanilla.
Here are the recipes for lunch.
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 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, an egg and a little flour. Form dumplings. 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 pre-boiled broccoli florets, cheese, wrap and bake.
Fennel salad
Thinly slice a fennel tuber, half a red onion, one bell 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 any vegetables nearby. Cover with foil and bake for half an hour.
Hearty salad
Boil half a chicken breast, chop finely. Dice the onion, two tomatoes, and bell pepper. Season with salt and vegetable oil.
Cut celery root, carrots, onions, Jerusalem artichoke, and turnips into cubes. Simmer for fifteen minutes, add salt, oregano, simmer until tender.
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 proper breakfasts. 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 the question up and down.
Those who choose not a cup of coffee on the run, but a normal, healthy, proper breakfast, better control their weight, better follow nutritional recommendations, and generally 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 respects. Those who want to lose extra pounds should not forget about breakfast, since the body will try to make up for the calories lost in the morning in the late afternoon. But we all remember how harmful it is to overeat at night, don’t we?
Proper 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 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 sharp rise 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 400-500 calories. This will 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 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 could be: black currants, strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries or cranberries, cherries, plums; pieces of apple, pineapple or banana, melon, kiwi or papaya. By simply replacing one fruit with another, you can vary the taste almost endlessly.
Oatmeal with cheese and vegetables
Who said 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 proteins the body needs so much. 25-30 g of cheese is enough for a serving of oatmeal. You can complement this breakfast with sliced 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 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 using pre-prepared green tea.
Buckwheat porridge with chicken and sweet pepper
Buckwheat with a piece of chicken breast and sliced sweet pepper will fill you up without heaviness in your stomach and give you a good supply 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 the buckwheat cooked in the evening, add a handful of berries or sliced banana. A hearty and healthy breakfast is ready.
Zucchini fritters
Cooking is simple and quick. For a serving for one person, it is enough to grate one medium zucchini on a coarse grater and squeeze out the released 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 out of the zucchini. A little sea salt, vegetable seasoning. Fry in an almost dry frying 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 whatever is in the refrigerator: lettuce or cabbage, cucumber, cut into strips, celery, cherry or tomatoes. Add a couple of slices of baked or simply boiled chicken breast, two spoons of yogurt - and get a hearty, healthy breakfast.
Salmon toast
Take a few thin slices of whole grain bread and lightly toast them in a toaster or oven. Spread with cream cheese and top with smoked salmon slices and lettuce. You can add a couple of olives or black olives, just not too salty. Salmon fish are a source of valuable Omega-3 fatty acids.
But if you don’t have salmon, you can easily replace it with canned tuna.
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and sweet peppers
A very appetizing and satisfying dish. It's simply impossible to cook.
Wash and cut into slices one medium tomato or a couple of small ones. Wash, remove seeds and cut into slices or cubes one sweet pepper. Fry the prepared vegetables over medium heat in a small amount of 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 eggs, the dish will have a more delicate taste. Adding a handful of grated cheese will make it richer in calories, and seasonings will enrich the taste to perfection.
Granola
Although you can buy it in a store, preparing it yourself can be much higher quality, because you will know exactly what is included in its composition, and you will not use any preservatives, dyes, or flavor enhancers. This is not difficult to do. Granola prepared on the weekend will serve as an excellent addition to various breakfasts for one or two weeks.
To prepare, you will need 1 pack of the most common large oatmeal flakes without any additives. To the flakes 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 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 what 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. Adding a little dark chocolate and coconut flakes is also okay.
The well-mixed mixture is placed on a baking sheet and baked in an oven preheated to 150°C, stirring thoroughly every 5-8 minutes. After about 30 minutes, the granola will reach the desired condition: it will become golden and crispy. The cooled product can be placed in a tightly sealed jar, in which 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 salad and puddings.
Smoothie
The scope for variety is extremely large, because a blender or mixer allows you to create delicious, nutritious mixtures 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 fine), 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 grated carrots and herbs, curd spread on crackers with canned tuna and herbs, etc.
Healthy nutrition program for a week
In general, a balanced, healthy diet can be quite varied, so it is quite possible to develop a menu with new dishes 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 use, for example, olive oil as a dressing); a sandwich made of whole grain bread with herbs, boiled chicken breast and soft cheese; fruit. | Baked fish, vegetable salad as a side dish. |
| Tuesday | Whole grain toast; cheese; boiled egg; fruit. | Salad of bulgur, chicken breast and cherry tomatoes (can be dressed with honey and Dijon mustard); fruit. | Whole grain pasta with tomatoes and dry herbs; Herb tea. |
| Wednesday | Cottage cheese with honey; nuts; fresh juice. | Sandwich with salmon, avocado and dill on whole grain bread; natural yogurt. | Chicken fillet with baked vegetables. |
| Thursday | Two egg omelette; tomato; cheese; small baked apple 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, 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 bell pepper; natural yogurt; fruit. | Couscous with carrots, onions, corn, green 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, fruits and nuts will need to 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 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 make a healthy diet
Many people strive to lose weight using a variety of methods. It is important to adhere to 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 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 is planning to eat according to this principle should include dishes that contain the required 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. Thus, 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 adherence to a strict menu. It must be compiled 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 include foods containing 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.
Typically, people who adhere to proper nutrition create a menu for the week in advance, and then simply prepare dishes in accordance with it.
Monday
It is assumed that the daily nutrition menu 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. It is recommended to use tea or coffee as a drink.
- Second breakfast may 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 may consist of cabbage soup in meat broth and boiled chicken. Be sure to add fiber-rich vegetables. As a drink - compote.
- For an afternoon snack, you can enjoy fruit salad and unsweetened crackers.
- For dinner, it is suggested to prepare an omelet, vegetable salad and tea. With proper nutrition, you can forget about the rule that says that you cannot eat after 18. 00. But the last dose should be no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Tuesday
The menu of the second day is compiled 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 suggested 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 as the first, and fish cutlets and mashed potatoes as the second. As a drink - compote made from dried fruits.
- 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 is what is proposed to be eaten on the third day. In general, the menu for Wednesday can be compiled as follows:
- For breakfast, a losing weight person eats an omelet, toast, and vegetable salad. He chooses tea as a drink.
- Second breakfast involves eating yogurt and toast.
- For lunch you can prepare fish soup and boiled veal with a side dish of vegetables. You should also not forget about the drink; natural juice can play its role.
- For an afternoon 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. 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 in such a way that the 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 drink.
- Second breakfast may include banana and kefir.
- For lunch you can make 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, would not be amiss. The drink is compote.
- For an afternoon snack, experts advise 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 particularly different from all previous days, because it is compiled according to the same principles. The menu might look like this:
- For breakfast, a person eats oatmeal and fruit and drinks coffee.
- For second breakfast, you can eat biscuits, washing 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. 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 – 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 negate all the benefits of the previous menu. Of course, you can sometimes afford something that is not very useful, but in small quantities. Heavy food can be consumed on holidays, but not every weekend.
The menu for Saturday in proper nutrition mode may 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.
- For an afternoon snack, you can eat yogurt and add nuts to it. You can choose dried fruits instead.
- For dinner, a great option would be ham and vegetable stew. The drink is tea.
On Sunday, you can treat yourself to cottage cheese casserole for breakfast. It should be seasoned with honey. You can also eat toast with tea. For second breakfast you can choose yogurt and crackers. Lunch consists of borscht, chicken cutlet with buckwheat, compote. An excellent option for an afternoon snack, as usual, would be cottage cheese with the addition of dried fruits. For dinner, it is recommended to eat boiled veal and vegetable salad.