Proper nutrition for weight loss: a daily menu

Proper nutrition helps with weight lossWeight loss diets based on a proper nutritional system (PN) can have different treatments. You can criticize it and find its flaws, or you can stick to it fanatically throughout your life and enjoy your appearance. But the PP system is indeed effective and has helped thousands of obese people who have given up. This is a fact proven by time and confirmed by nutritionists.Proper nutrition is more than just cole slaw and steamed fish. Millions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes have been created under the PP system, many of which meet the body's needs and deserve to be included in everyone's proper nutrition plan!

PP program

  • Pay attention to the "Food Pyramid", according to which 40% of the dishes on the table should contain complex carbohydrates (this includes whole wheat bread, all types of cereals except semolina, as well as cereals) and 35% fresh and steamed orBaked vegetables and fruits, 20% healthy protein (lean meats, any type of poultry and fish, cultured milks and dairy products). The remaining 5% may come from fat and sugar.
  • Combine meat with vegetables and fruits.
  • If you really want it, you can have something sweet. But do not exceed the allowed daily limit of sugary products - 5 teaspoons. Even better, use honey instead of sugar. All desserts should be consumed only during the first half of the day to allow time to burn the calories received before the evening.
  • Make sure your body gets enough protein (a person needs at least 100-150 grams per day). Protein is a building material that renews cells and maintains muscle performance. If you give up meat and poultry, you should eat plant-based protein, which is found in large amounts in beans, nuts, and soybeans.
  • Avoid processed foods, fast food, sauces, and canned foods. Even ketchup has a lot of added sugar and salt.

expiration date

Each diet is only available for a limited time. Once you achieve results, you should switch to a healthy diet. If you start adhering to proper nutrition, you won't have to give up your favorite and unhealthy foods at all. But you should strictly control the timing and quantity of such products and compensate for their caloric content through physical activity.Proper nutrition is so healthy and beneficial that you can and may even need to stick to it throughout your life for a slim figure and healthy appearance.It's time to create a menu for yourself!

What kind of nutrition can be called correct?

Proper nutrition (sometimes called health) involves eating whole foods that are good for your body. The diet of a person who plans to eat according to this principle should include dishes that contain the required nutrients. We are discussing the following components:It needs to be inventoried to ensure daily needs. It's also important to follow other rules for getting your nutrition right. 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 used and exclude fried foods, steamed or boiled, stewed or baked dishes. You should eat at the same time every day.

How to create this week's menu

The thing about proper nutrition is that it does not mean adhering to a strict menu. It must be compiled taking into account the characteristics of the person and their food preferences. The main thing is to follow the basic principles of product mix. We are discussing the following rules:
  • Breakfast should be rich in carbohydrates;
  • Dinner should be high in carbohydrates;
  • Every meal should include foods containing fiber (vegetables, fruits, bran);
  • If you want to eat something sweet, only eat it during the first half of the day;
  • Proper distribution of calories is important.
Usually, people who adhere to proper nutrition plan their menu for the week in advance and simply prepare dishes according to it. Below is an example of such a diet, in which the necessary products have been selected. Of course, changes can be made if, for example, a person does not eat a certain food.

How to Create a Weight Loss Meal Plan

Individually planning your own daily, weekly and monthly menu will help you develop the right eating habits with strict rules. Split meals - at least 3 times a day, preferably 5-6 times - are the key to dietary discipline. No need to break up or rearrange your routine. Make a plan based on your lifestyle.

Meal plans for "early risers" (e. g. , people who wake up at 6: 00 a. m. and go to bed at 10: 00 p. m. )

  • Have breakfast at 7: 00 am
  • At 10 o'clock, enjoy the second light breakfast
  • Go to have lunch at 13 o'clock
  • Afternoon tea time at 16: 00
  • Have dinner at 19 o'clock

Eating habits of "night owls" (people who wake up after 9 a. m. and go to bed around 00 a. m. )

  • Breakfast at 10 a. m.
  • 13: 00 Lunch time
  • It’s time for lunch at 15: 00
  • Go for afternoon tea at 17: 00
  • It’s time for dinner at 20 o’clock
So, adjust your meal plan to fit your daily routine.

Main recommendations

  • You should have breakfast one hour after getting up
  • Drink 250 ml of warm boiled water on an empty stomach in the morning.
  • Allow 2-3 hours between meals
  • Eat dinner early or no later than two hours before bed
In order to lose weight properly, you need to log the calories of everything you eat. To do this, use a notepad or a special app on your phone or even record the amount of water or juice you drink.

What's important when creating a menu

  1. When planning your weekly menu, prepare a grocery shopping list right away. and decide immediately what to cook on which day. For example, on certain days, chicken and fish should be included. One day, you should have a light green salad for dinner, a hearty steak for lunch, etc.
  2. Even if you don't feel hungry, you shouldn't skip breakfast. Every breakfast should be balanced and nutritious - 50% of your daily intake of carbohydrates, 30% of protein, and 20% of fat.
  3. Dinner should be protein-based. For example, low-fat cottage cheese, grilled chicken, or steamed fish.
  4. An afternoon snack and a second breakfast are appropriate and balanced snacks between main meals. But they shouldn't turn into a full meal. Prepare fresh fruits as snacks (you can have a banana, 150-200 grams of grapes, a large apple), fresh or cooked vegetables (cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, etc. ), dried fruits or nuts (the latter should be without saltand not in large quantities). More than 30 grams per dose).
  5. When counting calories, subtract the calories burned during physical activity. For example, if you're walking around the city all day or planning a long trail ride, increase what you eat that day. Plan to eat a moderate amount of carbohydrates and protein, and eat a hearty breakfast before heading out.
  6. Drink regular drinking water - do not drink cold or boiling water (it cleans the gastrointestinal tract and starts metabolic processes). Green tea is good for those who want to lose weight (it speeds up metabolism, replenishes the body's needs for antioxidants and perfectly suppresses appetite).
  7. You can drink coffee, but only high-calorie coffee (latte or cappuccino) before lunch.

Misunderstandings about weight loss

  • Breakdown of sweets and starchy foods (they should not be completely excluded, but intake should be watched to avoid violating daily calorie intake standards).
  • Fried and smoked. You can perform this type of heat treatment on food if you fry it over an open flame without using oil and smoke it naturally for no more than 20 minutes (without using artificial smoke).
  • Prefer raw vegetables and fruits over cooked and baked foods, and try to eat a variety of green vegetables.
  • The dinner was sumptuous and the portions were large. When boiling or stewing meat or fish, be sure to add a serving of fresh vegetables (for example, 200 grams of boiled beef plus a fresh cucumber).
  • Drink alcohol regularly. It should be avoided as it is high in calories and can cause intense hunger pangs.
  • You should not drink water while eating. The same goes for tea or juice. Make a cup of tea only one hour before and half an hour after a meal.
  • Be careful with salt, seasonings and sauces. All of these can greatly stimulate appetite and may lead to irregular eating and overeating.
  • You shouldn't skip meals. Carry a bag of nuts, lemonade or a handful of raisins with you. This way you can curb your appetite and avoid overeating during delayed meals.

Sample menu of the week

first day

Breakfast: 200 grams of rice, 10 grams of butter, a banana or an apple, black coffee. Snacks: Dry gray bread, boiled eggs, tomatoes.Daily meal: 200 grams of steamed mackerel, cabbage, salad peas, 180 grams of sunflower oil.The second snack: 120 grams of low-fat cheese, one spoon of 10% sour cream, green apple, 200 ml of tea.Dinner: 220 grams of boiled vegetables, 140 grams of roast beef

the next day

Breakfast: Sandwich made of a slice of whole wheat bread, cream cheese and a plastic cucumber, 100 g of grapes, tea or coffee with honey.Snack: 50 g cottage cheese, add a teaspoon of honey.Daily meals: 200 grams of broth, fresh cabbage salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and lemon juice for seasoning.Second snack: a red apple and a kiwi, green or herbal tea.Dinner: 200 grams of lean beef, two fresh cucumbers.

The third day

Breakfast: Boiled oatmeal without milk - 210 g, a spoon of honey, avocado and unsweetened coffee.Snack: 60 grams of pine nuts or walnuts, green apple, tea, lemon slices.Daily meal: 150 grams of brown rice, equal amount of steamed vegetables.Second snack: cheese casserole, semolina, 150 g of banana, herbal tea.Dinner: 200 grams of peeled seafood, 2 cucumbers, and 1 tomato.

The fourth day

Breakfast: oatmeal with milk 200 g, fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries - 100 g.Snack: 100 grams of low-fat and sugar-free yogurt, a teaspoon of honey and freshly brewed black coffee.Daily meal: 250 grams of grilled low-fat fish, 130 grams of sauerkraut.Second snack: 200 grams of tomato and cucumber salad seasoned with low-fat sour cream.Dinner: 200 grams of skinless grilled chicken, sprinkled with 30 grams of Parmesan cheese, and two cucumbers.

fifth day

Breakfast: 200 grams of mashed potatoes, water, 30 grams of butter, a boiled egg, and a cucumber.Snack: green tea and two kiwis.Daily meals: 260 grams of mushroom barley soup, dry bread or crackers, 10 grams of cheese.Second snack: Homemade cheese casserole with raisins and yogurt 150 g.Dinner: 200g grilled cod, 100g seaweed.

The sixth day

Breakfast: Omelet with two beaten eggs, 150 ml of milk, freshly brewed black coffee.Snack: Grapefruit or grapefruit.Daily meals: 150 grams of baked potatoes, 100 grams of mushrooms, and 70 grams of grilled chicken.Second snack: 200 ml of kefir or low-fat yogurt, one green apple.Dinner: 150 grams of low-fat cheese, no sugar added, two apples baked in the oven.

seventh day

Breakfast: Millet porridge, 200 grams of water, 30 grams of butter, and a cup of unsweetened black tea.Second breakfast: kiwi and banana.Daily meals: steamed vegetable casserole + 20 g of cheese - 250 g, boiled chicken fillet - 100 g.The second snack: 200 grams of boiled shrimp, 200 ml of carrot or tomato juice.Dinner: 150g steamed fish fillet, 100g white rice, 1 tomato.

How to start eating right

The accelerated pace of life, the dazzling array of products on store shelves and in fast food chains, products imposed by advertising, easy to use, but useless and often harmful, make many people think about how to start eating right and incorporate this item into your daily schedule.In addition to understanding how to portion and balance your menu most effectively, it's also helpful to consider the psychological aspect and make sure you're taking the right approach to changing your eating habits. Whatever the purpose of the diet - the desire to lose weight or improve health, it is important to develop the right attitude towards the problem.Therefore you should not:
  • Expect to instantly improve your health and revolutionize your eating preferences and habits;
  • Focus on multiple complex tasks simultaneously;
  • Immediately give up all daily food;
  • to elevate the harmony of diet to an end in itself and to subordinate the whole way of life to it;
  • Focusing on thoughts about food can better direct the energy of your thoughts in another useful and important direction.

Why you need to eat right

Adherence to daily routine and diet, coupled with the absence of bad habits and adequate physical activity, are the main conditions for keeping the body in optimal condition. Too often, these simple truths are not remembered until health problems arise, depriving a person of the opportunity to enjoy the joys of daily life.For those who are already facing problems of low energy and stamina, being overweight, poor sleep quality, deterioration of skin and hair or any other problems of various diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyle, and for those who think ahead about preventive measures, make the move to HarmonyIt is crucial to make food decisions and act on them immediately.The foundation of a healthy lifestyle has always been and still is proper nutrition. Because the substances that enter the body with food are the main source of strength and raw materials for our body tissues.An essential start is preparing your meals for the day.

Choose rules for eating that day

Choose rules for eating that dayCreating a balanced menu is easy. Once you have decided to improve your health and correct your figure, you need to pay attention to the quality, quantity and timing of your food intake. Food should be fresh, varied and distributed correctly throughout the day.
  • It’s better to start eating smaller meals more frequently (not 3, but 4-6).
  • Don't eat too much before going to bed.
  • Include vegetables with every meal.
  • Drink more boiled water.
  • Reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates.
Your decision to stick to a healthy diet will pay off in improved health, overall health, weight loss, and increased immunity.Proper eating for the day should follow a pattern where the first meal is denser than all subsequent meals.For starters, it's important to understand the substances and their proportions that each body needs to function properly. The key to a balanced menu is the right combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as the presence of trace elements such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, various vitamins and iron.

Start your day with a delicious and healthy breakfast

The right breakfast for weight lossThe first thing that enters the body should be plain water, not cold water (if the acidity of the stomach allows, add natural fresh lemon juice). This will help activate the digestive system and prepare it for further function. It also helps to quickly remove waste from the body, lose weight and improve skin condition.You should drink a glass of water correctly - about thirty minutes before meals, drink slowly and in small sips.Contrary to popular belief, nutritionist advice for breakfast is to avoid sweets. This is because when one portion of glucose is received, the body will later need the next portion of glucose, at which point the sugar that arrived first will be processed by the digestive system.

How to choose a healthy lunch

According to nutritionists, one meal of the day should contain 25% to 50% of the total daily energy value of the diet.To make your lunch as healthy as possible, you should remember the following tips:
  • The meal starts with soup;
  • Drink hot drinks (except cold drinks);
  • The interval between lunch and the previous meal should be at least 2-3 hours;
  • It helps to balance a hearty lunch with a light dinner.
Under no circumstances should you neglect a hearty lunch.

What's the best thing to have for dinner?

A well-balanced evening meal contains a minimum of calories. Carbohydrates should be avoided. However, this meal should not be completely excluded from the diet - this can cause serious disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system.You can give priority to natural yoghurts, steamed poultry dishes, cheese casseroles and seafood.A good option is a protein omelet or a small portion of legumes - beans, lentils, chickpeas.The key to success is a combination of nutrient-dense and low-calorie foods.

How many calories and minerals should the body absorb?

The calories required by the body are calculated using a formula that includes data on the following parameters for a specific person:Particular attention should be paid to current physical condition, occupational stress, lifestyle and the goals that the person deciding to eat correctly has set for himself. If he is driven by a desire to lose weight, normal indicators will decrease by 20%; if he strives to gain muscle mass, normal indicators will increase by the same amount. The average standard recommends that women consume 1, 000 to 2, 000 calories a day and men 2, 500 to 5, 000 calories. However, accurate calculations must be made individually.

What foods should you avoid when developing a healthy diet?

Say no to harmful productsAdjusting your body to a new nutritional system takes time, like any habit. If you can't eliminate all junk food right away, you should do it gradually and eat something from your no-go list about once a week.This will help relieve stress and have fun. However, this weakening should be compensated by increasing the amount of vegetables, fruits and clean drinking water.Checklist to help limit harmful foods in your diet:
  • Baked goods, breads and wheat breads rich in yeast and containing additives (it is correct to give preference to yeast-free whole wheat and rye);
  • candy;
  • sausage products;
  • Mayonnaise and sauces based on it;
  • canned meat and fish;
  • bacon and bacon dishes;
  • yolk;
  • Foods high in animal fat;
  • Alcohol;
  • Fast food, semi-finished products;
  • Carbonated drinks, especially sweetened drinks, that contain dyes and flavorings.
It is especially important to understand the importance of freshness of products and prepared meals. Even healthy foods can be harmful if not prepared properly. Always prefer boiling and steaming to frying.

Example of correct menu of the day

Everyone's taste preferences are different. And, creating menus correctly has long been difficult. However, once you are on the path to corrective eating, you will gradually learn many recipes and new dishes, and you will be able to choose the ones that are best for you.A day’s worth of food might look like this:
  • For breakfast, porridge with buckwheat and eggs, natural cocoa as a drink, and a fresh apple or orange should be added;
  • Lunch - kimchi soup, steamed, boiled or grilled chicken without fat, preferably fish fillet, a piece of rye or rye bread, green tea with honey or lemon;
  • For an afternoon snack, you can have cottage cheese and fresh berries or fruit;
  • A good dinner should consist of some lean meat (uncooked) and vegetables.
For snacks, you can turn to vegetables and fruits; if you're extremely hungry, you can turn to nuts and seeds. We should not forget to drink plain water (about 2 liters) every day, which is necessary for health.

weekend

Some people believe that on the weekends they can allow themselves to deviate from their eating habits and eat unhealthy foods that are not part of their diet on other days. This view is wrong, as such an action may negate all the benefits of the previous menu. Of course, sometimes you can afford something less useful but in smaller quantities. You can eat heavy food on holidays, but not on weekends. A Saturday menu under proper nutrition might look like this:
  • Breakfast includes oatmeal and baked apples. You should use tea as a drink. It is important to understand that sugar should not be added to tea. If you want to sweeten your drink, honey is recommended.
  • 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 candied fruit.
  • As an afternoon snack, you can have yogurt and add nuts. You can choose dried fruits instead.
  • For dinner, a ham and vegetable stew is a good choice. The drink is tea.
On Sunday, you can enjoy a cheesy breakfast casserole. It should be flavored with honey. You can also drink tea and eat toast at the same time. For your second breakfast, you can choose between yogurt and biscuits. Lunch included borscht, buckwheat chicken steak and candied fruit. As usual, a great option for an afternoon snack is cottage cheese with dried fruits. For dinner, we recommend boiled veal and vegetable salad.

What to do if you don’t have enough time to cook

How to arrange nutrition reasonablyFor those who want to eat healthily, the key to success is consistency. Only long-term lifestyle changes can bring real benefits. The pace of life of modern office workers usually doesn’t leave them much time. Under no circumstances should you give up on your decision to become healthier or your desire to lose weight.The beginning of the journey is always the most difficult, and we often reach our desired goals without even starting due to limited time and energy, but there are professionals who are ready and willing to provide powerful help.If you don't have time to take care of food, you can order ready-made meals that are fresh and nutritionally balanced. It's easy to choose foods for yourself from the portions that fit your goals (weight loss, staying healthy after dieting, gaining muscle mass, etc. ). Provide a calendar and work week menu detailing the ingredients of the product and its nutritional content.At your request, we will provide healthy, fresh food for you to eat at work and at home. Comfortable service conditions will allow you to enjoy a variety of well-balanced dishes, many of which you may not prepare quickly, without wasting time and effort in the kitchen.Having the opportunity to use the services of a respected and competent expert will eliminate the need to study tons of videos, view pictures, and read articles to expand your cooking repertoire.There is no reason to put off starting your healthy eating plan. Do it today.