Eat healthy while enjoying the food? With simple tricks of dietitians, you will be able to prepare a light meal that will benefit your figure, and at the same time you will be thrilled by taste and unusualness.
Whether you are brought to a healthy diet by a reduction diet, a change in lifestyle or perhaps a metabolic illness (like diabetes), preparing healthy meals is as easy as cooking for regular diners.
Rating healthy does not mean that you have to buy less affordable food. Not all products are necessarily of organic quality, but they need to be of high quality and from honest raw materials. This is the only way you can be sure that you are really doing the best for your body. Preparing healthy recipes is not complicated, so let’s reveal the basic tricks and tips on how to do it.
The key to success is choosing the right food
According to dietitians, the main pillar of success is, above all, the appropriate combination of foods. The most important are minimally processed products in conjunction with such foods that contain enough protein.
Then there are fruits and vegetables, but also fiber. Last but not least, it is important to follow a drinking regime.
Dietitian and author of books on healthy eating such as Eat Clean Stay Lean: The Diet: Real Food for Real Weight Loss (2016), Wendy Bazilian states that the combination of the right foods affects the saturation and action of hormones in the body.
Thanks to a suitable combination of foods, you can feel fuller for a longer period of time.
In addition, the release of sugar into the bloodstream is slower, which helps to manage the appetite for “small snacks” between meals.
A healthy lifestyle does not require any special dietary supplements, you will suffice with commonly sold foods, you just need to know which ones they are.
A regular balanced diet will not only help you maintain weight, but also regulate blood sugar fluctuations and generally feel better.
Preparing food does not have to be complicated
If the idea of ​​preparing a healthy meal seems a little scary, believe me, you are not alone.
Preparing a good meal does not have to be complicated at all. Initially, you will probably need to learn what foods are appropriate and which ones to stop buying.
Some products look healthy, but in reality they are full of artificial colors and sweeteners.
For example, labeled a product “without added sugar” does not always mean that it is a healthy product.
Such a product is usually sweetened with artificial sweeteners, which are also not exactly suitable for the body. For example, pregnant women should not eat them at all.
The vision of complexity and high prices is one of the main factors why people prefer processed foods to healthy ones.
Why plan your meal?
The principles of cooking vary depending on what you are focusing on, says Kelly Jones.
Sometimes you need to add some nutrients to your diet to improve digestion, or you may need to eat more fruits and vegetables instead of unhealthy carbohydrates. And it is in these cases that it helps you monitor what you eat.
You will learn to orient yourself better in food and it will be easier for you to achieve your goals.
Jones adds that the problem may not be that you do not eat often enough during the day.
Having a small snack not only satisfies you, but it is also a way to take a break during a hard day.
Food planning will relieve you of the pressure to come up with and change recipes quickly.
Preparing meals in advance will alleviate the stress of not having lunch for work tomorrow, so you can’t have a drink with your friends.
Foods suitable for preparing light meals
Some foods stay in the fridge for several days, others soon spoil. Jones recommends thinking ahead to how long you will eat what you cook. For example, fish last about two days, while chicken or beef lasts four days. Plant products such as tofu are best.
Choose smaller pieces of vegetables in the store: you will consume them all at once and you will not have leftovers left in the fridge. Smaller vegetables stay fresh longer and retain all the vitamins.
Wondering which foods are good for preparing healthy, nutrient-rich foods? We have prepared a list for you.
- vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, cabbage, cabbage, carrots
From all these ingredients you will create delicious soups and side dishes. You can combine vegetables and make them a vegetable side dish to meat, as well as stew them.
Be careful not to use too much flour to thicken.
- legumes – lentils, beans, peas, soy, chickpeas
Legumes are rich in protein and are often used as a meat substitute. However, they do not contain amino acids, so eat meat.
You can prepare soups and spreads from legumes and they can also be used as side dishes.
- mushrooms
They drain fat perfectly, so they are often part of reduction diets. You can prepare light meals and soups from the mushrooms. Suitable as a base for meat.
- fish – salmon, cod, zander and others
Fish should be eaten at least twice a week. They contain many healthy fats and vitamins that support the proper functioning of the body.
You can prepare them on the grill, baked or fried. In the third case, wrap the fish yourself in quality breadcrumbs (for example, panko) and do not buy ready-made semi-finished products.
- dairy products – milk, yogurt, kefir, buttermilk and more
These products are rich in calcium, which is the cornerstone of bone.
They also contribute significantly to digestion, especially those products that are sour or contain bifido cultures.
- meat – poultry, beef, game, rabbit
Chicken meat contains a lot of protein, as does beef. Pork is the fattest, so treat yourself only occasionally.
- pasta – wholemeal, graham, semolina, couscous
Pasta is available in every store, but if you notice, you will certainly find wholegrain on the shelf. They contain less carbohydrates and contain more fiber, magnesium and zinc.
Baked pasta with olive oil, mozzarella and tomatoes is a simple lunch to prepare in no time. Pasta salads are also suitable, which you can eat cold. Pieces of chicken as well as fish or eggs are suitable for them.
- rice – paddy, basmati, brown, wild and more
Rice is a side dish suitable for both dieting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. More suitable than white, they are wild or paddy rice. They contain a large amount of nutrients that are stored in the skin.
You can prepare vegetable and meat risotto from rice, it can be used as a side dish to meats and light sauces or prepared sweetly with fruit.
- oatmeal
They are a perfect source of nutrients, they are healthy and easily digestible. They contain a lot of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. In addition, they help keep blood sugar normal. It is especially suitable for breakfast, where you can make porridge from them.
Use chicory syrup or stevia to sweeten it, taste the porridge with fresh or frozen fruit or unsweetened cocoa.
What does a balanced healthy meal look like?
It’s up to you how many times a day you eat, but know that eating only two or three times a day and otherwise starving is not good.
If you choose suitable snacks, you can eat even 6 times a day. After all, this is exactly what diabetics must eat, whose diet must be balanced and free of excess carbohydrates.
Each meal should contain sufficient nutrients.
The basis is protein (meat, quality ham, eggs, fish, yogurt), which can then be supplemented with side dishes (wholemeal or rye bread, wholemeal pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.).
The meal should include vegetables, whether raw or cooked. You can even eat as many vegetables as you want, so if you’re hungry between meals, reach for crispy carrots or cucumbers.
It is also advisable to include fruit in the diet, but it is usually recommended to eat it no more than twice a day. It contains sugars that could confuse glycaemia.
Therefore, choose ones that contain few (avocados, tangerines, apples, strawberries, etc.). Watch out for lots of sweet fruits such as banana, mango or grape.
Don’t limit yourself and eat to your heart’s content
Eat regularly and do not starve. Prepare portions that you can eat and do not regret that you “ate too much”. If you cook food from healthy ingredients that do not contain too much fat or sugar and are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein, you do not have to limit yourself.
You should avoid fast food, pastry shops and creamy meals. Of course, you can sin sometimes, but make sure most of your diet is balanced, varied, and healthy.
