Planning healthy meals. Basic principles of proper nutrition

“A man is what he eats.” The ancient sages, as always, turned out to be right, and we can be convinced of their rightness by looking at ourselves in the mirror and leafing through volumes of our medical histories... Today it is fashionable to scold the poor ecology, stress and the frantic pace of life, blaming them for our poor health, but the truth sooner or later it opens up to everyone - as long as we, without thinking, throw whatever we can into ourselves, we can’t even dream of good health.

There is one principle that helps to smoothly switch to a healthy diet: everything that is not harmful is healthy. It is known that the products we consume are conventionally divided into useful and harmful. What are the so-called harmful products? Unfortunately, the average person cannot imagine their menu without many of them. But if you really decide to eat healthy foods, give them up. We are talking about semi-finished products, canned food, spicy and fatty foods, soda, sweets with artificial confectionery fats and products with an abundance of preservatives, chemical dyes and flavors. Separately, I would like to say about fast foods and instant food. They should not be used under any circumstances! Even if you simply exclude this “set” from your diet, your body will feel a huge relief. Now you will steam, stew and bake using a steamer, oven or multicooker. The maximum task is to get all the most useful things from any product. This doesn’t mean that you will forever have to give up your favorite crispy-skinned chicken or fried potatoes, it’s just that these dishes will appear in your diet much less frequently.

Now about healthy products. Scientists have long proposed a universal food pyramid, which indicates what and in what proportions you need to eat in order to live a long, healthy and happy life. First of all, it is worth saturating your diet with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which will not only enrich the menu with fiber and healthy carbohydrates, but also provide the necessary amount of vitamins, minerals and microelements. In summer it can be all fresh vegetables: cucumber, zucchini, cauliflower, eggplant, bell pepper, etc. In winter - radish, beets, carrots, sauerkraut and other vegetables and fruits prepared with simple, “folk” means (fermentation , soaking, salting and canning in its natural form without salt and sugar). Consuming salted and pickled vegetables should be done in moderation. By the way, there should also be a limit on sugar. You can use frozen vegetables and fruits. Our site has repeatedly talked about how you can freeze the gifts of summer with minimal loss of benefits and maximum preservation of taste and aroma.

Your diet must contain protein foods: lean meat, cottage cheese, eggs, fish or vegetable proteins (legumes, soy, wheat, nuts). The healthiest meats are considered to be lean pork, veal and chicken (especially breast). This does not mean that you need to completely abandon the use of, say, offal, which has its own beneficial properties for the human body, just that a certain balance must be maintained between lean meat and meat products with a high amount of fat. As for fish, you can eat a lot of it and any fish, because even fatty sea fish will not harm your figure, but on the contrary, it will enrich the body with healthy Omega-3 acids. When choosing eggs, give preference to quail eggs - they are healthier and safer than chicken eggs. Normally, the average adult needs 1 chicken or 3-4 quail eggs per day.

You can and should use vegetable oil; it will not affect your figure. It makes sense to try other types of vegetable oils, besides the usual sunflower, both exotic and traditional, the main thing is that these oils are prepared by cold pressing and are not subjected to refining and deodorization. Of course, at first the aroma of the same sunflower oil will be unusual and even heavy. By the way, sunflower oil is far from first place in terms of benefits. Olive, cedar, and mustard oils are much lighter and richer in composition. The choice is huge now, you just have to be interested. Various vegetable oils make it possible to play with flavors when preparing the same fresh salads. Vegetable oils in interaction with fresh vegetables and fruits have the effect of maximizing metabolism acceleration.

Dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir and milk) will help compensate for the lack of vitamin D and calcium. By the way, this does not mean at all that you need to choose only completely low-fat dairy products when creating your daily menu. Animal fat, like vegetable fat, is vital. It is a natural source and accumulator of energy, and is also required for the production of cholesterol (a substance that we are all accustomed to fear, but without which the normal functioning of our body is impossible). Therefore, your diet should include butter, sour cream, and milk with normal fat content - the main thing is not to exceed the limits of reason. But let's get back to calcium. Milk and dairy products, traditionally considered the main and main suppliers of this mineral to the body, are not able to provide it with calcium in the amount that is really necessary. But sesame seeds, poppy seeds and almonds cope with this A+ task. If you want your child to receive enough calcium every day, or you yourself belong to a risk group (for example, women over 35 years old), nut milk should be on your table much more often than cow's milk. It’s easy to prepare, and if you add honey to this milk or use it in the form of a smoothie or healthy cocktails, then the healthy stuff becomes tasty too!

Cooking food, as well as eating it, should be a joy. And these are not the problems of ancient philosophies, but the rule of a good mood. Healthy eating every day involves a responsible approach to food. Let's say you adhere to the classic scheme: breakfast, afternoon snack, lunch, dinner and second dinner. And if intermediate snacks can easily replace tea and fruit, for the main three meals you will have to do some magic.

Since childhood, we have been told that breakfast is the main meal of the day. We have learned this truth throughout our lives. It is breakfast that gives a boost of energy for the whole day and the impetus for great things. The fact is that people who have a hearty breakfast and a good lunch, in the evening, as a rule, do not overeat before going to bed, but are more inclined to eat light foods. You've probably already noticed that after fasting all day, by the evening you really want to eat and it's almost impossible to resist. The energy received from breakfast and lunch is spent during the day, and after a heavy dinner it will definitely remain in the form of adipose tissue, because at night you will not waste energy. By keeping this in mind and properly distributing food throughout the day, you will not only gradually lose weight, but you will also be alert and energetic throughout the day. An excellent morning option is oatmeal with berries and honey, corn flakes, buckwheat; once or twice a week you can indulge in a light omelet with vegetables. For drinks, fresh juices, green tea or high-quality still mineral water are perfect.

Lunch gives even more room for creativity. You can boil or bake poultry, fish, lean meat, prepare vegetable soup or puree soup, sauerkraut cabbage soup, nutritious broth. If you cannot give up bread, give preference to products made from wholemeal flour, whole grain bread or baked goods with bran. A fresh vegetable salad will be a useful vitamin addition to your healthy diet for weight loss. The good habit of preparing salad every day is simply bound to take root in your home! When choosing meat, keep in mind that the sirloin contains the least amount of fat and bones. Ground beef is one of the lowest in fat. If you find it too dry, try adding minced chicken to it - your cutlets will become much more tender. If you cannot completely eliminate salt from your diet, add moderate amounts to your food. Don't push yourself to extremes: sometimes you can add a little salt or seasoning to your favorite dish. Everything should just be in moderation.

For dinner, you can cook a vegetable stew, bake a bird, prepare buckwheat porridge or unsweetened pancakes. If you are too lazy to cook, you can dine on biscuits with kefir. Or pour homemade muesli or granola with natural yogurt or milk - this is an excellent light dinner and a very tasty treat. True, for men it is still better to cook something more substantial, say, fish casserole or pilaf. An oven and a slow cooker will be excellent helpers for this. Very soon you will understand that proper nutrition is the easiest path to health and beauty.

If possible, try to follow a diet. This can be achieved with proper planning of the day. To avoid force majeure, try to think ahead about everything you prepare. On our website you can get acquainted with materials on menu planning, this is great for organizing and frees up a lot of time. You may now have to spend a little more money on groceries, but previously you spent it on making your health worse. A compelling argument for spending a little money, isn't it?

And one more recommendation. Drink enough water throughout the day, about 1.5-2 liters. Pure water is a vital product for the human body. Experts advise starting your day not with exercise, but with a glass of hot water. Drinking on an empty stomach, it washes and warms the intestines, starting its work. To properly start the process, you need to know that you need to drink hot water (in moderation, of course: you shouldn’t pour boiling water into yourself) and as soon as possible after waking up. You can, of course, drink it cold. Only you should know that after drinking cold water you can start breakfast 20 minutes later, and after drinking hot water - after 40. Limiting fluid will not lead to weight loss, everything happens just the opposite. A strict drinking regime can only lead to a slowdown in metabolism and the appearance of edema. So drink water. It is better to do this half an hour before meals, then, firstly, you will know for sure whether you are hungry (after half an hour a feeling of hunger usually appears), and secondly, the stomach will be ready to eat food, all food will be well digested and absorbed, and the metabolism will be very fast. As for other drinks, it is important to know the following. The consumption of coffee and black tea should either be eliminated altogether or reduced to the norm of “1 day - 1 cup”. Freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices significantly diversify your diet and provide vitamins, because they do not contribute to the formation of fat deposits. It is better to blend fruit juices with vegetable juices, since in their “pure” form they raise blood sugar levels. The only exceptions are grapefruit, lime and lemon juices. And, of course, forget about Coca-Cola, sweet sodas and similar drinks. They cannot give anything useful to your body.

Don't eat what you don't want. Eating healthy every day for good health and well-being should eventually become the norm, and the process should be enjoyable. Experiment, come up with a new dish, find new food combinations. Make your menu so that it is varied. And remember the main principle of healthy eating - eat only when you feel hungry. Many people are so accustomed to constantly chewing something that they can no longer distinguish a real feeling of hunger from ordinary psychological dependence. This will be the most difficult thing, but even if you have a snack, it’s better to do it not with candy or crackers, but with an apple or other fruit. Start changing your life gradually, because few people manage to dramatically change their habits. The main thing is to take the first step and don’t stop, and at some point you will understand that healthy eating every day is the only correct method, and you like it.

Nutrition culture is also very important. Whatever dish graces your table, remember to eat slowly. Eat slowly, chewing food thoroughly, often, but in small portions. Don't force your body to stock up in case of a hunger strike. Let him be calm and know that he will soon receive another portion of energy. The food consumed must be fresh. It is necessary to prepare dishes in such quantities that they are eaten immediately. Reheated yesterday's cabbage rolls will not bring you any benefit; on the contrary, it has been proven that stale dishes clog the body with toxins.

And the last, but most important rule: to maintain health, focus not on the quantity, but on the quality of the food you consume. Don’t forget that you need to eat in order to live, and not the other way around!

Eat varied and healthy and be healthy!

Larisa Shuftaykina

Good afternoon, dear site visitors. Probably, each of us understands that proper nutrition is an important foundation for acquiring a healthy body, but unfortunately, not everyone pays due attention to this.

And in this article I want to convey to you in detail that in fact, a balanced diet is not only healthy, as most people believe - this is the only advantage, but also tasty.

Properly selected dish recipes and product combinations will allow you to choose a delicious and healthy menu for yourself for a week or a month. From this article, you will understand which foods and dishes should be excluded from your diet in order to improve your body's health.

You will also receive practical advice from experts on proper nutrition for losing weight or growing muscles.

It has been actively promoted in society in recent years. And it’s not surprising, because, unfortunately, more and more people need to adjust their weight, improve their health and cleanse their body. This article will tell you what the principles of proper nutrition are, what you should adhere to, what to limit, and what to completely avoid.

1. What is proper nutrition and how to eat properly

To stick proper nutrition, follow all the recommendations and be able to develop a menu for yourself, decide on a list of products, you must first determine what proper nutrition is.

– this is one of the main components of a healthy lifestyle, which ensures normal development, growth and vital activity of a person, helps strengthen the body and prevent various diseases.

It is immediately worth noting that it is not some kind of debilitating diet, strict restriction or temporary measure. As a rule, people who take this path do not leave it, but adhere to the recommendations for proper balanced nutrition in the future.

And this is quite understandable, because it is aimed at long-term correction of one’s diet; a person simply manages to become familiar with his newly acquired habits, and no longer gives them up. In addition, if you abandon this system, all the pleasant “bonuses” of its use will disappear: loss of excess weight, good mood, lightness, vigor in the body, improvement in the condition of the body.

A healthy diet includes the following:

• Proper nutrition does not allow starvation; it always involves the opportunity to have a full and tasty snack, choosing what you like best.
• A rational nutrition system always and everywhere allows you to find something to fill up on, preventing awkward situations (for example, at a party).
• The basics of proper nutrition imply freedom of choice and the absence of strict categorical prohibitions.

2. Principles of proper nutrition - 7 ways to improve health

To master proper nutrition regimen You don’t need to use complex calorie calculation formulas, but just follow some recommendations and stick to the established plan.

To understand how to eat properly, it is worth considering the following principles:

It is worth noting that no need to suddenly change your diet, this usually returns to the previous mode after some time. Rational nutrition will become normal if you introduce all the changes gradually without experiencing internal opposition to the new rules.

3. List of products for proper nutrition

This list will help you figure out how to eat properly:

All of the above products belong to the group of easily digestible foods. But there is also a category of difficult-to-digest foods that also need to be included, but in moderation, in the menu. These are: chocolate, strong coffee and tea, seasonings/spices, salt and sugar.

4. Proper diet + menu for the week

Following the diet proper nutrition, you need to develop a menu adhering to the following principles:

1. Fruits don't go well with anything, but are a separate meal. Due to its rapid digestibility, such a snack is allowed even 1 hour before lunch/dinner.
2. Different proteins don't mix(eg fish and milk).
3. Protein foods do not go well with carbohydrates(potatoes or grains are not suitable for meat, eggs, cheese, nuts). But this does not mean that you need to completely abandon the combination of, for example, meat and potatoes (I am sure that for many this will be almost impossible). You can simply eat meat with boiled or baked potatoes instead of fried potatoes.
4. Cabbage is a great addition to fats(it inhibits the effect of fats, leading to a slowdown in the secretion of gastric juice).
5. High carbohydrate foods(beans, potatoes, bread) do not go well with sour foods.
6. Proteins and fats are not compatible(like butter and cheese, eggs and sour cream).
7. Starch consumption per meal should be moderate(so, you shouldn’t eat potatoes or porridge with bread).
8. Consumption of whole milk should be kept to a minimum.
9. Green vegetables stimulate the body, so this is a wonderful base for any dish.
10. Large amounts of oil or acid inhibit protein absorption.

The following will tell you how to eat right: menu for the week:

Proper nutrition for pregnant and nursing mothers

The diet of proper nutrition for an expectant and nursing mother should not be distinguished by a quantitative increase, but by high-quality products and harmless methods of preparation. It must be varied so that the baby receives all the necessary elements in the womb, and the mother’s body is not depleted due to the fact that all valuable substances are lost with milk.

Below I suggest you take a closer look at the video: How to eat properly during pregnancy.

Balancing nutrition for women who have already given birth can be a little more difficult due to colic in the tummy and allergies in the baby, as well as the desire to return to the woman’s previous shape.

Proper nutrition for children

Due to the constant growth of the child, meals must include sufficient amounts of protein. The high mobility of babies makes the metabolism in the body very fast, which is why children cannot survive for long without food. Therefore, snacks are an essential part of their diet.

From a very early age, it is worth teaching your child to consume little salt, and to prefer natural sweets to confectionery sweets - they are sweet, tasty, and also incredibly healthy. It is also worth instilling in your child the correct drinking regime.

Proper nutrition for weight loss

A balanced diet is certainly an assistant, but the process of weight loss can only be ensured by reducing the number of calories consumed relative to those expended. Refusal of alcohol and simple carbohydrates (cakes - ice cream), split meals, reduction of portions, physical activity should also take place.

For muscle growth, the menu itself should consist of half protein, 30% and 20% carbohydrates and fats, respectively. It is better to eat carbohydrates after strength training (unlike, muscle building requires reinforcement after physical activity) and in the morning.

You should drink more water than usual - about 3-4 liters. You should not feel hungry at all, so even at night you need to eat 200g of cottage cheese.

6. What foods should you avoid?

To know how to eat properly, you must definitely give up foods from the prohibited list. Such food does not bring any benefit, but causes significant harm: deterioration in physical condition (and mentally, after such food there is nothing to do, but you just want to lie down to sleep), the development of serious diseases (diabetes, stomach ulcers, heart attack, etc.) , weight gain, loss of attractiveness of skin, hair, nails.

In a word, such products are enemies of the body, which you need to part with without hesitation.

Harmful products include:

• store-bought sauces (ketchups, mayonnaise, etc.);
• refined sugar, butter, coffee, cocoa;
• saltiness, smoked foods, fried foods, preservatives;
• instant food products, finished meat products (sausages, etc.);
• white flour products;
• alcohol.

Conclusion

At first glance, proper nutrition seems like an incomprehensible science, but with the right attitude and a gradual transition to a healthy diet, all the rules are learned and quickly become a habit. Therefore, be patient, understand the science of a healthy lifestyle, stay healthy and beautiful!

And in conclusion, I would like to provide you with the video “Recipes for Proper Nutrition” for viewing. Enjoy your viewing!

What is healthy eating?

If there are healthy food products, then, first of all, these are apples.

They are low in calories, high in vitamins and iron. But try eating only apples for two weeks: you will experience a sharp weight loss, loss of immunity, the first symptoms of anemia and other signs of protein-calorie deficiency.

If there are unhealthy foods, then, first of all, it is butter. It's "all fat." However, a “web” of butter spread on a piece of fresh rye bread is not only a mind-blowing taste, but also 20-25 kilocalories, that is, about 1 percent of an adult’s energy requirement and quite noticeable amounts of vitamin A.

There are many such examples. The fact is that Each product is unique in its chemical composition, and among the products there is no one that could fully satisfy the needs of an adult for all the nutritional and biologically active substances necessary to ensure health. Only combination of different products is capable of solving this problem.

Let's talk about exactly how the foundations of a healthy diet should be formed.

If vitamins do not enter our body, diseases called vitamin deficiencies develop.

The first law of healthy eating

The correspondence between the calorie content of food that a person consumes and the energy that his body expends.

Human energy is spent on maintaining body temperature, performing all physiological functions and biochemical processes, performing mechanical work by muscles, as well as on digesting and assimilation of food. The human body gets calories from macronutrients, the name of this word comes from the words “macro” - large long and “nutrition” - nutrition. These are the substances that a person should consume a lot with food, that is, tens and hundreds of grams. On our website there is the most accurate table of calorie content of foods, which was prepared with the support of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Let's talk in more detail about each type of macronutrient.

FATS. Energy value fat more than twice the energy value of proteins or carbohydrates. This means that foods containing fat are the most high in calories. However don't give them up at all, because fats are also a building material for the synthesis of substances that serve as building materials for cell membranes and other structures of the body.

Calorie content of 1 gram of nutrients

Protein – 4 kcal

Fat - 9 kcal

Carbohydrates - 4 kcal

Fatty acids are involved in the synthesis of compounds that regulate immunity mechanisms, allergies and other processes.

Because of their special chemical structure, animal fats are called saturated, and vegetable - unsaturated. They have different physical properties and physiological and biochemical effects. High consumption of saturated fatty acids leads to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so their intake should be limited. Another thing is vegetable fats.

Among them, doctors especially highlight the so-called polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6. Their consumption helps prevent cardiovascular diseases and has a beneficial effect on the condition of all body tissues. Your need for these healthy fats can be met by 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil per day and at least three servings of fish per week.

PROTEINS are the most important components of food. In the human body, proteins are broken down into amino acids, from which the body itself synthesizes the thousands of proteins it needs with diverse functions. All the great variety proteins are actually different combinations of 20 amino acids. Some amino acids can be converted into one another, and only 9 are essential for an adult and 10 for a child, that is, they are simply not synthesized by the body.

These amino acids must be supplied day after day throughout our lives as part of the proteins we consume. It doesn’t matter from what products the proteins will be obtained: meat or potatoes, milk or peas, fish or bread or other products - the main thing is that your body receives all the essential and essential amino acids in sufficient quantities.

The most protein is found in products of animal origin: meat, fish, dairy products, poultry, eggs. In significant quantities, complete protein is present in legumes, that is, in peas, beans, lentils and soybeans, as well as in nuts and seeds.

Proteins are the most important components of food.

CARBOHYDRATES. Function carbohydrates in the human body, mainly comes down to supplying it with energy. They are widely present in plant foods in the form of complex carbohydrates such as starch and simple sugars such as glucose and fructose. Fruits and vegetables contain both simple sugars and starch. All grain products: flour, cereals and pasta contain mainly starch.

Of course, refined sugar, as well as sugar-containing confectionery, are sources exclusively of simple carbohydrates. It has received the definition of “added sugar” because it is added to various foods and drinks. Consumption of significant amounts of added sugar leads to the development of diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, and cardiovascular diseases.

Therefore, if you strive for health, then the amount of sweets in your diet should be limited, and if possible, exclude it altogether.

CELLULOSE. Complex carbohydrates include: polysaccharides, like cellulose, which are not absorbed by the body. Such substances are called dietary fiber, one of their representatives is cellulose. Dietary fiber is practically not digested. However, they significantly affect the processes: digestion, assimilation and evacuation of food, and are also important for maintaining intestinal microflora.

Dietary fiber is found in large quantities in vegetables and fruits, unrefined grains such as rolled oats, and bran.

The second law of healthy eating

The chemical composition of a person’s daily diet must correspond to his physiological needs for nutritional and biologically active substances.

Vitamins and minerals are often called micronutrients, because the daily amounts required by the body are quite small and are most often measured in milligrams and even fractions of a milligram. The human body cannot produce these substances on its own and store them for future use for any long period of time. For normal functioning, the human body requires several hundred different micronutrients- these are vitamins and minerals, as well as many biologically active substances from other groups. Micronutrients are found in a wide variety of foods, and different ones in different foods. Therefore, for the normal functioning of your body, include in your diet fruits and vegetables, and always grain products, and other products of plant origin, and meat, and dairy products.

Making your own menu

Let's move on to planning your meals

We hope that we have convinced you of the need to have a variety of products on your table. Now let's try to figure out how to eat properly - how often and in what quantities should one or another product or dish be included in the daily diet.

Main food groups and recommended amounts for their consumption:

Product group	Essential Nutrients	Recommendations
Bread, cereals and potatoes	Simple and complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber, B vitamins	Consume every day, preferably at every meal, give preference to products made from unrefined grains or containing bran.
Vegetables and fruits	Simple and complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids, folic acid, many biologically active substances	Use in any form 5 or more times a day. Eat at least 400 grams of raw or cooked vegetables and fruits daily.
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs and legumes	One of the main sources of protein, an easily digestible form of iron, vitamin B12	Include in your daily diet in the amount of 120-150 g in prepared form in 1-3 meals. Try to reduce the number of eggs to 3-5 per week. Don't forget about legumes - they are a healthy and affordable source of protein.
Dairy	The only significant source of calcium, contains protein, B vitamins, vitamin D	Consume up to 500 ml of milk, 50-100 grams of cottage cheese and cheese per day. Choose low-fat dairy options.
Fats	Vegetable oils and fish oil are sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E.	Polyunsaturated fatty acids provide prevention of cardiovascular diseases. 1-2 tablespoons are needed for dressing vegetable salads. Try to reduce the amount of fat you use in cooking. Reduce the use of animal fats to a minimum.
Sugar and confectionery	Simple carbohydrates, saturated fats	Contribute to the development of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and other diseases! Consume them in limited quantities and only if all the other foods listed above are present in your diet. Reduce your daily sugar intake to 50 grams.

Check yourself!

Body mass index
Your own weight will help you understand whether you are following the first law of healthy eating. Calculate your body mass index and compare it with the numbers below.
BMI less than 18.5 is underweight. Increase your nutrition.
BMI ranging from 18.5 to 25 - Your weight is normal. You are consuming enough calories.
BMI from 25 to 30 is overweight. Urgently reduce portions and increase physical activity.
BMI over 30 is obese. Consult your doctor and immediately change your diet and take up a suitable sport for you.

Easy test
Form a fold of skin over the sternum with your fingers. If the skin fold exceeds the thickness of a finger or 2 cm, then this indicates excess weight, and you need to reduce the number and size of portions to a minimum value. And if the fold is less than 1 cm, then this is a signal of lack of weight.

Are you taking enough vitamins and minerals?

Checking to what extent the second law of nutrition science is fulfilled in your diet is much more difficult. There are special medical tests that your doctor can prescribe for you if you have health problems and suspect a deficiency of any micronutrient.

However, if you follow the recommendations of nutritionists regarding the preparation of your diet, and it contains products from all groups in sufficient quantities, including fish, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, then you satisfy most of your body’s needs. To prevent vitamin deficiency, use fortified foods (bread, milk).

But still, vitamins and minerals for a balanced diet may not be enough, especially if a person’s physical activity is very low, and not a very large amount of food is required to provide the body with energy. But, if physical activity is very high, then a person needs additional microelements and vitamins.

Consult your doctor and describe your diet to him. Perhaps he will advise you to regularly use vitamin-mineral complexes or individual medications.

Information provided by the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Edited by Prof., Dr. med. Sciences A.K. Baturina. Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, 2009

The materials were created specifically for health centers. about health centers and their work in your region.

To start eating healthy food you don't need anything other than desire. There is an opinion among people that you can only eat healthy food with expensive products. It's a big mistake to think like that. You don't have to be an oligarch to switch to healthy and nutritious food. You just need to follow some rules.

Are we what we eat?

Actually, yes. The more a person consumes fatty, carbohydrate and sweet foods, the more he provokes his body to develop diseases. Everything that is tasty, but so harmful, except for momentary pleasure, will bring with it diabetes mellitus or atherosclerosis. With an excess of harmful substances, your health, appearance deteriorate and, of course, weight problems appear.

How to switch to healthy food and live happily ever after? You just need to follow the principles of healthy eating.

Principles of proper nutrition

If you adhere to them, the transition from a regular diet to a healthy one will be as painless and quick as possible. We will consider each of the principles separately.

Frequent meals

Experts have long advised switching to fractional meals. This style of eating does not harm the stomach, because in rare meals the portion is very large. Six meals a day will ensure a constant feeling of fullness and lightness.

Late dinner

No matter how healthy the food is, you don’t need to eat heavily first and then go to bed. The best option would be to have dinner no later than three hours before bedtime. This way the body will already digest the food and feel light.

Time period

The period from breakfast to dinner should not exceed twelve hours. But the most dense ones should be only three meals. These include breakfast, dinner and lunch. Snacks should not be very nutritious, because then more important meals will have to be reduced or eliminated altogether.

Food

Healthy foods include fruits and vegetables; they should make up at least forty percent of your total daily food. They bring only benefits to the body thanks to the vitamins and minerals contained in them. Fiber also helps digestion.

Cereals are also necessary in the diet of any person. After all, these are unique filters that cleanse the body.

Nuts and seeds can provide your daily intake of potassium and dietary fiber.

Milk and dairy products are mentioned in many books about tasty and healthy food. They have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

Meat and fish products are the best carriers of protein. The latter is necessary for building muscles and cells of the human body. Those who do not eat meat can turn their attention to legumes, as well as peas, broccoli, and mushrooms.

Drink

You need to drink at least two liters of pure still water per day. All this is necessary in order to maintain a normal water-salt balance. It must be remembered that tea, coffee, mineral water and other drinks are not equal to water and you should not try to reach your daily requirement with them.

Calorage

When a person switches to proper nutrition, his daily caloric intake automatically decreases. This is because there are fewer cholesterol and carbohydrate foods in the diet, and more healthy ones. Accordingly, the caloric content of a healthy diet should not exceed two thousand calories per day.

Restrictions

Even small children know that fast food, soda, snacks, smoked foods, deep-fried foods, canned goods, baked goods and white bread cannot be called healthy food for every day. It is best to replace all the treats with healthier foods. For example, soda can be successfully replaced with fruit drink or compote, and white bread with whole grain or rye.

We’ve sorted out the principles, now let’s figure out what healthy food is.

Food pyramid

At the very top of the pyramid are foods that should be consumed to a minimum. There are sweets, fast carbohydrates, cholesterol products and so on.

Following them are dairy products and cheeses. Yes, these products are useful, but they should not be abused.

In the middle are unprocessed cereals, foods with a low glycemic index, animal proteins, and vegetable fats. Vegetables and fruits that contain fiber are also in the middle.

At the base of the pyramid are the same vegetables, fruits, clean water and physical activity.

Healthy eating

There are many books about delicious and healthy food, but in order to eat healthy, you don’t have to follow only them. You need to use your imagination and experiment.

The most effective way to switch to proper nutrition is considered to be thinking through the menu. To avoid the temptation to eat something that is bad, you need to plan all your meals in advance.

Breakfast options

Breakfast should be hearty so that the energy charge lasts for a long time and you don’t feel hungry after an hour. The ideal option would be porridge with fruits or nuts and honey. When you are tired of porridge and want something new, you can cook oatmeal pancakes. This is one healthy food recipe that turns out different every time. You can put anything inside, from broccoli to banana and cottage cheese. Omelette with filling or cottage cheese with toppings in the form of jam, honey, condensed milk should not be forgotten, they are perfectly filling.

What to cook for lunch?

It is best to choose foods that contain a lot of dietary fiber. The latter have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to dietary fiber, you need to eat protein at lunch. A great option would be a piece of meat or fish with vegetables and cereal on the side. Vegetable casserole with meat will also perfectly fill you up and give you a boost of energy.

Last meal

Most healthy dinner recipes offer very low-calorie options, and that's not entirely true. If dinner is too light, you may feel the urge to eat later. Therefore, the last meal should be of medium density, but consist mainly of proteins. Natural yogurt, cottage cheese or omelet will best satisfy the body's need for protein.

It is important to remember that it is still better to limit simple carbohydrates in the evening, as consuming them later can lead to weight gain.

Snacks

Surely no one at work eats healthy food during snack time. They usually eat according to the principle of “what’s easier to buy and faster to eat.” And this is fundamentally wrong. Preparing healthy food doesn't take much time and you can take it with you to work. You can make healthy sandwiches with whole grain bread and chicken and salad. Or you can make cheesecakes or salty muffins. There are a lot of options, you just need to not be afraid to experiment.

To make it easier to understand what is useful and what is not, let’s study the list.

The healthiest foods

Food prepared from these ingredients will provide the most benefits.

1. First up is the carrot. It has antioxidant properties and improves blood composition.
2. Cabbage. Of all the types, the most useful are broccoli and cabbage. It contains a lot of not only minerals and vitamins, but also fiber. Both types of cabbage help the body remove cholesterol, prevent the development of cancer, and strengthen the immune system. The vegetable is great for people who want to lose weight.
3. Onion and garlic. They contain a huge amount of phytoncides that increase immunity. Those who consume these vegetables are protected from all bacteria and viruses.
4. Tomatoes. Another strong antioxidant, which, moreover, has a positive effect on vision.
5. Apples. Apples contain a lot of pectin, fiber, and iron. They help remove bad cholesterol and toxins. In addition, apples are great for helping you lose weight and stimulating your intestines.
6. Banana. Fruits are rich in potassium, fructose and carbohydrates. They saturate well and do not cause allergies.
7. Avocado. A very healthy product, rich in fats, vitamins and microelements. Eating avocados prolongs youth and prevents cancer.
8. Berries. Many properties are the same as fruits, but this does not mean that they are not healthy. If you eat a handful of berries every day, you can speed up your metabolism, improve your mood and strengthen your immune system. You need to pay attention to cloudberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, sea buckthorn, blueberries, grapes, black currants, bird cherry, cranberries.
9. Legumes. Consist of vegetable protein, fiber, microelements and vitamins. There are no bad fats in them; the body only benefits from consuming them. Prevents the formation of oncology, helps solve the problem of constipation. Legumes can be used to make many healthy vegetarian dishes. The latter are very fond of legumes for replenishing the protein requirement in the diet.
10. Nuts. They contain chromium, zinc, carbohydrates, B vitamins, as well as A and E. They have a rich taste and give you a feeling of fullness for a long time. But you need to be careful with them, because nuts are a very high-calorie product. The healthiest ones are almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, chestnuts, peanuts and walnuts.
11. Honey. Everything useful is present in honey. This has an antibacterial effect, increases immunity, strengthens the body, and has an invigorating effect. Honey will help if you have problems with digestion of food, blood vessels or anemia.
12. Green tea. A natural antioxidant rich in vitamin C, minerals and polyphenols. If you drink it constantly, the functioning of the heart and kidneys is normalized. It also reduces the risk of cancer and liver problems. But it also has contraindications, so you should consult your doctor before using it.
13. Fish. Any of the species is a storehouse of vitamins, but salmon are considered the most useful. The content of omega acids, protein, phosphorus and other beneficial substances in fish affects the body. For example, the quality of blood with systematic use may change, and cholesterol will return to normal.
14. Olive oil. Another helper against bad cholesterol. It is an excellent prevention against cancer, and all thanks to the content of linoleic acid, vitamins K, E, D, trace elements and oleic acid.
15. Wholemeal flour. This is an ideal option for those losing weight, because all carbohydrates in it are complex. There is bread made from such flour, baked goods. It prevents diabetes, problems with blood vessels and the gastrointestinal tract.

Eating healthy is not that difficult. The main thing is to understand all the nuances and limitations. There is no need to try to change yourself alone; it is better to cook healthy food for the whole family. This will both improve the health of your family and support you in the early stages.

235300

Proper nutrition helps a person maintain performance, avoid various diseases, maintain normal weight, and increase life expectancy. You need to switch to a healthy diet gradually so that it does not put stress on the body. At any age, it is not too late to switch to proper healthy eating.

In order for the body to receive all the necessary nutrients and fully absorb them, it is necessary to follow the basic rules of a healthy diet and the principles of proper nutrition. We offer 17 rules and principles of healthy eating for every day:

1 Rule of healthy eating - Varied food:

Nutrition should not only be moderate and regular, but also varied, i.e. contain products of both plant and animal origin.

2 Rule - Daily calorie intake:

With age, daily caloric intake should decrease mostly for animal fat counting and carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, sugar). The amount of proteins should remain the same.

3 Rule - Meals 5 times a day:

Irregular use food leads to indigestion. The most rational is 5 times a day meals at the same time, then the person does not overeat.

4 Rule -Slow food:

If you are overtired, do not start eating right away, rest a little. While eating, you need to distract yourself from thoughts about work, about business, you should not have serious talking, reading or watching TV. You need to eat slowly.

5 Rule -Long chew:

Eat food at a certain time, not on the go. How to chew food? It is recommended to do more than 20 chews movements before, food, taken into the mouth, it will be swallowed. Just for fun, try to calculate how much you make chewing ones movements before swallowing food. And you'll make sure you hurry spoil your stomach, and with him and health.

6 Rule - It is necessary to avoid eating dry food:

Liquid dishes prepared with meat, fish, vegetables and mushrooms decoctions, promote the secretion of gastric juice. The soup is enough to digest second courses: meat, fish, cereals, potatoes, etc. Sweets are eaten at the end of lunch Then Sugar is absorbed by the body relatively easily.

7 Rule -Vegetables and fruits :

Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits. They contain vitamins, mineral salts, organic acids, fiber and other useful substances necessary for the body. Improve digestion, normalize metabolism and acid-base balance in the body.

8 Rule - Drinking regime:

Maintain drinking regime. Drink at least 2-2.5 liters of water per day. Unboiled water, purified using a filter, is more useful.

9 Rule - Protein foods for breakfast and lunch:

At breakfast and lunch you need to eat protein foods: meat, fish, eggs, cereals, vegetables, cottage cheese. It is better to cook porridge with water - they are healthier.

10 Rule - At dinner - dairy, cereals, vegetable dishes .

Have dinner no later than 2 hours before bedtime.

11 Rule - Dairy products:

Eat low-fat dairy products. Kefir contains animal protein, which is no less valuable than meat and fish proteins, and is beneficial for digestion.

12 Rule - Eat freshly prepared food:

Food that has been left in the refrigerator for several days loses its beneficial properties and “slags” the body.

13 Rule - Fasting day:

Make 1 day a week a fasting day. If it's hard, then at least 1 or 2 days a month. On fasting days, the body is cleansed of toxins.

14 Rule - Take vitamins:

For proper nutrition, you must take vitamin complexes, because... The body does not receive enough vitamins and microelements from food.

15 Rule - Eat only when you are hungry:

Listen to your body and don't eat if you're not hungry. This is an important rule for maintaining a normal weight.

16 Rule - Nutrition after 40 years:

After 40 years, it is very important to adhere to proper nutrition. Must be consumed more foods like low fat cottage cheese, curdled milk, kefir, sour cream (not fatty). Fermented milk products improve the functioning of the stomach and intestines and deliver calcium, potassium, phosphorus and other minerals to the body.

17 Healthy eating rule - Nutrition after 50 years:

After 50 years, the body reacts sharply to disturbances in water-salt metabolism. Therefore, you should not limit your fluid intake. And here The consumption of table salt should be reduced.

Following healthy eating rules is not as difficult as it seems. You just need to realize that proper nutrition should become part of a healthy lifestyle, a good habit, and not a temporary diet.

Useful articles: