Nutrition Guide

What is a healthy diet plan for weight loss? What types of foods should be excluded from the PP diet, how much protein, carbohydrate and fat should you eat daily?

Basics and rules of healthy eating

healthy foods

For best results, especially if you are just starting a healthy lifestyle, you can follow the MyPlate method. So you divide each meal into 5 food groups. Learn more about them.

Protein

Protein should ideally make up about 20 percent of your total daily calories.

How much protein should you eat?

You should consume about 0. 8 to 1. 2 grams of protein per day for every kilogram of your body weight. Instead of converting that amount into one or two meals, you should try to divide it across all meals and snacks throughout the day. Protein is especially important if you are trying to lose weight by burning fat in your body. The truth is that more energy is needed to break down and assimilate protein than other macronutrients, resulting in higher calorie expenditure.

Cereals

Grains often have a bad reputation because most cereal-containing foods today are industrially converted into fast carbohydrates such as sweet cereals and white breads. If you choose unprocessed grains and grains, you will immediately get all the benefits of grains: the energy, vitamins and minerals required for the normal functioning of the body.

How many cereals do you need?

You need about six servings of cereal or 170 grams a day. A slice of bread and half a glass of cooked rice or pasta count as portions. At least half of your servings should be whole grains.

Fruit

What else do you need to add to your diet to lose weight? Fruit. Even if the fruits contain sugar, more specifically fructose, it's okay if you don't exceed your daily calorie intake. Your body needs fructose to stay healthy. Because of this, the fruits are naturally sweet, which means they can satisfy your sugar cravings if you don't want to be crammed with chocolates at night.

How much fruit do you need?

You should consume about two servings a day. A whole apple, orange, or banana counts as one serving.

Which fruit should you choose?

You should eat mostly fresh fruit and limit your intake of processed foods, such as juices and applesauce (unless you make it yourself).

Vegetables

If you really want to learn how to eat right to lose weight, remember veggies, your new best friend. They are rich in fiber that is beneficial for your digestive system. It's also low in calories and satiety, so you can eat more vegetables than other foods and consume fewer calories at the same time, ultimately leading to quality weight loss.

How many vegetables should you eat?

You need three to four servings.

Which vegetables to choose?

Try to eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, and asparagus. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes are also beneficial. If you don't like to eat raw, cooking vegetables (not boiling them as it removes all the nutrients) is one way to improve the flavor.

Dairy products

We consume dairy products because it contains high amounts of vitamins and minerals. They are high-protein foods, so snacks like cottage cheese are ideal if you need to eat something before the next full meal. Because dairy products are often a great source of protein, they're also part of a weight loss package.

How many dairy products do you need?

Roughly, you need about three servings of dairy each day. A cup of milk or yogurt counts as one serving.

What if you can't / don't want to consume dairy products?

Not dairy products, but nutrients that are important for a healthy diet. So if you can't eat or dislike dairy products due to allergies or lactose intolerance, there are other potential ways to get these essential vitamins and minerals and still get great results.

  • Broccoli, cabbage, fig and orange are rich in calcium.
  • Dark green leafy vegetables (cabbage, broccoli), tomatoes and citrus fruits contain vitamin C.
  • Minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium and iron are found in many other foods you currently eat.
  • You can also take a daily multivitamin to fill all those micronutrient gaps.

What about oil?

Fats and oils are technically no longer a separate food group. While dieting, it is possible that you will automatically consume the fats you need to stay healthy.

So where can I get the oils?

If you are eating a variety of healthy foods, you should be getting all the healthy fats you need. However, no more than 30 percent of your daily calories should come from fat.

The Truth About Carbohydrates

You may have already heard that not all carbohydrates (sugars) are bad. When you see experts talking about how bad sugar is for you, they usually talk about added sugar. This type of sugar is added to our foods during processing for a number of reasons and should be limited if it is not excluded.

However, carbohydrates found in grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy products are not harmful in moderation. You shouldn't be afraid of this type of sugar. It turns into the energy you need in your body to stay healthy.

How many calories should I consume a day?

How many calories should you consume

Now that you know how to eat well to lose weight, you're probably wondering how many calories you can eat per day. Technically, you don't need to count calories if you don't want to. The standard for men and women is 2000 kcal. You can calculate your calorie needs if you really want to know and keep track of them daily, but it all depends on what you eat and how active you are. Instead, pay attention to food types and portion sizes, as this can be a much more effective but less difficult way to achieve results.

Calculation of daily calorie intake for weight loss

You can use one of the calorie calculation formulas to find out how many calories you need per day. The most commonly used formula is Tom Venut. It looks like this:

Men: 66 + (13. 7 x body weight) + (5 x height in cm) - (6, 8 x age in years)

Women: 665 + (9. 6 x body weight) + (1. 8 x height cm) - (4. 7 x years old)

The resulting figure is multiplied by the physical activity coefficient:

  • Sedentary work, sedentary lifestyle: 1. 2
  • Average stress level (morning exercises 3 days a week) 1. 38
  • Heavy loads1. 56
  • Very heavy loads1, 73
  • Really extreme (you won't be able to carry that much, don't even think about it. 1. 9

But if you start asking questions like "Why can't you lose weight? ", it may turn out that your daily calorie intake is calculated too much and the body does not need to spend fat reserves. In this case, it is better to calculate your daily calorie intake and make a menu based on the data obtained. It is especially important to know the calorie content of the diet, once the weight stops after reaching certain results, it will be easier to cut the diet by another 500 calories and continue to lose weight.

One serving:

  • 100-150 grams of vegetables (the size of your fist);
  • 150 ml of dairy products;
  • 120 gr meat or fish (about the size of a palm; )
  • 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil;
  • 12 grapes;
  • 1 apple, banana, orange or pear;
  • 1/2 mango or grapefruit;
  • 1/4 avocado.

Track your balance

The body needs to get enough protein, fat and carbohydrates to lose weight without harming health and to maintain health and harmony. Approximate proportions - 75 g protein: 60 g fat: 250 g carbohydrate: 30 g fiber. Protein-containing foods are sources of amino acids for the skin as well as fats for the formation of muscle fibers, healthy skin, hair, nails, brain and nervous system, and carbohydrates are a source of energy.

Does meal timing matter?

Optional. Make it easy for yourself and eat when you're hungry, even if it's just a snack. If you prefer to have six small meals a day rather than three large meals a day, do this. If you like to eat every few hours, it is enough to eat 3 times a day at a convenient time. Don't just skip meals (you will eventually start eating, but somewhere at night and potentially sabotage quality results). Diet matters, but not time, but quality.

Menu and meal planning

You can eat several complete and balanced meals every day while maintaining a healthy diet. The secret is to eat different foods. Below is a sample breakfast, lunch and dinner menu to help you start planning your meals.

Logging:

Breakfast

  • Fat-free Greek yogurt or oatmeal with fruit and granola
  • Half bagel with low fat cream cheese

Lunch

  • 2 parts shawarma (tortilla, beef, lettuce, guacomole, sour cream)
  • 1 bowl of cooked brown rice and cooked beans

Dinner

  • Small salad (lettuce, red onion, tomato, cheese, Italian sauce)
  • Baked Chicken Breast
  • 1 bowl of green beans
  • Cheese Baked Potato

Snack Tips

  • Celery and nut butter
  • Fresh vegetables with hummus
  • Sliced ​​fruit and whipped cream
  • Applesauce
  • Pretzel
  • Dried fruits
  • Nuts
  • Tortilla and salsa
  • Pickled cucumbers

Shopping List

Here are some examples of healthy foods you can buy at your local grocery store. Knowing which foods to buy is part of the weight loss package.

Healthy Food:

  • Meat (steak, pork, beef)
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Eggs
  • Nuts and Seeds
  • Cereals
  • Whole Grain Pasta
  • Brown rice
  • Buckwheat
  • Whole Grain Bread
  • Greek yogurt
  • Cheese
  • Milk or soy milk
  • Avocado
  • Fatty fish like salmon
  • Nuts
  • Fat Yoghurt

Healthy Nutrition Planning Guide for Beginners

Meal planning

Meal planning is one of the simplest and healthiest things to help you lose weight with a healthy diet. Whether it's a day or a whole week, it's up to you. A properly formulated diet not only gives us the opportunity to lose weight, it is also appropriate when all food problems are resolved in advance. While ingredients await us at home for a delicious and healthy meal, it's easier to avoid buying something harmful.

1. How many meals do you need?

First, let's think about our plans and the weekly plans of our loved ones. From here, we can get a rough idea of ​​how many meals we need. This could be for example: six breakfasts for everyone, five family meals, a lunch four times and an afternoon snack.

2. How long will it take to cook?

This is a crucial element of effective meal planning and is often overlooked or forgotten. You can make as many plans as you want, but what good are they if you don't have enough time to complete them? With this in mind, expand your list with pre-made dinners and lunches. This means that you must first get to know the dishes you will prepare - the more information you find about them, the easier it will be to find dishes that easily fit into your schedule.

If you have a tough work week ahead, look out for quick meals, reheating meals or quick-serve pre-cooked meals. After all, we don't want to waste time cooking by doing it five times a day. Once you've worked as a cook, you can quickly cook several meals for the week. For example, make one paprika or fry two chickens at the same time so that it is enough for both today's dinner and the next dinner. Moreover, it will be a tasty and healthy addition to sandwiches and salads.

3. Selection and schedule of meals

Using your

list, choose dishes that organically fit into your schedule. Also, check out your loved ones' favorite foods or browse a recipe book. You also need to consider the time of year, what seasonal vegetables are currently on sale, and what everyone wants to eat. When planning, you should also remember the shelf life of the products. For example, fish dishes should be cooked within one to two days after fish is purchased, frozen or dry food can be prepared later.

You also need to be able to use all the materials wisely so you don't have to throw anything away. This way you can save both time and money. If you want to eat better and spend less money, buy seasonal items and look for discounted and promotional items.

Make a list of the best recipes. Having a menu that works for you and your family is one of the easiest ways to calculate and streamline your meal planning process. Every time you find a recipe for a dish you love, add it to this list. You can also keep the recipes in your fitness diary. This will not only help with your diet, it will also make it easier to plan your meals.

4. Enter everything in the calendar

It doesn't matter which calendar you use on your computer screen or wall. However, it's best to keep a printed copy of your calendar in front of your eyes. Usually hung in the refrigerator. When the plan of today's meals appears, we are more responsible for their preparation. Also, your family won't keep asking: "What's for dinner today? " They can just look at the calendar.

If you prefer a digital calendar, you can create a schedule for today's meals on your phone and share this menu with your friends and family.

5. Create shopping lists

This is best done while filling the calendar at the same time. Remember to write down the quantity of each item you need and also check how much you have left so you don't accidentally buy too much. You can save time by grouping products in the list as they appear in the store. For many supermarkets this:

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Bread and cereals
  • Spices and bakery products
  • Oils
  • Crackers
  • Drinks
  • Dairy Products
  • Meat and eggs

6. Food preparation and preparation

Chop vegetables, grate cheese, make sauces - just prepare our best in advance. You can even measure spices, boil potatoes or fry vegetables.

Meal planning not only puts us in the first place for achieving healthy eating, it also saves a lot of time as we can prepare ingredients while you have free time.