How To Eat Healthy For Breakfast, Lunch And Dinner

In terms of proper nutrition, what we eat every day creates our health and well-being.

In terms of proper nutrition, what we eat every day creates our health and well-being. The first meal of the day, breakfast, is considered the most important. It sets the tone for the whole day and allows you to feel cheerful and full of energy, forgetting about hunger for a long time. However, not only breakfast, but lunch and dinner also need to be correct.

 

How many meals should be?

Probably everyone has heard about the benefits of fractional nutrition. Food should be taken in small portions, but often. Nutritionists advise eating 4 times a day. Moreover, the first two should fall in the afternoon. In other words, you need to have breakfast twice.

If we take the total intake of food consumed per day as 100%, then 25% of the total diet should be allocated to the share of the first breakfast, and 15% to the share of the second. In the case of three meals a day, the morning meal should ideally account for about 30-35% of all food eaten. For lunch, it is worth using another 40-45% of everything that you are going to eat. Dinner should not be too nutritious, ideally it takes about 15-25% of the daily diet.

 

When should you eat?

Few of us can afford to wake up in the morning when we would like to. The working schedule dictates its conditions. In addition, for most of us, it is the morning hours that are the most productive. This is especially true for brain activity. And in order to start the thought process, you need to feed yourself, and feed yourself on time.

It is ideal to have breakfast 30-40 minutes after waking up. On average, waking up at 7 o'clock in the morning, at 7:30 you need to sit down at the table, where ready, fresh and aromatic food is already waiting. Half an hour will just be spent on the morning toilet and preparing breakfast.

If there are 2 morning meals, then the second should be organized for yourself 2-3 hours after the first, that is, around 11 in the morning. Few people can afford to eat slowly and fully at work. However, it is quite possible to take with you, for example, a smoothie or liquid oatmeal and drink it, having supposedly gone for a smoke break, it would be quite possible - there would be a desire.

 

As a rule, you need to have lunch every 2-3 hours, but with dinner, not everything is so simple. It is known that it should be 2 hours before bedtime. But, here's the time when a person goes to bed, everyone has an individual. Ideally, the last meal of the day should not be later than 6 pm. However, if you really want to, you can drink a glass of kefir before going to bed or eat an apple - such a snack will not hurt.

BJU ratio

There is no, as such, the only correct formula for the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The average and, as experts in the field of medicine and nutrition say, the optimal ratio is the following:

fats 20-30%, proteins 30%, carbohydrates 40%.

However, the ratio depends on the degree of physical activity, the intensity of mental labor and, in general, on the lifestyle that a person leads. Anyone who is losing weight needs to monitor the calorie content of the diet, because you need to spend more than you receive - then the body gradually burns the previously made reserves.

 

Protein sources are meat and dairy products. A sandwich with a slice of boiled meat, an omelette or a boiled egg, as well as milk porridge are excellent dishes for a morning or evening meal. By the way, an omelette can be made not from 1, but from 2-3 eggs. But, only on condition that in the next 4-5 days you will not eat more eggs.

Many people eat cottage cheese or dishes from it for breakfast or dinner. And they are right, because it is not only a source of protein, but also a product rich in calcium.

Fats are another mandatory attribute of a full breakfast. This applies to everyone, including those who are on a diet. Their source can be vegetable or butter. 

 

Linseed, olive or corn are considered the most useful - it is best to season the salad with these oils. When buying butter, do not be tempted by the low price. Under the guise of a quality product, unscrupulous manufacturers may well slip an ordinary spread. It contains so-called trans fats, which are very harmful to the body.

When talking about carbohydrates contained in food, complex carbohydrates should be understood. The best source of carbohydrates are cereals. For example, brown rice, buckwheat or oatmeal are great options for a healthy and tasty meal. Moreover, we are not talking about instant cereals, but about dishes cooked in the traditional way, from real, whole grain products rich in fiber. You can add milk, berries or butter to the finished porridge - this is a matter of taste and personal preference.

A few words about the second breakfast and snacks

The second breakfast or snack is not as dense and nutritious as the first. It can be considered a healthy snack. Do not eat what you have already eaten a couple of hours before. Firstly, this way the food will be more varied, which means it will bring more pleasure, and secondly, you can distribute 2 servings of food so that the morning meal contains a complete set of what you need.

 

For those who are losing weight, only 200 kcal of the total daily calorie content falls to the share of the snack. Those who simply maintain their weight are allowed to slightly deviate from this rule. You can have a snack with fruit, a sour-milk drink, a light sandwich or a handful of nuts. You can also have a snack before bed, especially if you have already had dinner.

When for some reason it was not possible to eat on time in the evening, then going to bed to the symphony of a hungry stomach is, of course, not an option. But, you don't have to eat too much either. A little more satisfying, in comparison with a snack, a snack is enough.

By wisely planning your breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can instill in yourself a healthy habit of eating right and, thus, keep yourself in a cheerful and healthy state.