“What products to choose for cooking to make it healthy?” – asks Inta K.
Follow the rhythm of the day
«Food gives us energy for life processes, but nutrition and eating habits also play an important role in ensuring psychological well-being. Food reduces stress and anxiety, improves mood“, explains the nutritionist Nelda Karpenska-Allaza.
At work, there is usually only one meal – lunch, but when working remotely, the refrigerator is always nearby, so its doors open more often. We compensate for anxiety with food and lift our mood. “Hunger is not always the reason why we look for something edible,” says the nutritionist. “To reduce frequent trips to the refrigerator, it is important to maintain a certain rhythm of the day and diet. The quality of sleep is very important, and you need to sleep at night (at least 7–8 hours!), and be active during the day. If you really want to, you can set aside 20 minutes for a nap during the day.”
The nutritionist recommends eating the main dish of the day before three o’clock in the afternoon, having dinner no later than 2.5 hours before bedtime, and avoiding night snacks.
What should be in your food supply?
«It is best to cook at home if we know the principles of healthy eating and understand what we put in the pan, how much salt or sugar we add“,” the nutritionist emphasizes. “Of course, you need to follow the principles of healthy eating. The diet should contain a lot of vegetables and fruits (preferably seasonal), rich in fiber, grains (a source of energy!), as well as foods rich in protein (legumes, meat, eggs, dairy products). But there is no ideal product that can be consumed constantly – every vegetable, fruit, product has its own beneficial substances».
Nelda Karpenska-Allaza calls for more vegetables to be included in the diet, as they are not only rich in fiber, but also contain many vitamins, minerals and other biologically active substances needed by the body. Another advantage of vegetables is their low calorie content. “On the plate, vegetables (fiber) should take up half, a quarter should be potatoes or grains, and another quarter should be meat, fish or cottage cheese (a source of protein).”
Supplies should contain whole foods (you need to give up processed foods!): cereals, for example, barley and oatmeal, fermented milk products, such as yogurt, kefir, dairy products (cottage cheese, cheese, milk), vegetable oils. “I recommend choosing low-fat dairy products. It is advisable to consume no more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day, and when we eat cheese, butter, sour cream and other products, we often exceed this norm. Even lean chicken contains fat—it’s not just protein and water!”
Breakfast
Meat is a must in the diet, but its quantity must be limited. If you want to snack between meals, you can prepare a plate of fresh vegetables, drink a glass of natural yogurt, or make a smoothie.
Breakfast: Beetroot and lentil spread
– 100 g boiled beets
– 40 g red lentils
– 35 g yellow lentils
– 50 g shelled walnuts
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
– Half a teaspoon of allspice
– Freshly ground black pepper
– 165 ml water
Cook the lentils over low heat for about 20 minutes. Walnuts are chopped and a few are left for decoration. All ingredients are ground in a blender. Place in the refrigerator to cool.
The spread is eaten by spreading it on a piece of whole grain bread.
Second breakfast: Fruit smoothie
– 3 apples
– 1 banana
– 1 tablespoon cranberries
– 4 tablespoons frozen berries
– 2 tablespoons oatmeal
– 250 ml natural yoghurt
– 200 ml milk
– 0.5 cm ginger root
– 1 tablespoon of seeds
– 1 tablespoon honey
The fruits are peeled, chopped and mixed with the rest of the ingredients in a blender.
Lunch: Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
– 1 large banana (300-400 g)
– 50–100 g red lentils
– 1 carrot
– 1 onion
– 1.5 liters of vegetable broth
– Pepper to taste
– 2 pieces of ginger
– Olive oil
The onion is peeled, chopped, and stewed in oil until soft and transparent. Peel carrots and sweet potatoes and cut into small pieces. Add the onion, pour in the broth, add the ginger and cook over low heat until the vegetables are soft.
Cool the soup slightly, remove the ginger and chop it. Then spices are added.
Serve with croutons, sprinkle with seeds and pour over pumpkin oil. You can add pieces of soft cheese.
Dinner: Beet and feta salad
– Boiled beets
– Arugula
– A small piece of feta
– Various seeds
– Pumpkin oil
The beets are chopped, the cheese is crumbled, everything is mixed with arugula, sprinkled with seeds and poured over with pumpkin oil.
Served with lean meat.
Dinner Option: Cauliflower Pizza
– 400–500 g cauliflower
– 1 tomato
– 4 eggs
– 40 g ground almonds
– 30 g hard cheese
– 1 clove of garlic
– 2 teaspoons olive oil
– Oregano
Pesto:
– 25 g hard cheese
– 25 g basil
– 1 clove of garlic
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
Cauliflower is chopped and mixed with the rest of the ingredients. The dough is spread on a baking sheet in a thin layer and baked in the oven at 180 °C for about 5 minutes. Take out, cover with tomato sauce, pieces of fresh tomato, garlic, oregano and salt. Place boiled meat on top, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake at 180°C for about 25 minutes.
Serve with pesto and sprinkle with fresh arugula.
Source: www.gorod.lv
