A protein diet means weight loss due to a large intake of protein foods and a minimal intake of carbohydrates. There is a misconception that if you completely give up carbohydrates and eat only protein foods, weight loss will occur faster and more efficiently, but this is a misconception. The complete exclusion of carbohydrates from the menu is dangerous to health.
These days, the protein diet is especially popular, and many were inspired by the example of movie stars and politicians who lost extra pounds thanks to this diet. Therefore, most people are interested in and looking for new recipes for protein dishes that can diversify the protein diet menu. So that your diet does not consist of an omelette, you can prepare the following recipes for the first and second course as well as a variety of salads and desserts.
The essence of the diet
During the diet it is necessary to eat more protein food, but it is not recommended to exclude carbohydrates completely, this can harm the whole body or aggravate chronic diseases. During the protein diet, it is necessary to calculate the number of calories you should not eat more than you consume. Calorie consumption can be increased due to physical activity, and calorie consumption can be reduced by replacing high-calorie foods with low-calorie foods, that is, reducing the energy value of food. If you keep track of your calorie intake and adhere to the basic dietary principles, your weight loss will be exceptionally fast and effective.
Dietary principles
- You should eat six times a day every day. Try to eat the main carbohydrates in the morning, leave the low-calorie ones for dinner, and the last meal should be at least three hours before bedtime.
- Try to create a menu for the day in such a way that slow carbohydrate is only consumed for breakfast, and in the afternoon you choose a large number of dishes that contain more protein food.
- When cooking, try to choose low-fat recipes and use vegetable oil for salad dressing, forget about mayonnaise.
- When cooking, try to choose recipes that use steaming or grilling - avoid fried foods.
- Refuse to use sugary drinks, they are harmful to the figure - remember this!
Top protein food
While adhering to a protein diet, you need to know which foods are high in protein. Using this list, you can easily create a menu for the day and prepare a large selection of dishes from these products.
- Low fat cottage cheese - you can eat it for breakfast or prepare various dishes from it. From it, for example, you get a very tasty dessert - a stew. You can eat it in a day no more than 250 grams.
- Skimmed milk - it is very healthy, in addition it contains a large amount of protein. It is allowed to drink a maximum of one glass a day.
- Egg whites, during the day you can cook from them the omelet, or they can serve as an additional ingredient in the preparation of the dish. In one day you can not eat more than 6 of them.
- Various seafood, they contain a huge amount of protein and virtually no fat, you can eat them during the day no more than 300 grams.
- Adherence to a protein diet, the main product on the menu should be lean meat, this is considered chicken fillet, lean beef.
- Fish of low-fat varieties, it is allowed to eat it a day no more than 200 grams. It is recommended to use it boiled or grilled.
- Nuts like peanuts or almonds are a storehouse of protein, but you can not eat more than 100 grams a day.
First course recipes
Many people think that adhering to a protein diet should exclude soups from their menu, as most soups contain a large amount of vegetables, but this is not the case. You can diversify your menu, prepare a soup from a protein base (meat broth from poultry or fish) with a dressing of carbohydrates. A diet high in protein does not mean that you should only eat one omelet from eggs every day, liquid food is also needed, it contributes to weight loss. You can use the recipes below to make the soup.
Spinach soup - puree
For the soup, use the following products:
- 200 grams of turkey fillet;
- spinach packaging;
- a few cloves of garlic;
- any green of your choice
- one third of a glass of milk (skimmed)
- salt;
- a mixture of peppers.
Take a saucepan, pour water into it and cook the turkey fillet in it, you get a rich broth. Remove the fillet from the broth, cool, then chop it. Then add the chopped spinach to the broth and cook it for 5 minutes, then add the chopped fillet to the broth and cook for another 5 minutes. You need to have a mushy mass that needs to be converted into puree using a blender while gradually adding milk. At the end of cooking, season with salt, pepper and add chopped herbs. It is recommended to serve the soup immediately after cooking, as it can change its consistency when reheated. You can change the recipe at your own discretion by replacing the milk with frothy cream or turkey fillet for chicken.
Fish soup "Milk salmon"
You will need:
- 1 liter of water
- 400 grams of salmon fillet;
- 4 medium-sized tomatoes;
- 1 medium onion;
- 500 ml milk (skimmed)
- various greens;
- salt;
- pepper.
Peel the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, then remove the skin, chop finely. Peel an onion and chop it finely. Also peel the carrots and grate them. Then take a non-stick frying pan and fry the onions and carrots on it without adding oil, then add the chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. Then take a pan, move the contents of the pan into it and fill it with water, cook for 5 minutes and then add the chopped salmon fillet. After 2 minutes, add milk and cook for another 5 minutes, and at the end add salt, pepper, chopped herbs. Turn off the heat and let the soup simmer for another 20 minutes. The recipe can be changed by replacing the salmon with another type of fish.
Chicken meat soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of chicken broth;
- 400 grams of chicken fillet
- onion head,
- salt,
- pepper,
- greens,
- paprika;
- 200 grams of green beans.
Take the chicken fillet and twist it in a meat grinder, add chopped onion to it, mix. Form minced meat into meatballs. Then take a pot of chicken broth and bring to a boil. As soon as the broth boils, toss the chicken meatballs into the boiling water along with the green beans and chopped peppers. Salt broth a little, add the herbs and cook them tender.
Egg noodle soup
For the soup, use the following products:
- 3 eggs
- 1 liter of broth (chicken)
- a variety of greens of your choice
- a mixture of peppers.
Beat 3 eggs with a mixer and cook a thin omelet from them in a pan, fry it on both sides in the form of a pancake. Take a pan, put broth in it on the fire to boil. While the broth is boiling, take an omelette and cut it into thin noodles. Then add the noodles, chopped herbs, salt, pepper mixture to the boiling broth and let them simmer for two minutes, after which the soup is ready.
Second course recipes
Many people mistakenly believe that when following a diet, you should only make a menu for the day based on protein products, but this is a misconception that you can prepare dishes with the addition of vegetables. For example, tomatoes contain lycopene, which enhances the effect of a protein diet. Nutritionists recommend making a menu for the day where the recipe includes tomatoes. For example, an omelette with tomatoes is perfect for breakfast. You can also choose one of the protein recipes below to spread your menu.
Omelette with tomatoes and herbs
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes
- 5 eggs;
- salt;
- peppers and herbs.
Take 2 ripe, medium-sized tomatoes, cut them into thin wedges and place them in a hot non-stick frying pan. Grease them for two minutes, during which time take the eggs and separate the whites from the egg yolks. Then pour the tomatoes with protein, salt and sprinkle chopped herbs on the omelet. Cover the frying pan with a lid and cook the omelette for 7 minutes. You can make a delicious omelette for breakfast every day without much effort.
Fish meatballs with sauce
Necessary ingredients for fish balls:
- 1 head onion
- 400 grams of fish fillet
- 2 eggs
- 180 grams of low fat yogurt
- greens: parsley, dill, basil;
- salt;
- pepper.
Fish fillet should be chopped, mixed with eggs, salt, pepper, chopped onion should be added. From these ingredients it is necessary to knead minced meat and form small balls out of it, which must then be fried in a hot pan with the addition of olive oil. After frying, put meatballs in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, add a little water. While the meatballs are rising, take a cup, grind all the greens in it, add the yogurt, pepper and beat with a blender until a homogeneous mass is formed. Finished meatballs should be served with yogurt sauce.
Omelette with squid
Necessary ingredients for cooking:
- 200 grams of squid
- 3 eggs
- Green;
- salt;
- paprika.
Immerse squid in boiling water for two minutes, then lightly peel them off the film. Cut the squid in half rings and place them in a hot frying pan after adding a little olive oil there. Put the chopped paprika on top of the squid and pour the pre-beaten eggs into the next layer. Salt the whole omelet, sprinkle with herbs, then cover and fry for 7 minutes. You can also make an omelette with other seafood, such as shrimp or mussels, and create your own recipes for new dishes.
Protein Explosion Salad
For the salad, use the following products:
- 2 eggs
- 100 grams of chicken fillet;
- 100 grams of squid
- low fat yogurt.
Boil hard-boiled eggs, peel them, chop them into squares. Cook the chicken fillet until tender, then chop it. Boil the squid in boiling water until it is tender, remove it and cool it, cut it in half rings. Combine all ingredients in a cup of low-fat yogurt. Optionally, you can add a variety of chopped greens to the salad.