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To make a healthy and balanced diet that favors weight loss, it is necessary to make some changes in eating habits and adopt some simple strategies that allow to increase the feeling of satiety, decrease hunger and accelerate the metabolism.
However, when you want to lose weight, the ideal is to seek the guidance of a nutritionist so that through a complete assessment a nutritional plan is prepared adapted to the person's needs and goals, allowing the weight loss to be maintained over time and the accordion effect is avoided.
These tips will serve to have more freedom in the diet and prepare healthier meals to lose weight:
1. The basis of lunch and dinner is vegetables
Vegetables and legumes should always be the main portion of lunch and dinner, as they will give you more satiety, in addition to having fewer calories, which favors weight loss. The portion should vary between 1 to 2 cups of raw vegetables or 1 cup of cooked vegetables, for example.
In addition, vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, which help to improve the functioning of the intestine, favoring the health of the intestinal microbiota, improving metabolism and helping to detoxify the body, providing energy and increasing the feeling of well-being.
2. Consume small portions of carbohydrates
It is recommended to consume small portions of carbohydrates, preferably whole grains, at each meal, such as breads, pasta, rice, flour, cakes and tapioca. As the amount to be consumed varies from one person to another, it is possible to start by progressively decreasing the portions that are consumed. That is, if you normally consume 6 tablespoons of rice, start consuming 5 and then 4, for example.
In addition, you can substitute pasta for zucchini or eggplant, for example, and you should look for other alternatives to reduce the consumption of carbohydrates. See 4 substitutes for rice and pasta in the diet.
It is also possible to replace wheat flour with other types of flour that contain more fiber to prepare pancakes, pastries and cakes, such as oatmeal, coconut or almond flour, for example.
3. Snacks should also have protein
It is very common for most people to eat only fruit, toast or bread with coffee for snacks, for example, but the ideal would be to vary more and bring protein to these meals as well, as they use more energy to be digested and increase satiety.
So good examples of snacks are eating 1 slice of whole grain bread with 1 egg and 1 slice of cheese, eating plain yogurt with a handful of nuts, making a whole pancake with banana, cinnamon and oatmeal or making a fruit smoothie with handful of almonds.
Check out 6 protein-rich snacks.
4. Include olive oil, nuts and seeds
These foods are rich in good fats and omega-3s, which have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant action and increase satiety, helping the body to function better. This group also includes foods like avocado, coconut, peanuts, almonds, peanut butter and nuts.
To include them in the diet, a teaspoon of olive oil can be added to the lunch and dinner plate. In snacks, you can eat 1 fruit with 10 units of dried fruit or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. Vitamins can also be prepared with avocado and add flax, chia or pumpkin seeds, for example, in salads or cereals, in egg or yogurt, for example.
5. Fruit has a limit, don't overdo it
Although they are healthy, fruits also have calories and some are easily digested. So, instead of eating 2 or 3 fruits in one meal, it is best to eat 1 fruit with 1 handful of dried fruits, for example, or with natural yogurt, as this adds good fats and proteins, making the meal more nutritious.
The ideal is to consume the fruits in their "pure" form, without being in the form of juice, because this way it is possible to have the largest amount of fibers, helping to maintain the health of the intestine and increase the feeling of satiety. It is recommended to consume 2 to 3 servings of fruit a day.
6. Drink water daily
It is important to consume 2 to 2.5 L of water per day. The ideal is not to consume liquids with food to avoid filling and not to consume the corresponding portions of meals.
An excellent option is to drink water with lemon, as it helps to cleanse the palate and decrease the desire to eat many sweets.
7. Consuming low-fat proteins
Protein is important for the weight loss process as it helps to increase satiety and favors the formation of muscle mass. Therefore, the ideal is to include white meats such as skinless chicken and turkey, fish in the daily diet and, in the case of red meats, to give preference to lean cuts.
In addition, it is also important to consume egg, low-fat white cheese such as ricotta or mozzarella, and skim milk and derivatives. Other foods that are also rich in protein are legumes such as beans, lentils and chickpeas, for example, which combined with rice ensure a good amount of protein.
See other tips with our nutritionist:
Healthy weight loss menu
The following table shows an example of a 3-day menu for easy and healthy weight loss:
food | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
Breakfast | Unsweetened black coffee + wholemeal toast with 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese with oregano and 1 scrambled egg | Unsweetened black coffee + 30g of granola with 1 cup of coconut or almond milk + 1/2 cup of strawberry | 1 cup of unsweetened skimmed milk + 1 medium banana pancake with oats with 1 tablespoon of cocoa butter |
Morning snack | 2 slices of melon + 10 units of cashew nuts | 1 crushed banana with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and a little cinnamon | 2 slices of papaya with 1 teaspoon of chia |
Lunch dinner | 1 fillet of grilled chicken breast accompanied by 3 tablespoons of brown rice with 2 tablespoons of beans + 1 cup of vegetables sautéed in olive oil + 1 pear | 1 fish fillet with tomato and onion in the oven + 1 peach | 1 turkey breast fillet diced with vegetables and quinoa + 1 apple |
Afternoon snack | 1 natural yogurt with 1 spoon of honey + 10 units of peanuts | 1 cup of ginger tea + 2 whole toast and 2 tablespoons of mashed avocado (with onion, tomato, pepper and a little nutmeg) | 1 serving of unsweetened fruit gelatin + 6 nuts |
The quantities included in the menu vary according to age, gender, physical activity and if you have any associated disease or not, so the ideal is to seek guidance from a nutritionist so that a complete assessment can be made and a nutritional plan tailored to the needs needs.
In addition, to accelerate weight loss it is also important to practice physical activity regularly, such as walking, running, swimming or dancing, for example, having to perform the activity for 30 to 60 minutes, at least 3 times a week.
Diuretic and thermogenic teas can also be included in the diet, which help in burning fat and promotes weight loss. See examples of teas that lose weight.