A protein diet means weight loss due to a high intake of protein foods and a minimal intake of carbohydrates. There is a misconception that if you completely give up on carbohydrates and eat only protein foods, weight loss will happen 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 particularly popular and many have been inspired by the example of movie stars and politicians who got rid of the extra pounds thanks to this diet. Therefore, most people are interested and look for new recipes for protein dishes that can diversify the protein diet menu. So that your diet does not consist of an egg omelet, you can prepare the following recipes for the first and second courses, as well as a variety of salads and desserts.
The essence of the diet
During the diet, it is necessary to eat more protein foods, but it is not recommended to completely exclude carbohydrates, this can damage the whole body or exacerbate any chronic diseases. During the course of the protein diet, it is necessary to calculate the number of calories, you should not eat more than you spend. Calorie consumption can be increased due to physical activity and calorie consumption can be reduced by replacing high-calorie foods with low-calorie ones, i. e. reducing the energy value of food. If you keep track of your calorie intake and adhere to basic dietary principles, your weight loss will become unusually fast and effective.
Dietary principles
- You have to 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 bed.
- Try to create a menu for the day so that slow carbohydrates are consumed only for breakfast, and in the afternoon choose from a huge number of dishes those that contain more protein foods.
- When cooking, try to choose low-fat recipes and use vegetable oil for salad dressing, forget about mayonnaise.
- While 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!
The best protein foods
While adhering to a protein diet, you should know which foods are high in protein. Using this list, you can easily create a menu for the day, preparing a huge variety 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 saucepan. You can eat it in one day no more than 250 grams.
- Skimmed milk: it is very healthy, plus it contains a large amount of protein. It is allowed to drink a maximum of one glass per day.
- Egg whites, during the day you can cook the omelette from them or they can serve as an additional ingredient in the preparation of the dish. In one day, you cannot eat more than 6.
- Various seafood, they contain a huge mass of protein and practically no fat, you can eat them during the day no more than 300 grams.
- Adhering to a protein diet, the main product of the menu should be lean meat, considered: chicken fillet, lean beef.
- Fish of low-fat varieties, it is allowed to eat it per day no more than 200 grams. It is recommended to use it boiled or grilled.
- Nuts like peanuts or almonds are a protein depot, but you can't eat more than 100 grams per day.
First course recipes
Many people think that sticking to a protein diet should exclude soups from their menu, as most soups contain a large amount of vegetables, but that's not the case. You can diversify your menu, prepare a protein-based soup (broth from poultry or fish meat), with a carbohydrate dressing. A protein diet does not mean that you just have to eat an egg omelet every day, liquid food is also needed, it contributes to weight loss. You can use the following recipes to make soup.
Spinach soup - puree
For the soup, you will need the following products:
- 200 grams of turkey fillet;
- spinach packaging;
- a couple of cloves of garlic;
- any vegetables of your choice;
- a third of a glass of milk (skimmed);
- salt;
- a mixture of peppers.
Take a saucepan, pour in some water and boil the turkey fillet, you will get a rich broth. Remove the fillet from the broth, let it cool and then chop it. Then add the chopped spinach to the broth and boil for 5 minutes, then add the chopped fillet to the broth and boil for another 5 minutes. You should have a pasty mass, which must be turned into a puree using a blender, gradually adding milk. When cooked, season with salt, pepper and add the chopped aromatic herbs. It is recommended to serve the soup immediately after cooking, as it can change its texture when heated. You can, at your discretion, modify the recipe by replacing the milk with skim cream or turkey fillet for chicken.
"Salmon with milk" fish soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 400 grams of salmon fillet;
- 4 medium-sized tomatoes;
- 1 medium onion;
- 500 milliliters of milk (skimmed);
- various vegetables;
- salt;
- Pepper.
Peel the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, then remove the skin and chop finely. Peel the onion and chop finely. Also, peel the carrots and grate them. Then take a non-stick pan and fry the onions and carrots without adding oil, then add the chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. After that, take a saucepan, transfer the contents of the pan and fill it with water, cook for 5 minutes, then add the chopped salmon fillet. After 2 minutes, add the milk and boil for another 5 minutes, and at the end add salt, pepper, chopped herbs. Turn off the heat and leave the soup to infuse for another 20 minutes. The recipe can be changed by replacing the salmon with another type of fish.
Chicken Meatball Soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of chicken broth;
- 400 grams of chicken fillet
- onion head,
- salt,
- Pepper,
- greens,
- sweet pepper;
- 200 grams of green beans.
Take the chicken fillet and turn it in a meat grinder, add the chopped onion and mix. Form the minced meat into meatballs. After that, take a saucepan with chicken broth and put on fire, bring to a boil. As soon as the broth boils, toss the chicken meatballs into the boiling water, along with the chopped green beans and peppers. Salt the broth a little, add the herbs and cook until tender.
Egg noodle soup
For the soup, you will need the following products:
- 3 eggs;
- 1 liter of broth (chicken);
- a variety of vegetables of your choice;
- a mixture of peppers.
Beat 3 eggs with a mixer and cook a thin omelette in a pan, fry it on both sides in the form of a pancake. Take a saucepan, put the broth in it on the stove to boil. While the broth is boiling, take an omelette and cut it into thin slices. Then add the noodles, chopped herbs, salt, pepper mixture to the boiling broth and simmer for two minutes, after which the soup is ready.
Recipes of main courses
Many people mistakenly think that when following a diet, it is necessary to create a menu for the day only with protein products, but it is a misconception that one can cook dishes with the addition of vegetables. For example, tomatoes contain lycopene, which enhances the effects of a protein diet. Nutritionists advise to prepare a menu for the day, in which the recipe includes tomatoes. For example, an omelette with tomatoes is perfect for breakfast. You can also choose any of the protein recipes below to diversify your menu.
Omelette with tomatoes and herbs
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes;
- 5 eggs;
- salt;
- pepper and herbs.
Take 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, cut them into thin wedges and place them in a hot non-stick pan. Boil for two minutes, during which time take the eggs and separate the egg whites from the yolks. Then pour over the tomatoes with the proteins, salt and sprinkle with the chopped herbs on the omelette. Cover the 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 balls with sauce
Ingredients needed for fish balls:
- 1 onion head;
- 400 grams of fish fillet;
- 2 eggs;
- 180 grams of low-fat yogurt;
- vegetables: parsley, dill, basil;
- salt;
- Pepper.
The fish fillet must be minced, mixed with eggs, salt, pepper, chopped onion must be added. From these ingredients it is necessary to knead the minced meat and form small balls from it, which are then fried in a hot pan with the addition of olive oil. After frying, put the meatballs in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, adding a little water. While the meatballs are stewing, take a cup, grind all the vegetables, add the yogurt, pepper and beat with a blender until a homogeneous mass is formed. Ready-made meatballs should be served with yogurt sauce.
Omelette with squid
Ingredients needed for cooking:
- 200 grams of squid;
- 3 eggs;
- Greens;
- salt;
- sweet pepper.
Immerse the squid in boiling water for two minutes, so as to then easily peel them from the film. Cut the squid into half rings and put them in a hot pan, after adding a drizzle of oil. Place the chopped pepper on top of the squid and pour the beaten eggs into the next layer. Salt the whole omelette, sprinkle with aromatic herbs, then cover and fry for 7 minutes. You can also make an omelette with other seafood such as shrimp or mussels, creating your own recipes for new dishes.
Protein Blast Salad
For the salad, you will need the following products:
- 2 eggs;
- 100 grams of chicken fillet;
- 100 grams of squid;
- low-fat yogurt.
Boil hard-boiled eggs, peel them, cut them into squares. Boil the chicken fillet until tender and then chop it. Boil the squid in boiling water until tender, then remove and cool them, cut them into half rings. Combine all the ingredients in a cup with the low-fat yogurt. Optionally, you can add a variety of chopped vegetables to the salad.