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 only eat protein foods, weight loss will be faster and more efficient, but this is a misconception. The complete exclusion of carbohydrates from the menu is harmful to health.
Nowadays, the protein diet is particularly popular and many have been inspired by the example of movie stars and politicians who lost extra pounds thanks to this diet. Hence, most of the people are interested in new recipes for protein dishes and look for those that can diversify the protein diet menu. So that your diet does not consist of an omelette of eggs, you can prepare the following first and second course recipes, as well as a variety of salads and desserts.
The essence of the diet
During the diet, it is necessary to consume more protein foods, but it is not recommended to completely exclude carbohydrates. This can damage the entire body or make chronic diseases worse. During the protein diet, it is necessary to calculate the number of calories you should not eat more than you consume. The consumption of calories can be increased due to physical activity, and the consumption of calories can be reduced by replacing high-calorie foods with low-calorie foods, that is, the energy value of foods is reduced. If you keep track of your caloric intake and follow basic dietary principles, your weight loss will be unusually quick and effective.
Diet principles
- You have to eat six times a day. Try to eat the main carbohydrates in the morning, skip 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 only consumed for breakfast, and in the afternoon choose from a variety of dishes those that are higher in protein.
- When cooking, try to choose low-fat recipes and use vegetable oil as a salad dressing. Forget the mayonnaise.
- When cooking, try to choose recipes that are steamed or grilled - avoid fried foods.
- Refuse to use sugary drinks, they are harmful to the figure - remember!
Top protein foods
While sticking to a protein diet, you should know which foods are high in protein. With this list you can easily create a menu of the day and prepare a wide variety of dishes from these products.
- Low-fat cottage cheese - you can eat it for breakfast or make various dishes from it. For example, you can get a very tasty dessert from it - a casserole. You can not eat it more than 250 grams in a day.
- Skimmed milk - it is very healthy, in addition, it contains a large amount of protein. You are allowed to drink a maximum of one glass per day.
- Egg white, during the day you can cook omelette from it or it can serve as an additional ingredient in the preparation of the dish. You can't eat more than 6 of them in a day.
- Various seafood, they contain a large amount of protein and practically no fat, you can not eat them more than 300 grams during the day.
- When following a protein diet, the main product on the menu should be lean meat. This is taken into account: chicken fillet, lean beef.
- Low-fat varieties of fish must not be eaten more than 200 grams per day. It is recommended to use it boiled or grilled.
- Nuts like peanuts or almonds are a reservoir of protein, but you can't eat more than 100 grams a day.
First course recipes
Many people think that following a protein diet should exclude soups from their menu, since most soups contain a large amount of vegetables, but it is not. You can diversify your menu, prepare a protein-based soup (meat broth from poultry or fish) with a dressing from carbohydrates. A protein diet doesn't mean that you only need to eat one egg omelet every day. Liquid nutrition is also required and contributes to weight loss. You can use the following recipes to make the 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 greens of your choice;
- a 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 will get a rich broth. Remove the fillet from the broth, cool it, then chop it. Then add chopped spinach to the broth and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chopped fillet to the broth and cook for another 5 minutes. You should have a mushy mass that needs to be turned into puree with a mixer while gradually adding milk. At the end of the cooking process, season with salt, pepper and 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, replacing the milk with skimmed milk 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 milliliters of milk (skimmed milk);
- various greens;
- Salt;
- Pepper.
Peel the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, then remove the skin, finely chop. Peel onions and cut them into fine pieces. Also peel and grate the carrots. Then take a non-stick pan and fry the onions and carrots on it without adding any oil. Then add chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. After that, take a saucepan, slide the contents of the pan into it and fill it with water, boil for 5 minutes, and then add the chopped salmon fillet. After 2 minutes add milk and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally add salt, pepper and chopped herbs. Turn off the heating and let the soup steep for another 20 minutes. The recipe can be changed by replacing the salmon with a different type of fish.
Chicken Meatball Soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of chicken broth;
- 400 grams of chicken fillet
- Onion head,
- Salt,
- Pepper,
- Greens,
- Bulgarian peppers;
- 200 grams of green beans.
Take the chicken fillet and turn it in a meat grinder, add the chopped onion, mix. Shape the minced meat into meatballs. After that, take a saucepan with chicken broth, set it on fire and bring to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, toss the chicken meatballs into the boiling water along with the green beans and chopped peppers. Salt the broth a little, add the herbs and cook gently.
Egg noodle soup
For the soup you will need 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 omelette from them in a pan, fry on both sides in the form of a pancake. Take a saucepan and put the broth on the fire to boil. While the broth is cooking, take an omelette and cut it into thin noodles. Then add the pasta, chopped herbs, salt and pepper mixture to the boiling broth and simmer for two minutes. Then the soup is ready.
Second course recipes
Many people mistakenly think that if you diet, you need to create a daily menu only from protein products. However, this is a misconception that you can cook dishes with added vegetables. For example, tomatoes contain lycopene, which enhances the effects of a protein diet. Nutritionists recommend making a menu for the day that the recipe includes tomatoes. For example, an omelette with tomatoes is perfect for breakfast. You can also choose one of the following protein recipes to diversify your menu.
Omelette with tomatoes and herbs
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes;
- 5 eggs;
- Salt;
- Pepper and herbs.
Take 2 ripe, medium-sized tomatoes, cut them into thin wedges and place them in a hot non-stick pan. Cook them for two minutes. During this time, take the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Then pour egg white over the proteins, season with salt and sprinkle with 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 with little effort.
Fish balls with sauce
Required Ingredients for Fish Balls:
- 1 onion head;
- 400 grams of fish fillet;
- 2 eggs;
- 180 grams of low-fat yogurt;
- Greens: parsley, dill, basil;
- Salt;
- Pepper.
The fish fillet needs to be chopped, mixed with eggs, added salt, pepper and chopped onions. The minced meat must be kneaded from these ingredients and formed into small balls, which then have to be 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 greens into it, add yogurt, pepper and beat with a mixer until a homogeneous mass is formed. Ready-made meatballs should be served with yogurt sauce.
Omelette with squid
Ingredients required for cooking:
- 200 grams of squid;
- 3 eggs;
- Greens;
- Salt;
- Bulgarian peppers.
Soak the squid in boiling water for two minutes, then gently peel it off the film. Cut the squid in half rings and put them in a hot pan after adding some olive oil there. Put chopped peppers on top of the squid and pour the suggested eggs into the next layer. Salt the whole omelette, sprinkle with herbs, cover and fry for 7 minutes. You can also make an omelette with other seafood such as prawns or mussels and create your own recipes for new dishes.
Protein explosion salad
For the salad you will need the following products:
- 2 eggs;
- 100 grams of chicken fillet;
- 100 grams of squid;
- low-fat yoghurt.
Boil hard-boiled eggs, peel and chop into squares. Cook the chicken fillet until tender and then chop. Cook the squid until tender in boiling water, then remove and let cool, cut into half rings. Combine all ingredients in a cup with low-fat yogurt. Optionally, you can add a variety of chopped greens to the salad.