A protein diet means weight loss due to high protein intake and low carbohydrate intake. There is a misconception that if you completely abandon carbohydrates and eat only protein foods, weight loss will occur faster and more efficiently, but this is a misconception. Complete exclusion of carbohydrates from the menu is harmful to health.
Today, protein diets are very popular and many are inspired by examples of movie stars and politicians who managed to lose excess weight thanks to this diet. Therefore, most people are interested and are looking for new protein recipes that can diversify the protein diet menu. So that your meal does not consist of one 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 harm the whole body or worsen chronic diseases. During a protein diet, it is necessary to count the number of calories, you should not eat more than you expend. Calorie consumption can be increased due to physical activity, and calorie consumption can be reduced by replacing high-calorie foods with low-calorie ones, that is, reducing the energy value of food. If you track your calorie intake and follow basic diet principles, your weight loss will be very fast and effective.
Diet principles
- You need to eat six times a day every day. Try to eat the main carbohydrates in the morning, leaving the low calorie ones for dinner, and the last meal should be at least three hours before bedtime.
- Try to make the menu for the day such that slow carbohydrates are consumed only for breakfast, and in the afternoon choose from a large number of dishes that contain more protein foods.
- When cooking, try to choose low-fat recipes and use vegetable oil for salad dressings, forgetting mayonnaise.
- When cooking, try to choose recipes that use steaming or grilling - avoid fried foods.
- Refusing to use sugary drinks, they are dangerous for the figure - remember this!
High protein foods
When following 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, prepare a wide variety of dishes from this product.
- Low-fat cottage cheese - you can eat it for breakfast or prepare various dishes from it. From there, for example, you get a very tasty dessert - a casserole. You can eat no more than 250 grams a day.
- Skim milk - very healthy, besides, it contains a lot of protein. Drink a maximum of a glass per day.
- Egg whites, during the day you can cook omelet or they can serve as an additional ingredient for the preparation of dishes. In one day, you can eat no more than 6 pieces.
- A variety of seafood, they contain a lot of protein and are practically without fat, you can eat them during the day no more than 300 grams.
- Adhering to a protein diet, the main products on the menu should be lean meat, these are taken into account: chicken fillets, lean beef.
- Low-fat varieties of fish, it is allowed to eat no more than 200 grams per day. It is advisable to use it boiled or baked.
- Nuts like peanuts or almonds are storehouses of protein, but you shouldn't eat more than 100 grams per day.
First course recipe
Many people think that following a protein diet should exclude soup from their menu, as most soups contain large amounts of vegetables, but they are not. You can diversify your menu, prepare soups from a protein base (meat broth from poultry or fish), with a carbohydrate sauce. A protein diet does not mean that you only need to eat an omelette every day, liquid food is also necessary, this contributes to weight loss. You can use the recipe below to make soup.
Spinach soup - puree
For soup you will need the following products:
- 200 grams of turkey fillet;
- spinach packaging;
- a few cloves of garlic;
- any vegetable of your choice;
- one third of a glass of milk (skim);
- salt;
- paprika mix.
Take a saucepan, pour water into it and boil turkey fillets in it, you will get a rich broth. Remove the fillets from the broth, let cool, then cut into pieces. Then add chopped spinach to the broth and boil for 5 minutes, then add chopped fillets to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. You should have a mushy mass, which should be turned into a puree using a blender, adding the milk gradually. At the end of cooking, season with salt, pepper and add the chopped herbs. It is recommended to serve the soup immediately after cooking, as the consistency can change when reheated. You can, at your discretion, modify the recipe by substituting milk for skim cream or turkey fillet for chicken.
"Salmon milk" fish soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 400 grams of salmon fillets;
- 4 medium 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, chop finely. Peel the onions and chop finely. Also, peel the carrots and grate them. Then take a non-stick skillet and fry the onions and carrots on top without adding oil, then add chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. After that take the pan, transfer the contents of the pan into it and fill it with water, cook for 5 minutes, then add the chopped salmon fillet. After 2 minutes, add milk and simmer for another 5 minutes, and in the end add salt, pepper, chopped spices. Turn off the heat and let the soup steep for another 20 minutes. The recipe can be changed by replacing salmon with other types of fish.
Chicken Meatball Soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of chicken stock;
- 400 grams of chicken fillet
- onion head,
- salt,
- pepper,
- green vegetable,
- paprika;
- 200 grams of green beans
Take the chicken fillet and turn it in a meat grinder, add chopped onions to it, stir. Shape the minced meat into meatballs. After that, take a pot with chicken broth, and turn on the heat, bring to a boil. As soon as the broth is boiling, put the chicken meatballs in the boiling water, along with the green beans and chopped peppers. Salt a little broth, add seasonings and cook until tender.
Egg noodle soup
For soup you will need the following products:
- 3 eggs;
- 1 liter of broth (chicken);
- various vegetables of your choice;
- paprika mix.
Beat 3 eggs with a mixer and cook a thin omelet from them in a pan, frying on both sides in the form of pancakes. Take a saucepan, put the broth in it on the heat until it boils. When the broth boils, take an omelette and cut it into thin noodles. Then add the noodles, chopped spices, salt, pepper mixture to the boiling broth and simmer for two minutes, after which the soup is ready.
Recipe for second course
Many people mistakenly think that when following a diet, you need to make the menu for the day only from protein products, but it 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 creating 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 one of the protein recipes below to vary your menu.
Omelet with tomatoes and spices
Material:
- 2 medium tomatoes;
- 5 eggs;
- salt;
- pepper and spices.
Take 2 medium sized ripe tomatoes, cut into thin strips and place in a hot non-stick skillet. Boil for two minutes, during which time take the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Then pour the tomatoes with protein, salt and sprinkle with chopped herbs over the omelette. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the omelette for 7 minutes. You can make a delicious omelet for breakfast every day without much effort.
Fish balls with sauce
Materials needed for fish balls:
- 1 head of onion;
- 400 grams of fish fillets;
- 2 eggs;
- 180 grams of low-fat yogurt;
- green vegetables: parsley, anise, basil;
- salt;
- pepper.
Fish fillets should be chopped, mixed with egg, salt, pepper, chopped onions should be added. From these ingredients, it is necessary to knead the minced meat and form small balls from it, which then need to be fried in a hot pan with the addition of olive oil. After frying, put the meatballs in the pan and simmer for 5 minutes, adding a little water. When the meatballs are boiling, take a cup, mash all the vegetables in it, add yogurt, pepper and beat in a blender until a homogeneous mass is formed. Ready-to-eat meatballs should be served with yogurt sauce.
Omelet with squid
Materials needed for cooking:
- 200 grams of squid;
- 3 eggs;
- Green vegetable;
- salt;
- paprika.
Dip the squid in boiling water for two minutes, so that it is easy to peel from the film. Cut the squid in half and put it in the hot skillet, after adding a little olive oil. Place the chopped peppers on top of the squid, and pour the pre-beaten egg onto the next layer. Salt the whole omelet, sprinkle with spices, then cover and fry for 7 minutes. You can also make an omelette with other seafood such as shrimp or shellfish, creating your own recipes for new dishes.
Protein Blast Salad
For a salad you will need the following products:
- 2 eggs;
- 100 grams of chicken fillet;
- 100 grams of squid;
- low fat yogurt.
Boil boiled eggs, peel, cut into squares. Boil the chicken fillets until tender then cut into pieces. Boil the squid in boiling water until tender, then remove and cool, cut into half rings. Mix all the ingredients in one cup with low-fat yogurt. Optionally, you can add various chopped vegetables to the salad.