A protein diet is a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. There is a misconception that if you give up carbohydrates altogether and eat only protein foods, you will lose weight faster and more effectively, but this is a misconception. Complete elimination of carbohydrates from the menu is dangerous to health.
Today, the protein diet is especially popular, and many are inspired by the example of movie stars and politicians who lost weight with the help of this diet. Therefore, most people are interested and looking for new recipes for protein foods that will diversify the menu of the protein diet. You can prepare the following recipes for first and second courses, as well as various salads and desserts, so that your diet does not consist of one omelet.
The importance of diet
It is important to eat more protein in your diet, but it is not recommended to eliminate carbohydrates completely, as this can damage the whole body or exacerbate chronic diseases. During a protein diet, you need to count the number of calories and not overeat. Calories can be increased through physical activity, and high-calorie foods can be replaced by low-calorie foods, which can reduce the energy value of food. If you count your calories and follow the basic principles of the diet, weight loss will be faster and more effective than usual.
Principles of diet
- You need to eat six meals a day. Try to eat basic carbohydrates in the morning, leave low-calorie meals for dinner, the last meal should be three hours before bedtime.
- Create a slow menu every day, slow carbs are only needed for breakfast, and in the afternoon, choose foods that are high in protein.
- When cooking, choose fat-free recipes and use vegetable oil to wrap in salads, forget about mayonnaise.
- When cooking, try to choose steamed or grilled recipes - avoid fried foods.
- Avoid sugary drinks, they are bad for your figure - remember this!
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 variety of dishes from these products and create a menu of the day.
- Low-fat cottage cheese - you can eat it for breakfast or make a variety of dishes from it. From it, for example, you get a very tasty dessert - casserole. It can be eaten no more than 250 grams.
- Skim milk is good for your health and contains a lot of protein. You are allowed to drink the maximum number of glasses per day.
- Egg whites, you can cook omelets from them during the day, or they can serve as an additional ingredient in cooking. In one day, you can eat no more than 6 of them.
- Various seafood, which have a mass of protein and virtually no fat, can be eaten with no more than 300 grams of food during the day.
- Following a protein diet, the main product on the menu should be lean meat: chicken fillet, lean beef.
- Low-fat fish can be eaten no more than 200 grams per day. It is recommended to use it boiled or grilled.
- Peanuts, such as peanuts or almonds, are a storehouse of protein, but you can eat no more than 100 grams a day.
First course recipes
Most people think that sticking to a protein diet should eliminate soups from the menu, because most soups contain a lot of vegetables and fruits, but this is not the case. You can diversify your menu and add protein-based soups (meat broth made from dough or fish) to carbohydrates. A protein diet does not mean you should eat egg omelets, you need more liquid food, it helps to lose weight. You can use the following recipes to make soup.
Spinach soup - puree
For the soup you will need the following ingredients:
- 200 grams of turkey fillets;
- a pack of spinach;
- one or two cloves of garlic;
- any vegetables you want;
- one-third of a glass of milk (nonfat);
- salt;
- pepper mixture.
Take a saucepan, pour water into it and boil the turkey fillet, you will get a rich broth. Take the fillet in the soup, cool it and then chop it finely. Then add chopped spinach to the soup and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chopped fillet to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes. You should have a mucous mass, you need to puree it with a mixer, and at the same time gradually add milk. At the end of cooking, add salt and pepper and chopped herbs. It is recommended to serve the soup immediately after cooking, as it can change its consistency when heated. You can change the recipe by replacing the milk with skim cream or chicken fillet.
"Milk salmon" fish soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 400 grams of salmon fillets;
- 4 medium tomatoes;
- 1 medium onion;
- 500 milliliters of milk (nonfat);
- various vegetables;
- salt;
- Bell pepper.
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel them, peel them and finely chop. Peel an onion, grate it and chop finely. Also, peel and grate the carrots. Then remove the non-stick pan and fry the onions and carrots on top without adding oil, then add the chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. Then, take the pot, roll the inside of the bowl, fill it with water and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chopped salmon fillet. After 2 minutes, add milk and simmer for another 5 minutes, then add salt, pepper and chopped herbs. Turn off the heat and let the soup stand for another 20 minutes. You can change the recipe by substituting salmon for another type of fish.
Chicken soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of chicken broth;
- 400 grams of chicken fillet
- onion head,
- salt,
- Bell pepper,
- greens,
- Bulgarian pepper;
- 200 grams of green beans.
Take the chicken fillet, turn it in a meat grinder, add the chopped onion and mix. Shape the minced meat into meatballs. Then, take a pot of chicken broth, put it on the fire and bring to a boil. Once the broth has boiled, toss the chicken in the boiling water, add the green beans and chopped bell peppers. Add a little salt to the soup, add the herbs and cook until tender.
Egg noodle soup
For the soup you will need the following ingredients:
- 3 eggs;
- 1 liter of broth (chicken);
- any vegetables you choose;
- pepper mixture.
Beat 3 eggs with a mixer, cook a thin omelet in a pan, fry on both sides in the form of pancakes. Take a saucepan and bring it to a boil over low heat. While the broth is boiling, take the omelette and cut it into thin noodles. Then add noodles, chopped herbs, salt and pepper to the boiling soup and cook for two minutes, then the soup is ready.
Recipes for the second meal
Most people mistakenly believe that a daily menu should be made only of protein, but it is a mistake to think that you can cook dishes with vegetables. For example, tomatoes contain lycopene, which enhances the effect of a protein diet. Nutritionists recommend making a menu of the day, which includes tomatoes in the recipe. For example, an omelet with tomatoes is perfect for breakfast. You can also choose one of the following protein recipes to make your menu more versatile.
Omelette with tomatoes and herbs
Ingredients:
- 2 medium tomatoes;
- 5 eggs;
- salt;
- pepper and herbs.
Take 2 ripe, medium-sized tomatoes, cut them into thin slices and place on a hot stick. Boil them for two minutes, during which time take the eggs and separate them with the yolks. Then add protein and salt to the tomatoes and sprinkle the chopped herbs on the omelette. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the omelette for 7 minutes. You can make a delicious omelet for breakfast without much effort.
Meatballs with sauce and fish
Ingredients for fish balls:
- 1 onion;
- 400 grams of fish fillets;
- 2 eggs;
- 180 grams of low-fat yogurt;
- vegetables: parsley, dill, basil;
- salt;
- Bell pepper.
Chop the fish fillet, mix with eggs, salt and pepper and add chopped onion. From these ingredients, knead the minced meat to form small balls, then add olive oil and fry in a hot pan. After frying, put the meatballs in a saucepan, add a little water and cook for 5 minutes. While the meatballs are boiling, take a cup, grind all the vegetables in it, add yogurt and pepper and beat with a blender until a homogeneous mass is formed. Ready-made meatballs should be served with yogurt sauce.
Omelet with squid
Ingredients for baking:
- 200 grams of squid;
- 3 eggs;
- Greens;
- salt;
- bell pepper.
Immerse the squid in boiling water for two minutes, then easily remove it from the film. Cut the squid into half rings and place in a hot pan after adding a little olive oil. Put chopped bell pepper on top of the squid and pour the pre-beaten eggs into the next layer. Salt the whole omelette, sprinkle with herbs, then cover and fry for 7 minutes. You can also create recipes for new dishes and make omelets with other seafood such as shrimp or mussels.
Protein Explosion Salad
For the salad you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 eggs;
- 100 grams of chicken fillet;
- 100 grams of squid;
- nonfat yogurt.
Boil hard-boiled eggs, peel them and cut them into squares. Boil the chicken fillets until cooked, then chop finely. Boil the squid in boiling water until tender, then remove, cool and cut into half rings. Combine all ingredients in a cup of nonfat yogurt. If you want, you can add various chopped vegetables to the salad.