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 abandon carbohydrates and eat only protein foods, weight loss will occur more quickly and efficiently, but this is a misconception. The complete exclusion of carbohydrates from the menu is dangerous to health.
Nowadays, the protein diet is especially popular and many were 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 looking 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 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 eat more protein foods, but it is not recommended to completely exclude carbohydrates, as they can harm the whole body or aggravate 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 foods, that is, reducing the energy value of food. If you control your calorie intake and follow the basic dietary principles, your weight loss will become extraordinarily fast and effective.
Principles of diet
- You need 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 bedtime.
- Try to create a menu for the day so that slow carbohydrates are only consumed 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, forget about mayonnaise.
- When cooking, try to choose recipes that use steam or grill - avoid fried foods.
- Refuse to use sugary drinks, they are harmful to the figure - remember this!
Main protein foods
When 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 wide variety of dishes from these products.
- Low-fat cottage cheese - you can eat it for breakfast or prepare various dishes with it. From it, for example, you get a very tasty dessert - a casserole. You can eat it in one day, maximum 250 grams.
- Skimmed milk - it is very healthy, in addition to containing large amounts of protein. It is allowed to drink a maximum of one glass a day.
- Egg white, during the day you can cook from the omelet or it can serve as an additional ingredient in the preparation of the dish. In one day, you cannot eat more than 6 of them.
- Various seafood, they contain a huge mass of protein and virtually no fat, you can eat them during the day no more than 300 grams.
- Following a protein diet, the main product on the menu should be lean meat, this is considered: chicken fillet, lean meat.
- Fish of varieties with low fat content, it is allowed to eat it per day, maximum 200 grams. It is recommended to use it cooked or grilled.
- Nuts like peanuts or almonds are a storehouse 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 lot of vegetables, but this is not the case. You can diversify your menu, prepare a soup from a protein base (chicken or fish broth), with a carbohydrate sauce. A protein diet does not mean that you need to eat just one egg omelet every day, liquid foods are also necessary as they contribute to weight loss. You can use the recipes below to make the soup.
Spinach soup - puree
For soup, you will need the following products:
- 200 grams of turkey fillet;
- spinach packaging;
- some garlic cloves;
- any greens of your choice;
- one third of a glass of milk (skimmed);
- salt;
- a mixture of peppers.
Take a pan, pour water on it and boil the turkey fillet in it, you will get a rich broth. Remove the fillet from the broth, let it cool and chop. 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. A doughy mass must be obtained, which must be pureed in a blender, adding the milk little by little. At the end of the cooking season with salt, pepper and add the chopped herbs. It is recommended to serve the soup right after cooking, as it can change its consistency when reheated. You can, at your discretion, modify the recipe by replacing the milk with sour cream or turkey fillet for chicken.
Fish soup "Salmon milk"
You will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 400 grams of salmon fillet;
- 4 medium-sized tomatoes;
- 1 medium onion;
- 500 milliliters of milk (skimmed);
- several greens;
- salt;
- Chili.
Peel the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, then remove the peel and finely chop. Peel the onion and finely chop. Also, peel the carrots and grate them. Then, take a nonstick skillet and fry the onions and carrots without adding oil, then add the chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. Then, take a pan, put the contents of the pan in it and fill with water, cook for 5 minutes and 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 let the soup steep for another 20 minutes. The recipe can be modified by replacing 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,
- Chili,
- green,
- Pepper;
- 200 grams of green beans.
Take the chicken fillet and twist in a meat grinder, add the chopped onion and mix. Turn minced meat into meatballs. After that, take a pan with chicken broth, bring it to a boil and bring it to a boil. Once the broth has boiled, place the chicken meatballs in the boiling water, along with the green beans and chopped peppers. Salt the broth a little, add the herbs and cook until tender.
Egg noodle soup
For soup, you will need the following products:
- 3 eggs;
- 1 liter of broth (chicken);
- a variety of greens to choose from;
- a mixture of peppers.
Beat 3 eggs in an electric mixer and cook a thin omelette of them in a pan, fry on both sides in the shape of a pancake. Take a pan and put the broth on the fire to boil. While the broth is boiling, take an omelet and cut into thin noodles. Then add the pasta, chopped herbs, salt and pepper mixture to the boiling broth and cook for two minutes, after which the soup will be ready.
Second Course Recipes
Many people mistakenly think that, when following a diet, you need to make a daily menu with only protein products, but it is a mistake to say that you can cook dishes with the addition of vegetables. For example, tomatoes contain lycopene, which increases the effects of a protein diet. Nutritionists recommend making a menu for the day, where the recipe includes tomatoes. For example, an omelet with tomatoes is perfect for breakfast. You can also choose any of the protein recipes below to diversify your menu.
Omelet with tomato and herbs
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes;
- 5 eggs;
- salt;
- pepper and herbs.
Take 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, cut them into thin slices and place in a hot nonstick skillet. Cook for two minutes, during which remove the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Then pour over the tomato with protein, salt and sprinkle with chopped herbs in the omelet. Cover the pan and cook the omelet for 7 minutes. You can make a delicious omelet for breakfast every day without much effort.
Fish meatballs with sauce
Necessary ingredients for fish cakes:
- 1 onion head;
- 400 grams of fish fillet;
- 2 eggs;
- 180 grams of low-fat yogurt;
- greens: parsley, dill, basil;
- salt;
- Chili.
The fish fillet should be chopped, mixed with eggs, salt, pepper, chopped onion should be added. From these ingredients, it is necessary to knead the minced meat and form balls with it, which then need to be fried in a hot frying pan with the addition of olive oil. After frying, place the meatballs in a pan and cook for 5 minutes, adding a little water. While the meatballs are cooking, take a cup, grind all the vegetables, add the yogurt, pepper and mix in a blender until you get a homogeneous mass. Ready meatballs should be served with yogurt sauce.
Omelet with Squid
Necessary ingredients for cooking:
- 200 grams of squid;
- 3 eggs;
- Greens;
- salt;
- Pepper.
Soak the squids in boiling water for two minutes, then remove them easily from the film. Cut the squid in half slices and place them in a hot skillet, after adding a little olive oil. Place the chopped pepper on top of the squid and pour the pre-beaten eggs into the next layer. Salt the entire omelette, sprinkle with herbs, cover and fry for 7 minutes. You can also make an omelet with other seafood, such as shrimp or mussels, creating 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 yogurt.
Boil the hard-boiled eggs, peel them, cut them into squares. Boil the chicken fillet until tender and chop. Boil the squids in boiling water until they are soft, remove and let cool, cut in half rings. Combine all ingredients in a cup with low-fat yogurt. Optionally, you can add a variety of chopped vegetables to the salad.