A protein diet means weight loss due to high protein foods and minimal carbohydrate intake. It is a misconception that if you completely omit carbs and consume only protein foods, you will lose weight faster and more efficiently, but this is a misconception. The complete exclusion of carbohydrates from the menu is dangerous to health.
Nowadays, a protein diet is especially popular, and many have been inspired by movie stars and politicians who have gotten rid of extra pounds thanks to this diet. Therefore, most people are interested and looking for new recipes for protein foods that can make the protein diet menu more varied. To make sure your diet doesn’t consist of an omelette egg, you can make the following recipes for the first and second courses, as well as a variety of salads and desserts.
The essence of the diet
It is necessary to consume more protein foods during the diet, but the complete exclusion of carbohydrates is not recommended, it can damage the whole body or aggravate chronic diseases. During a protein diet, the number of calories should be calculated, you should not eat more than you have consumed. Calorie intake can be increased due to physical activity, and calorie intake can be reduced by replacing high calorie foods with low calorie foods, i. e. , reducing the energy value of the foods. If you monitor your calorie intake and follow basic nutritional principles, you will lose weight unusually fast and efficiently.
Principles of diet
- You should eat six times a day. Try to eat your main carbs in the morning, leave your low-calorie ones for dinner, and have your last meal at least three hours before bed.
- Try to make a menu for the day that consumes slow carbs only for breakfast, and choose from plenty of foods in the afternoon that include 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.
- Refusing to use sugary drinks are harmful to your figure - remember that!
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 and make a variety of dishes from these products.
- Low-fat cottage cheese - you can eat it for breakfast or make a variety of dishes. For example, you get a very delicious dessert - a casserole. You can eat up to 250 grams in one day.
- Skim milk - very healthy, in addition, it contains a large amount of protein. A maximum of one glass per day is allowed.
- Egg whites, you can cook an omelette out of them during the day, or they can serve as an additional ingredient in cooking. A maximum of 6 of these can be consumed in one day.
- Various seafood that contains huge amounts of protein and is virtually fat-free can consume up to 300 grams during the day.
- In addition to following a protein diet, the main product on the menu should be lean meat, it is considered: chicken fillet, lean beef.
- Fish of low-fat varieties, up to 200 grams per day. It is recommended to use it cooked or grilled.
- Nuts, such as peanuts or almonds, are stores of protein, but you can consume up to 100 grams a day.
First course recipes
Many people believe that following a protein diet should exclude soups from their menu, as most soups contain large amounts of vegetables, but this is not the case. You can make your menu more varied, you can make soup from a protein base (poultry or fish broth) with carbohydrate sauce. A protein diet does not mean that you only need to eat an omelette from the egg every day, you also need liquid food, it contributes to weight loss. You can use the recipes below 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 green chosen;
- a glass of milk dew (skimmed);
- salt;
- mixture of peppers.
Take a pan, pour water into it and boil the turkey fillet in it, we get a rich broth. Remove the fillets from the broth, cool and chop. Then add chopped spinach to the broth, boil for 5 minutes, then add the chopped fillet to the broth and boil for another 5 minutes. You should have a pasty paste, which should be turned into a puree with a blender while gradually adding the milk. At the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper and add chopped herbs. It is recommended to serve the soup immediately after cooking, as it can change its texture when reheated. You can modify the recipe at your own discretion by replacing the milk with exchanged cream or chicken turkey fillet.
Fish soup "milk salmon"
You will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 400 grams of salmon fillet;
- 4 medium-sized tomatoes;
- 1 medium onion;
- 500 ml of milk (skimmed);
- various greens;
- salt;
- pepper.
Peel the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, then remove the peel, chop. Peel the onion and chop finely. Also pull the carrots and grate. Then take a non-stick pan and fry the onions and carrots in it without adding oil, then add the chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. Then take a pan, stir in the contents of the pan, fill with water, cook for 5 minutes, then add the chopped salmon fillet. After 2 minutes, add milk and boil for another 5 minutes, then 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 other types of fish.
Chicken meatball soup
You will need:
- 1 liter of chicken broth;
- 400 grams of chicken fillet
- onion head,
- salt,
- pepper,
- greens,
- bell peppers;
- 200 grams of green beans.
Take the chicken fillet and roll it up in a meat grinder, add the chopped onion, mix. The minced meat is formed into meatballs. Then take a pan with chicken broth and put on the fire, bring to a boil. As the broth boils, throw the chicken meatballs into the boiling water, along with the green beans and chopped peppers. Add a little salt to the broth, add the herbs and cook until softened.
Egg noodle soup
For the soup you will need the following products:
- 3 eggs;
- 1 liter of broth (chicken);
- various vegetables of your choice;
- mixture of peppers.
Beat 3 eggs with a mixer and cook a thin omelette in a pan, frying on both sides in the form of pancakes. Take a pan, put the broth over the heat to bring to a boil. While the broth is boiling, take an omelette and cut into thin noodles. Then add the dough, chopped herbs, salt, pepper mixture to the boiling broth and simmer for two minutes, then the soup is ready.
Recipes for a second course
Many people mistakenly think that when following a diet, you should only make your daily menu from protein products, but it is a misconception that we can cook food by adding vegetables. For example, tomatoes contain lycopene, which enhances the effects of a protein-rich diet. Nutritionists recommend making a menu for the day where the recipe includes tomatoes. For example, an omelette with tomatoes perfect for breakfast. You can also choose any 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 into thin wedges and place in a hot non-stick pan. Simmer them for two minutes, during which time take the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Then pour over the tomatoes with proteins, salt and sprinkle with chopped herbs 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 meatballs with sauce
Ingredients for fish balls:
- 1 head onion;
- 400 grams of fish fillet;
- 2 eggs;
- 180 grams of low-fat yogurt;
- greens: parsley, dill, basil;
- salt;
- pepper.
The fish fillet should be minced, mix with eggs, salt, pepper, chopped onion should be added. Knead the minced meat from these ingredients and form small spheres, which are then fried in a hot pan with the addition of olive oil. After frying, place the meatballs in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, adding a little water. While the meatballs are steaming, take a cup, grind in all the greens, add yogurt, pepper and bake in a blender until a homogeneous mass is formed. Finished meatballs should be served with yogurt sauce.
Omelette squid
Ingredients for cooking:
- 200 grams of squid;
- 3 eggs;
- Greens;
- salt;
- bell pepper.
Immerse the squid in boiling water for two minutes, then easily peel off the film. Cut the squid in half and place in a hot pan after adding a little olive oil. Place chopped peppers on top of the squid, pour the pre-beaten eggs into the next layer. Salt the whole omelette, sprinkle with herbs, then cover and bake for 7 minutes. You can make an omelette with other seafood, such as shrimp or mussels, making 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.
Hard-boiled eggs are boiled, peeled, cut into squares. Bring the chicken fillet to a boil and then chop. Boil the squid in boiling water until softened, then remove and cool, cut into half rings. Combine all the ingredients in a cup of low-fat yogurt. Optionally, you can add a variety of chopped greens to your salad.