It is believed that the right diet is suitable for those people who want to lose weight. But this is not true, because a balanced diet is necessary for everyone, whether they want to lose weight, build muscle mass or just keep fit.
If you stick to the principles of good nutrition, you know how important snacks are. These intermediate meals help to restrain hunger and not to eat too much. However, wrongly selected snack foods can quickly reduce all efforts to zero.
Why include snacks in your diet, what to buy in the store as a useful snack and how to cook them yourself, we will tell you in this article.
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GOOD NUTRITION
The basis of a balanced diet is the correct distribution of proteins, fats, carbohydrates in the diet and compliance with caloric norms. The ratio of nutrients and calories is selected individually for each person based on gender, age, lifestyle, metabolism and purpose. On the average, the distribution of LPG looks as follows:
- When losing weight, it is necessary to adhere to a diet with a calorie deficit of about 10-15%, where 30-35% of the daily calorie intake are proteins, 30% - fats, 40% - carbohydrates.
- For a set of muscle mass, the surplus of calories in the diet is 10-20% of the daily norm, 30-35% of which are proteins, 25-30% fat, 45-55% carbohydrates.
The correct power supply consists of 5-6 meals, where in addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, 2-3 snacks are included. In addition to compliance with the ELC, one should pay attention to the quality of the food consumed. It should be mainly complex carbohydrates, quality protein, polyunsaturated fats of plant origin.
WHAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF SNACKS?
- Small meals help to restrain hunger and not to overeat during the main meal. It also helps to keep the gastrointestinal tract working, improve metabolism and stimulate weight loss. Snacking makes it clear to the body that it is not in danger of starvation, blood sugar levels do not drop to a critical level, so you can calm down and relax.
- Snacks usually include meals between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, and before bedtime. But in different situations this scheme can change, for example, if you have a late lunch, then after breakfast you can afford 2 snacks.
- The first snack or second breakfast can include the following combinations: carbohydrates, carbohydrates and protein, carbohydrates and fats.
- A second snack or snack should consist of protein, protein and fats, and should also contain fiber.
- For an evening snack, protein products with a minimum amount of fat should be selected.
- Calorie content of each snack should be about 150-250 kcal.
TOP 5 FAST SNACKS
For those who don't have time to make snacks at home or just don't want to think about what to eat every day, we'veprepared a rating of the most useful products that are easy to find in the store:
- Nut mix;
- Kefir or natural yogurt;
- Tvorog;
- Cereal/protein bar or protein biscuits;
- Banana or apple or other fruit.
HEALTHY SNACKS ON THE ROAD OR ON THE GO
If you're going on a trip, for a long walk or just being on your feet all day, you can't do without a quick healthy snack. You should choose products that are convenient to eat even on the move and they do not spoil from the heat. Options:
- Nutritious: nut mixture, natural drinking yoghurt and whole grain bread, dried lean meat in vacuum packaging.
- Sweet: seasonal fruits, berries, a handful of dried fruits, healthy protein bars.
- Not sweet: seasonal vegetables, a small portion of cheese.
A SNACK WITH THE RIGHT FOOD AT WORK
It is much easier to eat properly at work than on the road, as it is possible to prepare food at home and then heat it up in a microwave oven. Examples of the right healthy snacks at work, which are suitable for both thinner and gaining weight:
- Nutritious: cheesecakes, protein pancakes, protein soup, a portion of cottage cheese.
- Sweet: cup of berries or fruit, homemade oatmeal cookies.
- Not sweet: vegetable sticks, healthy sandwiches, guacamole with wholemeal bread.
GOURMET MEALS AT HOME
If you have a snack at home, you have the opportunity to diversify your menu, because nothing prevents you from preparing a tasty and healthy dish. Here's what you can cook for a snack with the right food:
- Nutritious: boiled eggs or omelette with vegetables, a roll of lavash with cottage cheese and vegetables filling, a sandwich of wholemeal bread with red fish.
- Sweet: baked apples with cinnamon and nuts, smoothies, a portion of protein shake.
- Not sweet: vegetable salad, homemade grain bread with seeds, cottage cheese.