Dinner for weight loss: grocery lists, TOP best dishes, recipes

“Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, give dinner to your enemy!” - a catchphrase that has become almost the motto of all those who are losing weight. However, few people understand its full meaning, although purely intuitively people feel that it is impossible to completely refuse evening meals, even for the purpose of losing weight.

Hence the numerous antagonistic phrases coined among the people:

“To spite my enemies, I eat dinner myself!” “I would give dinner to the enemy, but can you really get enough of them all?” “I’m very kind. There’s no one to even give dinner to!” “It’s not easy to find such an unassuming enemy who agrees to eat your every dinner. Only gourmets all around"

And all these phrases are true to some extent. In fact, there is no reason to exclude this meal from your menu. You just need to organize it correctly, then there will be benefits for both health and figure. It is especially important to know what dinner should be for weight loss in order to achieve good results from any diet.

Why do you need dinner?

Everyone understands why breakfast is needed: to wake up and gain energy. No one doubts the importance of lunch, which is the main meal of the day. But many people easily refuse dinner, saying that they have already eaten to their fill all day and there is no point in loading their poor stomach before bed.

In fact, it is no less important than breakfast and lunch, as it performs a number of vital functions.

Eliminates prolonged starvation of the body, which leads to fat deposits.
Does not allow deficiency of nutrients.
Helps you fall asleep, since hunger and the rumbling of an empty stomach are common causes of insomnia.
Maintains the necessary metabolic rate, which slows down if food does not enter the stomach for too long.
Provides the body with amino acids, which are used at night to build muscle mass, grow nails and hair.
Helps restore strength at the end of a hard working day and after training.
Saturates, preventing attacks of night hunger and late gatherings in the kitchen.
Relaxes and calms.

A properly organized dinner helps to improve well-being, improve health and lose weight.

Why is it called that? The word "supper" comes from the ancient Greek "δεῖπνον", which translates as "evening meal".

Snack before bed

If after a proper dinner there is a slight feeling of hunger, then a couple of hours before going to bed you can have a light snack. The most suitable products for this purpose are fermented milk products with low fat content, for example, kefir, unsweetened yogurt, yogurt. One glass (200 ml) of the drink will be enough for a snack; it is advisable to drink it not in one gulp, but at a slow pace.

In the evening you often crave sweets; this may be due to a sharp drop in insulin levels in the blood. This happens due to irregular nutrition, when, for example, you skipped lunch or had lunch with foods with easily digestible carbohydrates.

To avoid craving sweets in the evening, consume complex carbohydrates during the day – cereals, vegetables. If you still want something sweet, don’t rush to grab a chocolate bar; instead, drink mint tea with honey – it relaxes you and helps you rest well.

What should he be like?

Dinner must have certain characteristics so that everything eaten is beneficial and does not end up overnight in deposits on the sides and stomach.

Light so that the food has time to digest before bed and does not cause a feeling of heaviness and fermentation.
Useful for the body to consume vitamins and other bioactive substances rather than storing reserves in the form of fats.
Low in calories to promote weight loss.
Small in volume.
Complete and balanced: must contain all the necessary nutrients, the approximate ratio of BJU is 40/20/40.
Protein and low-fat, based on the previous parameter.
Nutritious so that you won’t want to eat anymore before bed.
Early: no later than 19.00.

These characteristics are suitable for dinner both as part of weight loss and while observing the principles of proper nutrition.

In Germany. Germans have dinner from 18.00 to 19.00. The basis is cold but hearty dishes: fish, pork, beef, sausage and cheese. Can't do without traditional national beer.

Recommendations

Sequence of dishes

First you need to eat a vegetable dish so that it prepares the stomach to digest heavier food. After this, you can start eating protein foods. Drinks can be drunk only half an hour after eating.

Portion volume

A vegetable dish should be 2-3 times larger in volume than a protein dish: this is approximately 250 g of vegetables and 100 g of protein for women, 300 g and 150 g, respectively, for men.

Calorie content

Should be 25-30% of the daily diet. With proper nutrition - about 400 kcal, for weight loss - no more than 300 kcal.

Time

Everyone knows the simple truth that you need to have dinner 3-4 hours before bedtime, so that the food is digested and your stomach rests at night. Otherwise, everything that does not have time to be processed will go to the formation of fat depots. In this case, nutritionists advise taking into account the time of breakfast. At least 10 hours must pass between it and the evening meal. If in the morning you eat at 08.00, then in the evening you can do it at 18.00. But if you get up late and eat later for the first time, then move dinner too.

Always have dinner at the same time.

Cooking method

Vegetables are best eaten raw. Make light salads out of them. If you have stomach problems, bake, use a steamer or boil as a side dish. Meat and fish should be baked, steamed or boiled. Diet dinner as part of weight loss excludes fried foods.

General points

Thorough chewing will facilitate and speed up the digestion process and quickly satisfy hunger.
You can’t limit dinner to just fermented milk products. They will not be able to provide the body with everything it needs.
About 1.5 hours after dinner, it is recommended to take a walk in the fresh air for half an hour to use up some of the calories consumed in the evening.
Half an hour before bedtime, a glass of kefir or herbal tea is allowed. In case of a strong attack of hunger - a small green apple.
A complete refusal of dinner (recommended in some diets - in particular, the model diet) forces the body to store fats during breakfast and lunch. Don't expect him to use them all up in one evening.
You need to leave the table with a slight feeling of hunger.

For many, dinner is the only meal of the day when the whole family gathers around the table together. Unfortunately, more and more often it is spent not having warm conversations, enjoying home cooking, but watching TV, ordering delivery of ready-made food with trans fats (pizza, sushi, hamburgers, quick salads, nuggets, French fries). If your goal is to eat right or lose weight, don’t make this mistake.

IN THE USA. Americans have two dinners: early (from 18.00 to 19.00) and late (around 22.00). The first (Dinner) is almost a complete lunch, since during the day they are busy and only allow themselves snacks. And in the evening the whole family gathers at the table. Traditional dishes include burgers, fries, grilled steaks, nuggets and lots of sauces. You won't see any side dishes here. Second dinner (Supper) - pizza to order, chips, nuts and other fast food, which is consumed in front of the TV. These features of American national cuisine explain why the United States is the leader in the number of people suffering from obesity.

Hearty scrambled eggs

This simple dish will help satisfy your hunger for a long time.

You will need to take:

2-3 medium tomatoes;
2-3 eggs;
a little vegetable oil;
salt.

It will take about 10 minutes to prepare the dish:

finely chop the tomatoes and place them in a frying pan with oil;
simmer them for 3-4 minutes under a closed lid;
As soon as the vegetables release their juice, pour in the beaten eggs;
salt the mixture and stir well;
Set the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes.

A simple but healthy dinner is ready.

Product Lists

Can:

as a source of protein: boiled eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, feta cheese, white cheeses (feta, Adyghe, mozzarella);
vegetables (the healthiest and lowest-calorie ones can be found in our article at the link);
beans, chickpeas, lentils;
greens: feather onion, amaranth, dill, parsley, celery;
lean fish, seafood;
boiled lean meat; nutritionists call turkey ideal for dinner (it contains tryptophan, which improves digestion and helps with insomnia), although chicken breast is also suitable;
spices, spices, but not too hot: cardamom, ginger, ground black pepper, coriander;
sprouted cereals;
mushrooms;
soy products;
unrefined vegetable oils, freshly squeezed lemon juice, 9% apple or balsamic vinegar, 10% sour cream - for salad dressing.

Drinks include herbal tea, kefir, fresh juices, smoothies, cocktails, dry red wine (no more than 1 glass).

It is forbidden:

peas, beans (promote flatulence);
fatty dairy products;
corn, potatoes, beets, carrots;
fatty fish;
fatty meat: pork, lamb, goose, duck;
flour products;
sweets;
dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruits;
flakes;
sandwiches;
dumplings, dumplings and other semi-finished products combining meat and dough;
fast food, snacks;
fried foods, canned food, smoked meats.

Drinks include caffeinated drinks, energy drinks, carbonated drinks, and alcoholic drinks.

Controversial issues

Cabbage for dinner provokes increased gas formation at night, but it makes excellent low-calorie diet salads. You can protect yourself from this trouble if you drink dill water half an hour after eating.

Avocado is too high in calories for dinner, but contains amino acids that the body needs at night (we have already talked about the beneficial properties of alligator pear). Therefore, it is recommended to add it in small quantities to salads.

Cereals and pasta are high-calorie foods that are slow carbohydrates. The conclusion is obvious: they will take too long to digest. And if they don’t have time to do this, all the leftovers will go into fat deposits. On the other hand, they provide long-term satiety and prevent night trips to the refrigerator. The second argument for it is that they are good for health.

Solution: if you are on a diet that involves consuming a large amount of carbohydrates, rice, buckwheat and even oatmeal are possible on the evening menu. For people whose work involves heavy physical activity, for men and those who engage in intense strength training, they can also be eaten as a side dish for meat or fish. They are definitely of no use to a woman who is losing weight.

When deciding this issue for yourself, know that nutritionists still recommend leaving cereals for the morning: a proper dinner for weight loss should not contain them.

In Great Britain. The British have dinner late, already around 21.00. They start with wine. The main dishes are roast beef, steaks, vegetable side dishes (legumes, boiled corn, cauliflower) with sauces. The meal ends with tea and something sweet.

Crispy potatoes with garlic

It is impossible to imagine a Lenten dinner without aromatic baked potatoes; recipes with photos, unfortunately, cannot convey the aromas that fill the kitchen while preparing the dish. The dish is simple to prepare and eaten quickly!

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 5 pieces;
Garlic – 3 cloves;
Vegetable oil – 4 tablespoons;
Salt and black pepper to taste;
Breadcrumbs - 2 tablespoons;
Parsley - half a bunch.

Crispy potatoes with garlic: recipe with photos

Cooking method:

Cut the potatoes into slices;
In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, vegetable oil and breading. Pour the resulting sauce over the potato wedges and mix thoroughly;
We cut off the head of the garlic, but do not peel it, pour it with olive oil and wrap it in foil;
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes;
Cook the garlic for 25 minutes, after which we take it out, peel it and mash it with a fork;
Fry the mashed garlic in olive oil along with chopped herbs for a couple of minutes;
Serve the slices with garlic sauce.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Lent is a great time to show your imagination. There are a huge number of Lenten recipes. At the same time, the dishes turn out aromatic and tasty!

3 dinners for two with free delivery for RUB 1,990.

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Top best dishes for dinner

If you want to lose weight, choose only dietary dishes for dinner. They should be low-calorie and as healthy as possible. A small rating will guide you and tell you exactly how to diversify the menu to benefit your health and figure.

Salads made from green vegetables and herbs, with herbs and spices, lemon juice or olive oil as a dressing.
Protein salads with pieces of chicken, shrimp, crab meat, cottage cheese, egg whites, with sour cream instead of dressing.
Vegetable stew.
Cottage cheese with herbs / cottage cheese casserole.
Boiled turkey/chicken.
Omelette (preferably baked or microwaved) with vegetables, boiled eggs.
Seafood salad.
Steamed fish.
Boiled beans.
Cocktails / smoothies / fresh juices.

In Japan. In the land of the rising sun, dinner is strictly at 18.00. The base is rice, noodles, clear misosiru and suimono soups, meat, fish, steamed vegetables, pickled snacks (tsukemono), sweets (wagashi) with green tea. Peculiarities of the meal: small portions and duration of the meal (sometimes it lasts 1.5-2 hours), since the Japanese chew everything thoroughly and know how to truly enjoy food.

Dinner options

Depending on the conditions for organizing dinner (with a diet or with proper nutrition), the menu should include different dishes and products that meet the basic principles of the chosen diet.

Low calorie:

vegetable salads with lemon juice: vitamin, celery, Greek;
stewed and baked vegetables;
vegetable stew;
grilled vegetables;
vegetable cutlets;
green salads.

Protein:

boiled chicken or turkey breast;
steamed or baked fish;
seafood salads;
boiled eggs, egg white omelet;
skim cheese;
white cheeses;
mushroom salads;
protein salads with seafood or meat.

Drinking:

milk and green cocktails;
herbal teas;
unsweetened dried fruit compote;
fresh juices from unsweetened fruits and sour berries;
freshly squeezed vegetable juices;
green smoothies;
low-fat chicken broth.

Carbohydrate:

beans, chickpeas, lentils;
sprouted cereals;
avocado;
durum wheat pasta;
varieties of fish with medium fat content;
steamed or boiled veal and beef, cutlets or meatballs made from them;
cereals: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal;
rye bread, whole grain bread.

A healthy dinner should be balanced in terms of the ratio of BJU. You need to include all of the above dishes and products in your diet one by one.

In France. The French have dinner around 20.00 and combine it with watching TV. The basis is light salads made from fresh vegetables and plenty of greens.

Recipes

Light salads

Curd

Tear 100 g of Chinese cabbage with your hands, cut 100 g of fresh cucumber into strips, chop the greens (50 g each of dill and parsley). Add 30 ml lemon juice and stir. After this, add 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese and mix again.

With sun-dried tomatoes

Cut 100 g of washed radish into slices. 5 pieces. put 2 sun-dried tomatoes into strips, 2 fresh ones into slices. Cut 100 g feta cheese into arbitrary pieces. Tear 3 lettuce leaves with your hands. Mix. Sprinkle with fruit vinegar and lemon juice, add salt and pepper.

Greek

Coarsely chop 100 g of feta cheese, 1 salad pepper, 1 tomato, 1 cucumber, 1 onion. Prepare the dressing separately: mix 3 crushed garlic cloves, 10 ml of grape vinegar and 25 ml of olive oil. Mix vegetables and cheese, season with sauce, place on lettuce leaves, and top with olives.

Main dishes

Turkey omelette

Cut the boiled turkey fillet (150 g) into small pieces, cut into strips 1 green bell pepper. Mix. Pour in 2 egg whites. Bake in the microwave for 3 minutes. Place on a plate with lettuce leaves, sprinkle with chopped green onions.

Flounder with steamed vegetables

Cut 1 flounder carcass into portions, season it with seasonings and spices. Place 100 g of young zucchini into cubes, 100 g of eggplant and celery stalks into strips, and 2 tomatoes into slices. Crush a couple of garlic cloves. Mix the vegetables and drizzle with olive oil. Place everything in a bowl and turn on the steamer for half an hour.

Turkey meatballs

Cut 500 g turkey fillet into small pieces and pass through a meat grinder. Add 1 raw egg, 1 small chopped onion, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 10 g suneli hops, salt (optional) to the minced meat. Beat the minced meat, form it into meatballs, and lightly roll in flour. Place in a thick-walled pan, pour 1.5 liters of boiling water. Add 1 more chopped onion and 1 tomato, cut into slices, add 50 g of tomato sauce, a couple of bay leaves, and a few peppercorns. Simmer for about an hour over moderate heat.

Smoothies, cocktails

Curd

Beat 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese and 100 ml of 1% milk in a blender.

Green

Cut 100 g of celery stalk into pieces, pour in 200 ml of 1% kefir, add 20 g of chopped dill. Beat in a blender.

Vegetable

Cut cucumbers, tomatoes and celery stalks into 50 g pieces. Add 20 g of chopped herbs (feather onions, dill and parsley), a little pepper, Tabasco sauce. Pour 250 ml of 1% kefir. Mix in a blender.

When organizing the perfect dinner for weight loss, remember that it can only become so under two conditions: if it is healthy and you like it. This applies not only to a diet that meets the principles of a healthy diet, but also to diets. If the food seems bland and tasteless, you will go to bed on an empty stomach, which will only harm your body.