Breakfast and dinner: what to eat for a healthy diet

A healthy diet and healthy diet balanced is what allows our body to function optimally. To achieve this , it is essential that based on foods that promote the proper functioning of our body and avoid diet - related diseases, such as obesity or cardiovascular problems. For this reason, experts recommend that our diet is part of a healthy lifestyle, which is rich in plant foods and fiber, and is low in animal fat, in sweet and overly calorie products. This review article the main features of a healthy diet and presents concrete suggestions for breakfast and dinner.

What should contain a healthy diet?

For our diet is balanced must contain at least two servings of vegetables daily , one at lunch and another at dinner; from 2 to 3 pieces or servings of fruit a day; of two to three servings of protein foods per day (meat, fish and eggs, low fat preferred), grains or starches rich in fiber , such as pasta, rice or wholemeal bread or vegetables; and avoid foods like sugar , sweets and jams rich in sugar, sugary drinks , pastries and cakes industrial and precooked foods.

Another aspect that experts recommend is to distribute food intake throughout the day, and do so 5-6 meals a day: breakfast, midmorning, lunch, snack, dinner and snack after dinner. This favors self intake and anxiety and also distributes calorie intake throughout the day.

¿Skipping meals or dinner can help you lose weight?

There is no study showing that skipping a meal can help you lose weight. Although the basis of any low-calorie diet for weight control is to reduce caloric intake, it is not recommended to skip meals to get it . Experts recommend not skipping meals and distribute good intake throughout the day, as this can help control hunger and anxiety.

Skipping meals may favor that we are hungry before the next and therefore we end up snacking and eating some food not recommended. For example, no dinner can make the next morning have much appetite, or have a snack can make very hungry before dinner; and therefore end up biting something before dinner, or breakfast much more than usual the next morning.

¿Dinner only fruit or cereal with milk helps you lose weight?

Dinner is the last meal of the day, and certainly should not be a copious and abundant food, especially if we are to go to bed immediately after it. The calorie - controlled meal is important if we want to lose weight. However, replace dinner for some particular food such as fruit or milk cereals-, may contribute to dietary imbalance, and even excessive intake of calories in it.

To get an idea: a fruit bowl with a banana, 200g of grapes and 2 pears may contain a 400Kcal, they could have a green salad with a boiled egg. The same can happen if we substitute dinner for a bowl of cereal with milk. If we control the quantities well, a cup of low-fat milk with cereal 30g provides a 200Kcal, but if we replace the cup by a large bowl, calorie intake can be about the 400-500Kcal; so that we will be eating the same, or even more, than if we made a balanced dinner.

In addition, replace the balanced dinner these foods can decrease your intake of vegetables and fruit (in the case of cereals) and therefore the intake of dietary fiber, which could increase the risk of constipation. It can also cause decreased protein intake, a highly important fact in patients at risk of malnutrition or people with decreased muscle mass. So, skipping meals or unbalance the diet does not help you lose weight or lead a healthier diet.

Breakfast and dinner: healthy tips

Between breakfast and midmorning we eat a dairy (milk, yogurt or cheese) some starchy food (bread, toast or cereal) -or not- accompanied by some protein food, and fruit. For example:

• Breakfast: coffee with low - fat milk and mini bocadillito. Mid - morning: fruit salad. In detail: bocadillito mini cooked ham accompanied by coffee with milk at breakfast, and fruit salad pear and grapes midmorning.
• Breakfast: tea with milk with 2 kiwis. Midmorning: I bocadillito liquid skimmed yogurt. In detail: milk tea accompanied by 2 kiwis at breakfast and bocadillito prosciutto with liquid nonfat yogurt mid - morning.
• Breakfast: coffee with milk with fresh tomato sandwich and cheese. Midmorning: plain yogurt skimmed sweetened with nuts. In detail: coffee with milk bread sandwich integral oven (without added fat), with tomato, oregano, olive oil and cheese. By midmorning, plain yogurt with nuts.
• Breakfast: milk with breakfast cereals. Midmorning: apple with sweetened yogurt. Try to choose whole grain breakfast cereals without honey, sugar and added fats.

A balanced and light dinner should contain raw or cooked vegetables, lean protein foods (meat, fish or eggs) and a moderate amount of starchy foods (bread, pasta, cereals and legumes). Consult your dietitian on the quantitative composition if you are performing a calorie - controlled diet. Some examples:

• Dinner: mashed zucchini with grilled hake. Dessert: tangerines. In detail: cream of zucchini, onions and a little potato, seasoned with salt and black pepper, whole and crushed. Grilled hake. 2 tangerines for dessert.
• Dinner: full salad. Dessert: Mango. In detail: salad with lettuce and sprouts of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, beet and carrot with a boiled egg and 25g of hazelnuts. 2 whole - grain toast. Middle mango for dessert.
• Dinner: verdurita lékué steamed or chicken. Dessert: melon. In detail: eggplant, onion, carrot and tomato strips, steamed or lékué with diced chicken breast. Two slices of wholemeal bread. Melon dessert.
• Dinner: Tomato salad and tuna belly. Dessert: banana. In detail: tomato salad in thick slices accompanied by tuna belly. Two slices of wholemeal bread. Banana dessert.