Calorie intake is an indicator of the amount of daily food consumption necessary to ensure the functioning of the body, perform all necessary biochemical and physiological processes, maintain body temperature, function of various systems and organs, as well as to conduct various human activities.

The caloric intake required to maintain all of the above processes in the body directly depends on the body weight, height, age and gender of the person. For example, for women its indicator is 15% lower than for men, however, during pregnancy, the caloric intake of women should increase by 15-25% of the usual norm.

The physiological energy requirement for adults ranges from 2000 kcal to 4100 kcal per day for men, and from 1700 kcal to 3000 kcal per day for women. For children under one year of age, the physiological need for energy is 100-115 kcal per 1 kg of body weight per day, and for children aged from one year to 18 years - from 1100 kcal to 2800 kcal per day, with an increase in calorie intake during adolescence.

Also, a person’s calorie intake can be affected by a change of place of residence, which is accompanied by a change in climate, for example, from subtropical to moderately cold, which will naturally increase the body’s energy expenditure to adapt to such a cold climate, and the amount of calories consumed will have to increase by about 15% .

Breakfast calories

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it provides the body with energy for the whole day. The calorie content of an adult's breakfast, subject to proper nutrition, ranges from 300 to 600 kcal, no more and no less.

Examples of menus with breakfast calories not exceeding 500 kcal, very tasty dishes, are:

• Two whole wheat waffles with maple syrup and blueberries;
• One serving of spinach and bacon omelet with two pieces of toasted whole grain toast;
• One serving of granola and pumpkin parfait;
• Bagel, tartlets or bagel made from whole grain flour with homemade processed cheese, herbs and tomatoes;
• Two banana peanut butter pancakes;
• One serving of homemade yogurt with pieces of berries or fruits;
• Salad of fresh vegetables with herbs, sprinkled with olive oil and lemon juice;
• Freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices.

By one serving we mean the volume of a prepared dish of 200-250 g, only then the calorie content of breakfast will not exceed the specified norm. Such breakfasts not only satisfy hunger well, but also provide the body with fiber, vitamins and macroelements, and are also suitable for those who are watching their weight and allow them to maintain a low level of calorie intake.

Lunch calories

Lunch is the second most important meal for the body after breakfast. It is very important that he is full and not hungry, otherwise there is a chance he will break down and overeat during dinner. The calorie content of lunch should be 35-40% of the daily calorie intake and range from 500 to 800 kcal.

Healthy foods for the menu with a calorie content not exceeding 800 kcal per serving are meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, fermented milk products, a variety of soups and broths, mushrooms and legumes. Also during lunch, you can eat a little dessert prepared yourself - this is the only way to be sure that it will consist of healthy and fresh ingredients, and not from saturated trans fats and light carbohydrates, the consumption of which leads to the accumulation of fat and excess weight in the body . A properly prepared dessert will not have a negative impact on the calorie content of lunch; the main thing is not to overdo it with portions. Recipes for delicious and healthy desserts are:

The calorie content of a lunch with such desserts will not increase much, and eating such delicious dishes has a beneficial effect on a person’s health and mood.

Calorie content of dinner

Dinner is an equally important meal of the day, just like lunch and breakfast; you shouldn’t skip it even for fear of gaining excess weight, because it affects the overall caloric intake of a person’s diet. It is important to remember that dinner should end 3-4 hours before bedtime, consist of light food, and the calorie content of the food received during its intake should not exceed a quarter of the total calories consumed per day. On average, it varies from 250 to 500 kcal per meal. Ideal products for a menu with a calorie content not exceeding the above norm are stewed or baked vegetables, salads, boiled meat and fish, low-fat kefir and green tea with honey.

Taking into account all the above advice regarding calorie intake, breakfasts, lunches and dinners, it is important not to forget about snacks, ideal foods for which are nuts, fruits and dairy products, as well as drinking at least 1.5 liters of plain or mineral water per day.

In this article we will talk about how to calculate your daily calorie intake and how these calories should be distributed throughout the day. Is it true that the statement “Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and give dinner to your enemy” - we’ll find out from this short article!

Calculation of daily calorie content (calculation of calorie content of the daily diet)

Calorie content is a quantitative characteristic of food consumed. The main reference point is the level of calorie intake at which body weight remains unchanged, i.e. The amount of food received per day strictly corresponds to the body’s average daily energy expenditure. We will call this level of calorie content basic (BUK).

The calculation of BUK is carried out in several steps. This takes into account the height, body type and corresponding normal weight, as well as the person’s age, area of ​​activity and lifestyle.

Step 1 – Determination of normal body weight

The normal weight (or ideal weight) is determined by a formula based on height expressed in centimeters.

For women-asthenics (thin bones) weight norm = height – 115 ,
weight norm = height – 110 ,
weight norm = height – 105 .

For men-asthenics (thin bones) weight norm = height – 110 ,
normosthenics (with medium bone) weight norm = height – 105 ,
hypersthenics (with wide, thick bones) weight norm = height – 100 .

Action 2 – Determination of the basal metabolic rate (BMR)

The value of OOV is calculated using the Harris-Benedict formula:

For women OOV = 655 + 9,6 * weight norm + 1,8 * height – 4,7 * age,
For men OOV = 66 + 13,7 * weight norm + 5 * height – 6,8 * age,

where height is expressed in cm, age in years, weight norm in kg.

Step 3 – Determine the normal baseline caloric intake (BAC)

BEECH(kcal) = OOV * CA,

where KA (physical activity coefficient) is equal to 1,2 if a person leads a mostly sedentary lifestyle (programmers, accountants, engineers);
1,6 – light physical labor (service industry, drivers);
1,9 – moderately difficult work (surgeons, teachers, actors);
2,3 – heavy physical labor (builders, agricultural workers, loaders, diggers).

Step 4 – Determine Real Calorie Level

To determine your actual calorie level, you need to carefully record each meal for 2 weeks: how much protein, fat and carbohydrates you eat. Next, it is important to calculate how much protein, fat and carbohydrates you get for each meal and per day.

During these two weeks, try not to change your traditional diet, diet and daily routine - everything should be as usual. At the beginning and end of the analyzed period, weigh yourself (on the same scales, if possible in the morning and on an empty stomach) and/or take control measurements with a centimeter tape (also on an empty stomach). If the weight and/or volumes of body parts remain the same, then this is your real BUK.

Compare practical and theoretical results. If they differ and, moreover, your weight differs from normal by more than 3 kg, then the resulting difference in calorie content is the amount by which you need to adjust your real BUK.

Distribution of calories during the day

The calculated calorie content of the diet must be correctly distributed as a percentage between the main nutrients: proteins (1g - 4kcal), fats (1g - 9kcal) and carbohydrates (1g - 4kcal).

According to the requirements of the WHO (World Health Organization), the ideal percentage of daily calorie intake for proteins, fats and carbohydrates is as follows:

proteins – 11-13%, fats – 33%, carbohydrates – 54-56%.

For those who are actively involved in sports, this ratio changes as follows:

proteins – 20-25%, fats – 20%, carbohydrates – 55-60%.

With four meals a day, you should approximately maintain the following ratio between meals:

Breakfast – 25-30% of the daily calorie intake
Lunch – 30-35% of the daily caloric intake
Afternoon snack – 10-15% of the daily calorie intake
Dinner – 20% of daily calorie intake

BUK = 2500 kcal

Then:
- proteins account for: 20 (25) x 2500/100 = 500 (625) kcal. Knowing that 1g of protein corresponds to 4 kcal, it turns out about 125-156g of protein per day
- fat accounts for: 20 x 2500/100 = 500 kcal. Knowing that 1g of fat corresponds to 9 kcal, this results in about 56g of fat per day.
- carbohydrates account for: 55(60) x 2500/100 = 1375 (1500) kcal. Knowing that 1g of carbohydrates corresponds to 4 kcal, it turns out about 344-375g of carbohydrates per day.

The distribution of calorie content by meal then is:

Breakfast – 625-750 kcal
Lunch – 750-875 kcal
Afternoon snack – 250-375 kcal
Dinner – 500 kcal

Do not forget that as your body weight changes, the level of calorie intake should also change, while the given ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates should remain unchanged.

One of the most popular methods of losing weight is a calorie-counting diet. You need to create the menu for this diet yourself, focusing on your daily calorie intake. Damiko tells you how to do it right.

At the end of the week, carefully analyze your notes, see what you can remove from your diet, and create a menu for the next week. When creating your menu, consider our recommendations.

The optimal number of meals is 5-6 per day. In this case, the following requirements are put forward for each meal.

Breakfast

Breakfast should be the most satisfying. Its calorie content should be about 30-40% of your daily calorie intake. Give preference to carbohydrate foods: cereals, muesli, bread. You can add nuts, dried fruits, and honey to the porridge.

Lunch

Second breakfast should account for about 10-15% of your daily calorie intake. The best option for a second breakfast is fruits or nuts.

Dinner

You need to pay due attention to lunch, because if you don’t have a good lunch, by the evening you risk getting hungry and pouncing on food, exceeding your calorie allowance. For lunch, eat meat or fish with a vegetable side dish. It is also advisable to prepare some soup for yourself. The optimal calorie content for lunch is 25-35% of the daily calorie intake.

Afternoon snack

The calorie content of an afternoon snack is about 10% of your daily calorie intake. For an afternoon snack you can eat fruits, dried fruits, cheese, yogurt.

Dinner

For dinner, eat food rich in proteins: boiled fish, eggs, cottage cheese. After your meal, you can drink a glass of low-fat kefir or unsweetened yogurt. Remember that dinner should be light - 10-15% of the daily calorie intake.

Breakfast

• Oatmeal with honey and walnuts* (435 kcal)
• Tea without sugar (0 kcal)

Breakfast calorie content 435 kcal

Lunch

• Banana (140 kcal)
• 250 ml low-fat kefir (75 kcal)

Calorie content of second breakfast 215 kcal

Dinner

• 100 g boiled chicken breast (114 kcal)
• 150 ml vegetable soup (about 60 kcal)
• 200 g stewed eggplants with tomatoes (230 kcal)
• Tea (0 kcal)

Lunch calories 404 kcal

Afternoon snack

• 2 pieces of cheese (80 kcal)
• 150 g raspberries (68 kcal)
• 200 ml low-fat kefir (60 kcal)

Calorie content of the afternoon snack 208 kcal

Dinner

• 100 g carp baked in foil (112 kcal)
• 150 g beet salad (boiled beets, prunes, sour cream, lemon juice) (120 kcal)
• Mint tea (0 kcal)

Calorie content of dinner 232 kcal

*For 50 g of oatmeal, take 1 tablespoon of honey and 25 g of walnuts.

Finally, a few rules that will help you achieve maximum effect from the diet.

1. During the diet, drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day.
2. Get at least 8 hours of sleep.
3. Don't forget about moderate physical activity.
4. Don't try to eat less than your daily calorie intake.

Breakfast is the first stop on the path to healthy eating. Do not miss!

What is breakfast for?

Breakfast is an essential element of a healthy diet. It provides energy throughout the first half of the day and allows you to avoid snacking before lunch, sweet coffee or soda in the morning, and overeating during lunch. Thus, it maintains high performance in the morning without the risk of gaining excess weight.

When switching to a healthy diet, start with breakfast easiest. There are three reasons for this. Firstly, for many, healthy foods are more acceptable in the morning than in the afternoon or evening, when culinary delights and various ceremonies come to the fore. Secondly, breakfast is usually very simple to prepare, which means you can decide what food you eat and how to prepare it. One can only dream of such a degree of freedom when it comes to lunch or dinner. Thirdly, people around you (primarily family members) most often consider breakfast a purely personal matter, so you most likely will not have to fight with them for the right to eat healthy food, explaining and justifying your choice.

What to eat for breakfast?

A balanced breakfast should include a sufficient amount of complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein and a small amount of fat. To do this, you need to include foods from the following groups in your breakfast:

Breakfast composition

1. Whole grains in the form of cereals, bread, toast.
2. Low-fat dairy products: milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, feta cheese.
3. Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs.
4. Fruits and vegetables, including natural fruit and vegetable juices.

To avoid traditional mistakes when preparing breakfast:

• Avoid sweet foods. Sugar provides a lot of calories but is poor in nutritional value. You should not include sweetened yogurt or cottage cheese, sweetened juices and soda, tea with sugar, sweet baked goods, jam, chocolate spread, etc. in your breakfast.
• Do not use ready-made mixtures for quick preparation of porridges. Look for whole grains that are the least processed.
• Avoid sausage, ham, hot dogs, bacon and similar processed meat products. In most cases, they contain excess amounts of sodium nitrite (E-250) or potassium nitrate (E-252), which are used as preservatives and color stabilizers. Regular consumption of these substances poses health risks.
• Avoid drinking coffee for breakfast, especially if you are addicted to coffee. Contrary to popular belief, coffee is not necessary for waking up. For breakfast, drink water, milk or juice.

Breakfast calories

Many people, even if they eat breakfast, eat less than they should. Breakfast should be filling and provide enough energy until your next meal.

Signs of not having enough breakfast

Are you having breakfast? not enough if at least one of the statements is true:

• You don't have breakfast at all.
• You constantly snack between breakfast and lunch (including sugary drinks, candy, etc.).
• By lunchtime you are so hungry that you can't do anything.

With three meals a day, breakfast should be given about a third from daily caloric needs.

If you do not resort to highly sweetened or fatty foods, then the average calorie content of a typical breakfast food will be about 80-100 kcal per 100 g. It turns out that to get 800 kcal you will have to eat up to 1 kg of food. This is almost impossible at the moment of waking up, so a full “breakfast in bed” is nonsense. You need to eat some time after waking up, best of all - after charging (at least minimally).

If you still cannot handle this amount of food at one time, break it into two parts, but do not snack between “controlled” meals.

You can analyze the composition of breakfast using the following table.

Breakfast calorie calculation ResetShow example

Components	Weight grams	Calories kcal Kcal
I. Porridge and bread
Porridge viscous in water viscous in milk crumbly flakes (dry weight)
Bread black white white butter
II. Dairy
Natural yogurt with filling
Low-fat cottage cheese 2% semi-fat 9% fat 18% casserole / cheesecake
Milk, kefir fat content 1% fat content 2.5% fat content 3.2%
III. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs
Scrambled eggs, boiled omelet
Meat, poultry, fish beef boiled beef fried chicken boiled chicken fried cod boiled cod fried salmon boiled fried salmon
IV. Fruits and vegetables
Banana
Avocado
Fruits (except banana and avocado), fruit juice
Salad vegetables, vegetable juice
V. Foods high in sugar or fat
Sugar
Honey, condensed milk
Raisins, candied fruits, dried fruits
Nuts
Vegetable oil
Butter (82.5% fat)
Sour cream (15% fat)
Cheese
Total: breakfast weight and calories

More detailed information about the caloric content of various products can be found on the website

The body needs energy to function. Its source is food - the breakdown of its constituent nutrients produces energy, which we measure in calories. Calorie intake is very important for our life.. If we consume fewer calories than we need, then we will not have enough energy to fully move, work, study, our body will have to find some ways to obtain additional energy (for example, by breaking down fats) or simply slow down the metabolism substances, which will not have the best effect on our well-being. If the calorie content of the food we consume is higher than our energy expenditure, this will inevitably lead to excess weight. It is necessary to control your calorie intake if you are concerned about your figure.

What determines calorie intake?

The source of calories in food is its nutrients - fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The most calories are in fats, 2 times less in proteins and carbohydrates. All these nutrients are very important for our body, and it must receive all of them in certain quantities.

The main fuel of our body is carbohydrates; they are easily processed and saturate us with energy. Proteins take a very long time to digest, and fats take even longer and more difficult. The more fat in a product, the higher the calorie content of this product and the more fat the body will not be able to break down, which means it will simply be sent “to the warehouse” - into adipose tissue. Foods containing a lot of carbohydrates can also lead to obesity - if there are too many carbohydrates, then the body does not consume those that it also converts into fat.

The calorie content of food depends on the content of these nutrients and their ratio. If you have correctly calculated the caloric content of your diet and compiled a diet, then you will definitely not go hungry while losing weight, but if when compiling your diet you did not take into account the content of various nutrients in foods, then you may find that your daily calorie intake is already eaten, but still want to eat. For example, the calorie content of your breakfast should be 400 kcal. You can eat a plate of oatmeal with prunes and a glass of kefir, you can eat an omelet of 4 eggs, toast, a slice of cheese, tea and an apple, or you can eat 1 fried pie with potatoes or half a chocolate bar. What will you eat more of? With the same calorie content, food can fill you up in different ways, be harmful or beneficial for the body and for your figure.

Calorie limits

You may have heard the concept of a “calorie corridor.” This is the name of the gap between the maximum and minimum level of calories that you can consume per day in order to maintain your weight or lose weight.

Exceeding the upper calorie limit puts your figure at risk. Going beyond the lower limit is dangerous to health. If you are losing weight, then the faster you lose weight, the more likely it is that the lost kilograms will return; losing weight by 2-3 kg per month is considered the safest.

To know your caloric intake limits, calculate your daily caloric intake. It is calculated by the formula:

• for men: 660+(13.7 x body weight in kg)+(5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years);
• for women: 655+(9.6 x body weight in kg)+ (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years).

Then multiply the resulting value by your physical activity coefficient:

• low activity, sedentary work: 1.2;
• average activity (light physical activity 1-3 times a week): 1.375;
• high activity (intense physical activity 3-5 times a week): 1.55;
• very high activity (intense physical activity 6-7 times a week): 1.725;
• extreme physical activity (intense physical activity twice a day, hard physical work, competitions, etc.): 1.9.

The resulting value is your caloric intake for the day. If you consume it, you will not gain weight or lose weight. For healthy weight loss, reduce this amount by 20%. This gap between the first and second values ​​will be your calorie corridor. Based on it, you can create a menu with calorie intake, using data on the composition and energy value of products on food packages or on the Internet. If you stay within calorie limits, you won't have any problems with your figure.

We create a menu with caloric content of products

You will greatly simplify your calorie counting if you create a menu for yourself every day with the calorie content of foods - this way you will plan to consume a certain number of calories per day and it will be easier for you not to go over the calorie limit.

Please note that the calorie content of breakfast (including second breakfast) should be about 40% of the daily calorie intake. Don't be afraid to gain excess weight - what you consumed at breakfast will be used up during the day, but the high calorie content of breakfast will provide you with energy for the whole day. The calorie content of lunch should be slightly lower, about 30%. It, like breakfast, should be satisfying, but if the main source of breakfast calories should be carbohydrates, then Most of the calories in lunch should come from proteins.. Be sure to have a snack between lunch and dinner - it will help you avoid overeating at dinner and thus reduce the load on your digestive system before bed. But dinner should be as light as possible.

Example of a menu with daily caloric intake

Breakfast: take 50 g of oatmeal, pour boiling water over it, add 25 g of walnuts, a tablespoon of honey and 40 g of prunes, mix and microwave for 3-4 minutes. To finish your breakfast, drink a glass of green tea without sugar.

Breakfast calorie content: 435 kcal.

2 hours before lunch you can have a snack with tea and oatmeal cookies (2 pcs.)

Snack calorie content: 120 kcal.

Lunch: Be sure to have soup for lunch. Consuming a liquid dish will reduce the overall calorie content of lunch - after all, soups are filling and at the same time contain few calories. For example, eat a plate of cabbage soup with meat, a cup (200 g) of bigus, 50 g of boiled beef and a slice of rye bread.

Lunch calories: 440 kcal.

For an afternoon snack, have an apple.

Calorie content of the afternoon snack: 80 kcal.

Dinner: For dinner it is good to eat easily digestible proteins - egg or milk. For example, prepare a cottage cheese-carrot casserole (100 g low-fat cottage cheese, 1 grated carrot, 1 egg).

Calorie content of dinner: 170 kcal.

Before going to bed, you can drink a glass of kefir (95 kcal).

The total calorie intake during the day was 1345 kcal. As you can see, the pre-compiled calorie menu turned out to not be “hungry” at all and at the same time allowed you to eat fewer calories than if you had not planned your daily diet. It is very convenient to create such a menu with calorie content using special applications for smartphones - calorie counters. They automatically count all calories when you enter the names of foods or dishes and their quantities, show you the total calorie intake for the whole day, the nutritional composition of the diet, and keep statistics on weight changes.

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Food provides the human body with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. As a result of the processing of nutrients, energy is generated. Food products have different energy values. If the calorie intake is balanced, that is, energy expenditure is equal to the energy received from food, then the person has a stable weight. If the balance between energy expenditure and energy intake is disturbed, then either weight loss occurs or, on the contrary, weight gain. By changing your calorie intake, you can regulate your weight.

Calculation of caloric intake

To calculate what the calorie intake should be, you first need to know how much energy a person expends during the day. Daily energy expenditure consists of the amount of basal metabolism, the amount of energy expended on physical activity, and the amount of energy expended on digestive processes.

The amount of basal metabolism is the amount of energy that the body spends, being in a state of relative rest, at a temperature of about 20 ° C, to ensure its own vital functions: maintaining normal temperature, hematopoietic functions, blood supply, respiration and many others.

According to the simplest formula, basal metabolism is calculated by multiplying body weight by 20 for women, and by multiplying body weight by 22 for men. For example, the basal metabolic rate of a woman weighing 70 kg is 1400 kcal. There are also more complex and more accurate formulas that take into account other important metabolic factors, such as a person's constitution and age.

One of the newest and most accurate formulas for calculating basal metabolism is called the Mifflin-Saint-Jeor formula. For women, the formula looks like this: (10 times weight in kg) + (6.25 times height in cm) – (5 times age in years) – 161. Formula option for men: (10 times weight in kg) + (6.25 times height in cm) – (5 times age in years) + 5.

In addition to the main metabolism, calorie calculations should include the amount of energy expended on physical activity. This value is obtained by multiplying the basal metabolic rate by 0.2 (with a sedentary lifestyle), by 0.3 (with a moderately active lifestyle), by 0.4 (with an active lifestyle), by 0.5 (with a sports lifestyle life). The amount of energy spent on digestion is calculated by adding the values ​​of basal metabolism and energy spent on movement, and multiplying the resulting amount by 0.1.

Thus, the total daily calorie content of the menu should be equal to the sum of three values:

basal metabolic rate (calculated using the Mifflin-Saint-Geor formula);

– the amount of energy spent on physical activity (the result of the Mifflin-Saint-Geor formula is multiplied by a factor of 0.2; 0.3; 0.4 or 0.5 - depending on the activity of the lifestyle);

– the amount of energy spent on digestion (it is equal to one tenth of the sum of basal metabolism and energy spent on physical activity).

In that case, if a person is of normal weight, caloric intake should approximately correspond to energy expenditure. In case of underweight, calorie intake is calculated so that for every kilogram of body weight there are 40 kcal. If you are overweight, your caloric intake should be lower than your energy expenditure. However, the deficit should not be too large - no more than 500 kcal, otherwise the metabolism slows down, a loss of muscle mass is noted and the process of fat breakdown is inhibited.

Calorie ratio of breakfast, lunch and dinner

With a healthy diet, the calorie content of each meal is of great importance.

The calorie content of breakfast should be approximately 30% of the daily diet. It is recommended to include protein foods and foods rich in “complex carbohydrates”, such as porridge, in the breakfast menu. It is these products that “wake up” the metabolism and provide the body with energy for a long time, giving a feeling of satiety and the ability to work effectively.

If it is possible to arrange a second breakfast, then the calorie content of the main breakfast can be slightly reduced - to 20-25%. In this case, 5-10% of the daily calorie intake will come from second breakfast. Any fruit, fresh vegetable salads, yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese or cheese are suitable for second breakfast.

The calorie content of lunch should be about 40-45% of the daily calorie content of the menu. At the beginning of lunch, it is recommended to eat a salad of fresh vegetables with lemon juice and flaxseed or olive oil. Vegetables will remove excess mucus from the stomach and prepare the digestive system for efficient operation. After the salad comes the turn of the hot dish. This may be a not too fatty soup or a portion of meat or fish with a side dish. It is advisable that the side dish be vegetable. You can finish your lunch with a fruit or cottage cheese dessert. If it is possible to have a small “snack” between lunch and dinner, then the calorie content of lunch can be reduced by 5-10%.

Dinner should account for only 20-25% of the daily calorie intake. Dinner should not be allowed to exceed lunch in calories.. For dinner, it is best to prepare protein-rich dishes and vegetables. Carbohydrate foods are not suitable for the last meal of the day, as they contribute to the accumulation of fat deposits.

How to calculate the calorie content of a menu

To create a menu for a day or a week, you need to use a table of caloric content of foods. They are easy to find on the Internet or any health food book. The tables indicate the energy value of 100 g of main products, as well as their composition: the content of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. To accurately measure the amount of a particular product, you need to purchase a kitchen scale. Of course, it is more convenient to use electronic ones. When creating a menu, keep in mind that it is impossible to calculate energy consumption and caloric intake with an accuracy of one kilocalorie. In addition, some of the foods eaten are not always digested.

At first, counting calories will seem difficult. Then the proportions of ingredients for your favorite dishes will be remembered, and cooking will take much less time.

In cases where caloric intake needs to be reduced, this should be done mainly by excluding from the diet or strictly limiting sugar, sweets, flour products, and fatty foods.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It supplies us with energy throughout the day, dulling the feeling of hunger throughout the day and helping us lose weight. But what should breakfast be and what should it consist of? How many calories should you eat for breakfast to not only satisfy your hunger, but also lose weight?

How many calories should I eat for breakfast?

A healthy and nutritious breakfast should make up about 25% of the total amount of food we eat during the day. If you convert it into energy, it will be about 500 calories. For breakfast - just right.

Benefits of a hearty breakfast

The figure of 500 calories may scare some, but this data was confirmed by scientific research back in 2008. As a result of an experiment by scientists at the University of Virginia, it was proven that a hearty breakfast leads to weight loss. They managed to achieve this by conducting an 8-month study in which 2 groups of people who wanted to lose weight took part. The first group, who ate about 300 calories for breakfast, lost an average of 4.5% of their weight, while the second group, who ate just over 600 calories in the morning, lost an average of 21% of their weight.

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What should breakfast be like?

In addition to the total number of calories, it is also very important to consider the quality component of the food you consume. The following ratio of nutrients is considered the optimal breakfast:

Complex carbohydrates - 1-2 servings

Vegetables or fruits - 1 serving

Protein - 1 serving

Fat - 1 serving

Not everyone can afford this amount of food, especially if you are not used to eating breakfast. To gradually accustom yourself to a hearty breakfast, simply divide it into several parts, eating one part at home and the second, for example, at work as a snack. The only thing you need to watch out for is that your breakfast in several stages does not flow into lunch, but ends 2-3 hours before the second full meal.

Eat breakfast and lose weight!

Before you start planning your evening menu, calculate how many calories your family can eat before bed. On average, this is 20% of the daily diet. Moreover, a woman needs 1500-2000 kcal per day, which means she can afford 300-400 kcal for dinner. A man needs 2500-3000 kcal, so his evening meal should contain 500-600 kcal. Children spend even more energy per day, so their dinner cannot be lighter than 580 kcal. Just don’t be scared - this doesn’t mean at all that you will have to prepare individual dishes for each family member. It’s just that some will have a larger portion, some will have a smaller one. The main thing is to exclude from the menu all flour, semi-finished products, smoked meats and mayonnaise. However, everyone is familiar with these enemies of the figure, but not many people know what fat content cottage cheese should be, what vegetables and fruits should be avoided, and whether it is possible to eat meat in the evening.

No potatoes

What associations arise when you hear the phrase “low-calorie foods”? Of course, vegetables and fruits. These are indeed some of the lightest representatives of the food basket, but among them there are also insidious “accumulators” of fat. For example, potatoes. The fact is that this tuber, beloved by the residents of our country, contains fast carbohydrates, which instantly affect the waistline. If you decide to pamper your family with fried potatoes, then from 100 g of the dish everyone will receive 163 kcal. And that's not to mention deep frying. This dish will immediately give you 270 kcal. Next on the list of not the easiest vegetables are peas, garlic, sorrel and horseradish. True, it is simply impossible to eat more than 100 grams of these green representatives. The rest of the vegetables: cabbage, carrots, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini are given the green light. The main thing is to cook them correctly. Keep in mind that the more butter, sour cream or mayonnaise you add, the more calories you make your dish. For example, just chopped cucumbers (100 g) and tomatoes (100 g) provide 38 kcal. As soon as they are seasoned with mayonnaise, the energy value increases to 140 kcal. You shouldn't fry vegetables either. The ideal heat treatment for them is stewing, steaming and boiling.

No bananas

Summer dinners are simply impossible to imagine without fruits and berries. First of all, it's delicious. Secondly, it's useful. But in order for them to remain exclusively a source of vitamins and microelements, and not become the cause of extra pounds, you will have to give up some of them in the evening. First of all, you should put bananas aside until the morning. Just 200 grams of this fruit provide 90 kcal, the same amount we get from mashed potatoes with milk (100 g). Also, you should not overuse grapes in the evening: in addition to the fact that they can lead to bloating, these berries are not the lowest in calories (64 kcal). Be careful with peaches (especially canned ones), cherries, kiwis and cherries. If you're a lover of grapefruits, strawberries, cranberries and currants, you're in luck. You can eat these fruits and berries with virtually no restrictions - they have very few calories. True, this takes into account the fact that you will not add sugar. It almost doubles the energy value. Also, do not replace fresh fruits with canned fruits and jam. Any processing carries additional calories. Compare: 200 g of fresh apples contain only 66 kcal, if baked with sugar, it turns out to be 120 kcal, in jam - 266, and in apple pie even more - 330 kcal.

Without dietary cottage cheese

Next in the ranking of healthy and light foods are fermented milk products, namely cottage cheese and yogurt. The latter is especially respected by young ladies who are losing weight and completely switch to it. In principle, yogurt can restore slimness, but it must be correct. Only the label will help you understand the abundance of yogurt. Under no circumstances take cream yoghurts, biogurts, yoghurts, and so on. They are a pathetic parody of the real product, which is proudly called simply “yogurt”. This rule does not apply only to products with the prefixes “bio” and “prebio”. Such products are real yoghurts, but they additionally contain beneficial living microorganisms.

With cottage cheese things are even more complicated. It would seem that if you want a light dinner, go to the shelf with low-fat fermented milk products, and success in parting with extra pounds is guaranteed. In fact, recently nutritionists are increasingly leaning towards cottage cheese with normal fat content. The fact is that a substance called “CLA” was recently discovered in this product. According to scientists, it is this that prevents the deposition of fat in the body. And the most interesting thing is that the higher the fat content of the cottage cheese, the more CLA it contains. By the way, with a 9% product you will eat 155 kcal, with an 18% product - 229 kcal. Ideally, cottage cheese should be eaten “clean”, but almost no one does this. To make the dish truly tasty and healthy, do not put jam or marmalade in it. They are sources of “bad” sugar, which will definitely end up on your thighs. It’s better to put some berries in the cottage cheese: 2 tbsp. spoons of raspberries, 1 tbsp. spoon of currants and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of blueberries - this will add only 15 kcal to the cottage cheese. Women should not give up fermented milk products at all, because they are champions in calcium content. And this means not only healthy hair and nails, but also the absence of cellulite. The fact is that calcium limits the accumulation of fat, which means it also fights unpleasant bumps.

Without liver

If you think that dinner and meat are incompatible things, then you are deeply mistaken. You should only avoid fatty pork, a piece of which will give you 491 kcal, and lamb (209 kcal). In the evening, you can indulge in white chicken meat containing healthy protein, veal or beef. Ideally, they should be boiled or grilled - this way they will not lose their beneficial qualities and will not gain extra calories. As for offal (liver, kidneys, heart, ventricles), you should be more careful with them. Despite the fact that they contain few calories, they can greatly harm the body. After all, in animals, like in people, all waste is deposited in the kidneys and liver. So, if the cattle were fed low-quality products or antibiotics, do not expect anything good from dishes made from such offal. There are no restrictions with seafood. Prepare shrimp, squid, octopus and mussels. And don't be afraid of fatty fish. It contains Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, which promote weight loss. According to recent studies, if you introduce salmon, tuna, and halibut into the diet of a person on a low-calorie diet, he will lose half a kilogram of excess weight per day.

In the evening, give up:

• Cracker cookies (416 kcal)
• waffle cake (539 kcal)
• walnuts (646 kcal)
• raw smoked sausage (514 kcal)
• halva (510 kcal)
• sunflower seeds (580 kcal)
• toffee (430 kcal)

Menu for the week

Day of the week	Dish
Monday - 305 kcal	For the main course, make pumpkin pancakes. For 4 servings you will need 200 g of peeled pumpkin, 1 glass of flour, 1 tbsp. spoon of sugar, 4 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil. First, cut the vegetable into slices and cook it in a water bath until tender. Rub through a sieve, add sugar, flour and mix everything until smooth. Roll the resulting dough into a long roll and cut into 20 identical pieces. Give them a round, slightly flattened shape. Fry the pancakes in hot oil on both sides until golden brown. Boil cauliflower as a side dish. To please your loved ones a little with sweets, offer them honey (no more than 3 tablespoons) and a cup of aromatic tea.
Tuesday - 380 kcal	To get a dose of Omega-3, cook Chinese salmon. First combine 2 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce with 1 glass of pineapple juice, 3 tbsp. spoons of dry white wine, 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar and boil the resulting mixture to half the volume. Cut salmon fillet (800 g) into strips, pepper, add some of the sauce and cool (30 minutes). Then place on a greased baking sheet and bake until done. The ideal side dish for this hot dish would be rice. For drinks, serve green tea.
Wednesday - 340 kcal	On Wednesday, make a very simple dinner. Prepare chicken breast in sweet and sour sauce. First, cut the fillet into pieces. Then marinate them for 10 minutes in sweet and sour sauce, which you can buy at any store. After this, send the chicken to the frying pan and fry it for 3 minutes. Prepare a salad of fresh vegetables for the breast: you can add tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and bell peppers to it. Sprinkle everything with lemon juice. If you can't do without dressing, add a little olive oil. For drinks, offer apple, tangerine or orange juice.
Thursday - 330 kcal	If you prepare a cottage cheese dessert with fruit and berry sauce, you will please all the sweet tooth in the family. Make sure that in addition to cottage cheese, your refrigerator contains mangoes, peaches, orange liqueur, and strawberries. First, mix 600 g of fermented milk product with 2 tbsp. spoons of honey. Place the resulting mass in the refrigerator. For the sauce, peel and finely chop the mango. Scald the peach, remove the skin and pit. Wash the strawberries. Mix prepared fruits and berries with 3 tbsp. spoons of powdered sugar, 2 tbsp. spoons of liqueur.
Friday - 170 kcal	Have a vegetable dinner on this day. Prepare the stew. Boil a head of cauliflower, 1/2 cup of peas, a cup of beans. Cut the zucchini, eggplant, 2-3 pieces into cubes. sweet pepper, 2 onions. Place all the vegetables in a saucepan, add 2 tomato slices (without skin). Add salt, bay leaf, black pepper, mint and stew for 15-20 minutes. 2-3 minutes before readiness, add 4 cloves of garlic.
Saturday - 350 kcal	If you have some free time on the weekend, cook a gourmet dinner with veal rolls. Peel 2 pears, cut each into 4 parts. Sprinkle them with Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and leave for 10-15 minutes. Cut 600 g of veal into 8 slices and pound. Place a pear on each piece, roll it up and tie it. Salt. Dip the rolls in flour and fry in a mixture of butter and olive oil (50 g and 2 tablespoons, respectively) until golden brown. Then pour 1 glass of white wine over them, let them sit for a while and add 2 tbsp. spoons of cognac. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. You can serve wine with this dish.
Sunday - 360 kcal	On this day, you can offer your loved ones peppers stuffed with cottage cheese and baked apples with honey and cinnamon. To make the first course, prepare 4 pcs. sweet pepper, 400 g cottage cheese, green onions, 2 tbsp. spoons of chopped dill. Cut off the cap of the pepper and remove the seeds. Mix cottage cheese with finely chopped onions and herbs. Stuff the pepper with curd filling, cool and cut it into rings.

Stars about dinner

	Valeria In the evening, it is better to choose protein foods over all other foods. Doctors have long established that the calories we get, for example, from fish, are burned by the body much faster than those contained in vegetables. I have come up with the ideal formula for a light dinner - low-fat cottage cheese. It’s better to buy grain, it’s very tasty. However, regular one can be diluted with yogurt.
	Anna Semenovich Many women think that the best way to lose weight is to diet. And they begin to exhaust themselves with painful hunger strikes, which do more harm than good. After all, this is stress for the body. I never go on diets and I don’t advise you to. If you want to be slim, eat a little bit of everything and, most importantly, not at night. There is no need for any dinners: neither light nor heavy. Let your last meal be 5 hours before bedtime.
	Katya Lel A light dinner should be healthy. If you care about your figure, do not eat anything fatty, fried or spicy at night. Only dietary varieties of meat and fish, steamed or baked. Also, try not to drink food. As far as I know, the liquid disrupts the digestion process. The only drink allowed is green tea, but it must be in minimal quantities.

The name “low-calorie breakfast” speaks for itself - the essence of such a breakfast is to limit the calories consumed in food. Limiting calories in your diet is one of the simple and natural ways to get rid of extra pounds and cleanse your body.

However, you should limit yourself in calories wisely, not forgetting about vitamins and water. According to experts, a low-calorie breakfast should contain about 250 - 330 kcal.

We offer a menu of 40 low-calorie breakfasts. Calorie content 220-330 kcal.

1. 200 g of oatmeal with water, 1 apple, a cup of green or black tea without sugar.

A jar of yogurt without sugar and fruit additives;
- One or two bananas;
- Sandwich made from bran bread with cream cheese, lettuce and tomatoes;
- A glass of kefir;
- A small amount of dried fruits.

So, the main thing is not to skip breakfast and get used to the fact that in the morning you have one of the two main meals of the day. A hearty breakfast will help you control your portions at lunch, hold out for a snack, and not overeat at night. And, of course, it will give you strength for the whole day and help you finally wake up. Recipes and examples of menus of fatty acids, amino acid composition,.

Age groups women men

Mentality labor 18-29 2400 2800

Easy physical labor 18-29 2550 3000

Avg. severity of work 18-29 2700 3200

Heavy physical labor 18-29 3150 3700

Particularly heavy. physical labor 18-29 4300

The third point of view is also explained by the fact that gastric juice and enzymes are maximally released at 18-19 hours. In addition, nature provides protection against the evening accumulation of metabolic products by the maximum functions of the kidneys in the evening, which quickly remove toxins in the urine. For this reason, such a food load is also rational.

Features of food distribution for people with diseases

The diet of sick people is determined by the nature of the disease and the type of treatment procedures. For sanatorium-resort institutions and medical-prophylactic institutions, at least four meals a day are typical.

It is recommended to eat five to six meals a day for diseases such as myocardial infarction, peptic ulcer, cholecystitis, circulatory failure, postoperative period, condition after gastrectomy and a number of others.

Frequent, fractional meals require a more even distribution of the energy value of the diet among meals.

If there are four meals a day, then a light second dinner is more desirable than an afternoon snack, since the time interval between meals at night should not exceed ten to eleven hours. It looks something like this: 25-30% for breakfast, 35-40% for lunch, 20-25% for dinner, 5-10% for the second dinner.

If the meal is five times a day, then an afternoon snack or second breakfast is additionally included, in the case of six meals a day - both.

Option for food distribution for five meals a day:

1. 20 - 25% - for breakfast
2. 10 - 15% - for 2nd breakfast
3. 40 - 45% - for lunch
4. 20 - 25% - for dinner
5. 5 - 10% - for the second dinner.

Diet distribution according to six meals a day:

1. 20 -25% - for breakfast
2. 10 - 15% - for 2nd breakfast
3. 25 - 30% - for lunch
4. 10 - 15% - for afternoon tea
5. 20% - for dinner
6. 5 -10% - for the second dinner.

The diet at balneological resorts is determined by drinking mineral waters and procedures. Because the procedures are best tolerated two to three hours after a meal and worst of all - after a meal, especially a large one. Therefore, the first breakfast before taking the procedures involves 5-10% of the energy value of the diet (bun, tea), the second - 20-25%. Four, five and six meals a day are possible.