In order to fully preserve the principle of proper nutrition, the last meal of the day must meet several conditions: Recipes for proper nutrition from vegetables, legumes and herbs.
All products for dinner should be selected with low calorie content.
The optimal dinner is natural ingredients.
Evening foods should promote restful sleep, not have an exciting effect on the body.
The optimal caloric content of dinner is one fifth of the daily norm.
A balanced diet, not overloaded with extra calories, will help make sleep longer and stronger. It will also help to avoid morning lethargy and malaise, as well as increase efficiency throughout the working day. A person who has had a good night’s rest is easier to cope with stressful situations and is less prone to depressive moods.
In order for dinner to be light and nutritious, and sleep sound and healthy after it, it is necessary to learn how to choose the right food for cooking.
(1) – “A regular meal pattern including breakfast consumption, consuming a higher proportion of energy early in the day, reduced meal frequency (i.e., 2–3 meals/day), and regular fasting periods may provide physiological benefits such as reduced inflammation, improved circadian rhythmicity, increased autophagy and stress resistance, and modulation of the gut microbiota.”
#1. Casserole of white beans and cauliflower. Recipes for proper nutrition from vegetables, legumes and herbs.
It is advisable to choose larger beans so that the casserole turns out to be tender and creamy. If you do not have fennel, you can replace it with an additional portion of cauliflower. It is very tasty with a green salad.
Ingredients for 3 servings:
Beans:
white beans 1 cup
lemon juice 1 teaspoon
unrefined sea salt 1 teaspoon
olive oil 1 teaspoon
bay leaf 2 pieces
garlic 4-5 cloves
Vegetables:
cauliflower 2 cups
salt to taste
dry rosemary 1/2 teaspoon
dry thyme 1/2 teaspoon
lemon juice 1 tablespoon
hot pepper to taste
raw almonds 2/3 cup
Instruction:
Cooking time is 1 hour and 40 minutes
Soak the beans overnight in cold water with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
Drain the beans and pour in fresh water, add bay leaf, and peeled garlic. Bring the beans to a boil and simmer for 1 hours until soft. About halfway through the process, add salt and olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 392F. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, and fennel into small pieces about the same size as the cauliflower. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables with rosemary, thyme, olive oil, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir so that the dressing is evenly distributed over all the vegetables. Spread on a baking sheet at a small distance from each other with flat sides down and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size.
Grind the almonds in a blender to a state of large crumbs, divide into 2 parts.
Mix the beans with the vegetables and grind a little in a blender so that small pieces of beans and vegetables are preserved in the mass. Add half of the almond crumbs and stir. Put the rest of the crumbs on top and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the top turns golden.
When serving, you can sprinkle with fennel greens or any other desired.
#2. Pink salmon baked in the oven. Recipes for proper nutrition from vegetables, legumes and herbs.
Baked pink salmon is a great option for a healthy lunch or dinner. Rich in vitamins and trace elements, this fish is combined with any side dishes. To preserve all the benefits, we advise you not to cook pink salmon for a long time. 15 minutes will be enough for a medium-sized steak. In 30 minutes you will prepare a healthy Mediterranean-style dish.
Ingredients for 2 servings:
The nutritional value of a serving is 324 k Cal
pink salmon fillet 14.2oz
lemons ½ pcs.
rosemary 1 sprig
olive oil 1 tablespoon
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Instruction:
Cooking time is 30 minutes
Cut the salmon fillet into 4 steaks, sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Tear off a few “needles” from rosemary. We recommend using coarse sea salt, it will emphasize the nautical style of the dish.
Put the pink salmon in a baking dish, brush the steaks with olive oil. Add a few thin slices of lemon on top, sprinkle with rosemary and your favorite spices to taste. Dried thyme, parsley or a mixture of Italian herbs are best suited.
Place in a preheated 356F oven for 15 minutes. The fish should remain pink inside, not be over-dried, but retain its juiciness.
Sprinkle the finished fish with herbs, and serve with mashed cauliflower, sweet potato, or celery root. In the oven, according to the same principle, you can bake trout, salmon, and chum salmon.
#3. Salad with quinoa, goat cheese and strawberries. Recipes for proper nutrition from vegetables, legumes and herbs.
Super crispy and delicious salad. Perfect for summer. Save it for yourself and enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 servings:
Arugula 3.53oz
Fresh strawberries 3.53oz
Avocado 1 piece
Goat cheese 3.53oz
Quinoa (soak overnight and boil) 5.29oz
Almonds 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Lime juice 1/2 tablespoon
Olive oil 2 tablespoons
Instruction:
Cooking time is 30 minutes
Bake the nuts in the oven at 210F for 5 minutes or more. Make sure the nuts don’t burn.
Combine arugula with olive oil and salt. This way it will be softer and tastier.
Add the avocado, strawberries, cheese, quinoa and the finished cooled nuts.
Add more oil, if necessary, and lime juice. You can replace it with lemon.
#4. Eggplant and tomato pie
This hearty and wonderful pie in all respects is a great option for dinner. The combination of tomatoes, eggplant, and cheese is very tasty. You can change the cheese and get a new taste every time. Rye flour adds an interesting piquancy and goes well with the filling.
Ingredients:
Rye flour 7.0oz
Salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste
Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons
Water (hot) 1/2 cup
For the filling:
Medium eggplant 2 pcs.
Tomatoes 3 pcs.
Cottage cheese 3.53oz
Hard cheese 1 tablespoon
Egg 2 pcs.
Cream 20% 2 tablespoons
Spices or dry herbs (thyme marjoram, basil, oregano) 1 tsp.
Instruction:
Cooking time is 45 minutes
Dough:
Mix flour, salt, and pepper with a whisk. Pour in the oil and water, knead well. Put it in a bag and leave for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment, cut a circle to fit the diameter of the mold (18 cm) plus the height of the sides.
Cover the bottom of the split mold or ring with foil and lay out the dough, forming a rim.
Make punctures with a fork, put parchment, and bake in a preheated 392F oven for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
Filling:
Cut the eggplant into long plates, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with spices, add salt and bake until soft.
Lightly beat the egg, cottage cheese and cream, add finely grated hard cheese. Pour the cheese mass into the base, put the eggplant and tomatoes.
Return the pie to the preheated 392F oven and bake until the filling is browned.
#5. Lentil salad with herbs. Recipes for proper nutrition from vegetables, legumes and herbs.
Lentil salad is a very successful dish that combines maximum benefit and taste. It turns out to be a nutritious and original dish with a rich taste. Salad with lentils can act as both a snack and a hearty dinner. A simple and delicious vegetable salad with lentils will be to your taste.
Ingredients:
Small red lentils 1 cup (pre-soak overnight)
Water 2 tablespoons
Carrot 1 piece
Onion 1 piece
Leek 1/2 stalk
Zucchini 1 piece
Garlic clove 2 pieces to taste
Greens to choose from 3.53oz
Salt to taste
Spices: ground fennel
Coconut oil 2 tablespoons
Vary the ingredients for yourself: follow the cooking principle, and the filling may be different each time. If even small legumes are poorly perceived by you now, replace them with buckwheat and quinoa.
Instruction:
Cooking time is 40 minutes
Rinse the pre-soaked lentils and boil until almost ready in clean water. At this time, coarsely grate or chop the vegetables. Pass the vegetables in oil for a few minutes.
Add the ready-made lentils and spices to the vegetables and simmer for just another minute.
At the last moment, add the greens to the dish.
Here is freedom for imagination: parsley, coriander, magnold, cale, wild plants: all excellent sources of magnesium and not only it. Mix with the herbs and cover with a lid for a couple of minutes.
The flavors are incredible, thanks to proper processing, the maximum of benefits will be absorbed. The dish is easy enough to digest, while satisfying.
The salad with lentils and vegetables is so simple and at the same time original and delicious that after cooking it for the first time, you will want to repeat it again.
The dressing is made from the simplest ingredients, which together give the salad a bright, spicy note, richness and pleasant aroma.
Bright colors, excellent taste and simplicity of execution are wonderful, aren’t they?
(1) – National Library of Medicine USA; The Influence of Meal Frequency and Timing on Health in Humans: The Role of Fasting; Antonio Paoli, Grant Tinsley, Antonino Bianco, and Tatiana Moro; Published online 2019 Mar 28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6520689/
Elena runs a private practice as a nutrition coach in the USA and many countries around the world. https://elenasunshinemagazine.com/services/
I offer:
Evaluate current meal plans and give general recommendations.
Individual consultations.
Making individual meal plans.
Recommend gradual dietary changes and consistent dietary practice.
Discuss the importance of balanced macronutrient intake.
To offer recommendations on eating behavior.
Promote the calorie recommendations set out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, MyPlate, the Eatwell Guide in the United Kingdom, or other acceptable organizations.
