Diet dinner: the 8 rules to follow for a quick, tasty and light dinner
Are you looking for some tips for a dietetic dinner, fast, but at the same time tasty? You are in the right place! We all know how complicated it is to have a light meal in the evening, especially after a hard day's work. The temptation is to throw oneself on food as if there were no tomorrow, partly because of tiredness and stress, partly because often only a quick lunch was eaten and we don't see each other hungry anymore!
Eating light at dinner, preparing healthy and balanced recipes, is useful not only to lose those extra pounds, but also to improve our quality of sleep and, in general, our psychophysical well-being. So here are 8 fundamental rules for a diet dinner, whether winter or summer, to always keep in mind!
And if you've just started your diet, in this video we reveal ten things you absolutely need to know:
1. Don't tease!
How many times do we arrive at home tired and hungry, after a day of work and a super-light lunch? The first instinct is to run to the kitchen, open the fridge or pantry and start a series of hunger-breaking snacks while waiting for dinner time.
There are those who throw themselves on crackers, some on squares of cheese, others on curly yogurt of every delicacy ... but in doing so, without realizing it, we ingest a very high quantity of calories without getting full at all, also messing up our metabolism: the body will not understand anything anymore!
The solution is to never skip either lunch or a mid-afternoon snack. In this way we will arrive home in the evening without all that rush to throw ourselves on food, in order to organize a dietary meal suitable for fast weight loss. The ideal, if you have the time, would be to prepare something from the morning or the day before, so that you only have to reheat it.
2. No to foods that raise the glycemic index!
For a light dinner that can satisfy you at the same time, it is essential to choose foods that do not raise your glycemic index and, on the contrary, guarantee a slow release of glucose, without causing peaks with consequent accumulations of sugar.
In fact, glycaemia is the quantity of glucose contained in the blood, essential for weight loss or gain. In fact, it induces the secretion of insulin, a hormone capable of regulating weight gain or weight loss. especially in the evening meal, they are those with a low glycemic index, such as beans, lentils, whole grains, yogurt, soy, fructose.
On the other hand, foods with a high glycemic index should be completely avoided, first of all pasta and white bread (to be replaced with the wholemeal version), fatty foods, fried foods and sugars.Among the foods that we recommend you take to lower the glycemic index are salmon, white meats, olive oil, turmeric, cinnamon, pumpkin and others: browse our album to discover them all and use them in your recipes!
See also: Low glycemic index foods to lose weight without sacrifices
© iStock Low glycemic index diet: recommended foods3. Choose the right cooking system
To prepare a diet dinner, not only the ingredients are essential, but also the way in which they are cooked. The number one rule of light cooking is not to use fat: therefore no to frying, yes to steam cooking, baked in foil or baked!
If you need to prepare eggs, choose to cook them soft-boiled, hard-boiled or poached. For the omelette, use the non-stick pan so you don't have to add oil! Even fish and meat can be cooked in the same way: to flavor them, focus on spices!
Vegetables are better cooked by steaming than boiling, as boiling destroys some nutrients, such as potassium. Finally, remember that no food must be overcooked: as long as it is simply crunchy!
4. Start with vegetables for a quick and tasty dinner
There is nothing healthier and more dietetic than starting your dinner with a nice plate of salad. This habit may seem bizarre to you, but it is a real cure-all for the figure! other courses with less hunger and in a smaller quantity, while stocking up on fiber, vitamins and mineral salts.
Bet everything on a nice mixed salad, with the addition of tomatoes, carrots, peas, onions, peppers. Dress with a drizzle of olive oil and seasonal herbs. Be careful not to add fatty foods such as potatoes or sauces.
Consuming a lot of vegetables at dinner is essential to avoid bingeing on anything else (especially after dinner). As an alternative to a salad, a good soup or vegetable cream will also be fine. You can also prepare raw vegetables to add as a side dish to other courses. It has very few calories, a high nutritional and satiating power and no contraindications!
5. Green light in your high-fiber protein and carbohydrate recipes
If we have already eaten a certain amount of carbohydrates for lunch, it would be better - in the evening - to focus everything on a protein recipe. A dish of fish, white meat, legumes and eggs are the recommended foods to keep fit. The important thing is to vary them continuously. You can also consume cheese, but not more than a couple of times a week.
Carbohydrates should not be completely excluded, but always chosen in the integral version. No, as we have already seen, with white flour. Yes, however, to carbohydrates rich in fiber, to be combined with vegetables. If you choose to consume pasta and rice, they better be al dente.
6. Limit your alcohol intake
A glass of wine at dinner has never killed anyone, you will say. True, but know that that same glass, let's do 125 ml, contains about 100 calories! If your intent is to lose weight, you'd better prefer water to alcohol. Any type of alcohol. Or at least, to adjust accordingly.
There are also those who argue that that same glass helps to promote sleep and sleep better. In reality it only promotes falling asleep, but not keeping sleep, and certainly will not make us feel regenerated. In short: as always, the important thing is not to exceed ...
7. Don't have dinner after 9pm
Another fundamental rule for a dietary dinner suitable for weight loss is not to consume it later than 9pm. In fact, if you ingest food too close to the time you go to bed, your body will assimilate the fats without having the opportunity. to burn them, unlike what happens during the day, when you are on the move.
The ideal time to have dinner is between 7pm and 8pm. Does it seem too early? The important thing is that at least three hours pass between when you finish your meal and when you go to bed. Be careful, however, not to go too far in those three hours with sweets and snacks in front of the TV!
8. Finish your diet dinner, whether winter or summer, with an herbal tea
Sipping a nice herbal tea after dinner is a healthy habit, excellent for the well-being of your body. First of all it can help you in digestion, promoting intestinal transit and draining excess fluids. It will help you avoid a swollen stomach and the accumulation of gas, but - above all - it will fill your stomach sufficiently, so as not to give you the desire for a dessert ...
In fact, an herbal tea has the ability to increase the sense of satiety, removing the temptations, which are inevitable after a light dinner! And don't believe that this is a good habit only in winter: even in summer a hot herbal tea can be beneficial. It will help you to expel liquids, cooling you immediately! It seems paradoxical, but it is so.