Eating a healthy and balanced diet is not as difficult as it seems. Advance planning and preparation can go a long way. For this reason, it is a great help to have daily menus suitable for a healthy diet.
With them, you can plan delicious, quick-to-prepare, and homemade meals. And it will be much easier for you to maintain a healthy diet. Take note of these ideas.
Contents
A balanced and healthy menu should conform to the dietary recommendations of the experts. These are prepared to promote adequate nutrition, which can benefit the population’s health in general. Each country or region has specific tips adapted to the local culture and gastronomy. But, in general terms, they all converge towards common bases, such as those recently exposed by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN). According to its experts, and based on the evidence available to date, the following guidelines are established:
- Plant-based foods should be in a prominent place. Among them, it is essential to ensure the presence of 2 to 4 daily servings of vegetables (both raw and cooked). To these must be added between 3 and 5 servings of fruit, preferably fresh and whole (not based on juices).
- Grains and derivatives (rice, bread, pasta, etc.) should be chosen whole, whenever possible. The recommended amount is between 4 and 6 servings a day.
- Legumes are a source of vegetable protein, as beneficial as animal origin. It is advisable to ingest them between 2 and 4 times a week.
- Dairy can be introduced up to 3 times a day. The most recommended thing is prioritizing the versions without added sugar and the lowest salt.
- Animal protein also has healthy sources. However, in these new recommendations, AESAN proposes reducing its presence: from 2 to 4 servings of meat per week (and no more than two intakes of red or processed meat), at least 2 of fish (of which 1 to 2 blue fish) and 2 to 4 eggs per week.
- Olive oil is the fat of choice, both for cooking and dressing. Also, nuts (without added salt) can be eaten regularly.
Based on these tips, below we will learn about some daily menus for a healthy diet with which it will be easier for you to organize the different meals and, in addition, you will have variety without sacrificing flavor. Take note.
Menu 1
The first of the daily menus for a healthy diet contains mushrooms. These can be counted within the group of vegetables and are also highly recommended. Its main nutrients are fiber, group B and D vitamins, and some minerals (selenium, copper, or potassium).- Breakfast: a glass of milk, an infusion, or a coffee. A whole wheat toast with tomato and fresh cheese.
- Mid-morning: 1 apple and a handful of nuts.
- Food: green salad with avocado (lettuce, carrot, radish…). Omelette. One pear.
- Snack: 1 natural yogurt with a couple of dates (optional).
- Dinner: broth soup with pasta. Baked cod with sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and parsley. Orange with cinnamon.
Menu 2
On this second day, you can introduce a rich preparation with a cereal, such as a couscous. This is made from wheat semolina and, in addition, allows you to make very varied and original recipes. It is an outstanding source of carbohydrates, B vitamins, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese. In case you didn’t know, couscous is native to North Africa but has been adopted in other regions, such as southern Italy. It is already common to see it on the shelves of most supermarkets. Today, it is consumed in many parts of the world.- Breakfast: a glass of milk, an infusion, or a coffee. Cereal muesli with banana and a handful of raisins.
- Mid-morning: anchovy sandwich with roasted pepper.
- Food: cream of cauliflower and leek. Stewed lentils with tomato and a few cubes of ham. One natural yogurt.
- Snack: 2 tangerines.
- Dinner: vegetable couscous (onion, carrot, pumpkin) and chicken. Yogurt with pear and a teaspoon of honey (optional).
Menu 3
As we have seen, fish is a healthy protein source that should be consumed more than two times a week. To safely include it in the diet, it is recommended to avoid those species that may contain a lot of mercury; AESAN recommends choosing between the following:- Cod.
- Mackerel.
- Squid.
- Golden.
- Sepia.
- Anchovies.
- Salmon.
- Sea bass etc.
- Breakfast: a cup of milk, a coffee, or an infusion. One kiwi and some strawberries, with oat flakes, and a handful of walnuts.
- Mid-morning: a whole wheat bread sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and 1 or 2 slices of Manchego cheese.
- Food: mushroom risotto. Salmon en papillote with leek and zucchini. Apple.
- Snack: vegetable drink smoothie with pineapple and cinnamon.
- Dinner: baked tomato with some slices of avocado. Egg scrambled with prawns and Trigueros. Plain yogurt.
Menu 4
This menu option contains hummus, an oriental recipe based on chickpeas. Therefore, it is a source of vegetable protein, calcium, and B vitamins source. According to some data, including this dish (or its main ingredients) regularly in the diet can increase its quality and improve health.- Breakfast: a glass of milk, a coffee, or an infusion. A whole wheat bread sandwich with tuna in olive oil and sliced cucumber.
- Mid-morning: two tangerines.
- Lunch: spinach and potato with olive oil. Sautéed turkey cubes with cherry tomato and aromatic herbs. One plain yogurt.
- Snack: banana spread with peanut butter.
- Dinner: Assorted oven-roasted vegetables (squash, artichokes, cauliflower, etc.) with hummus. Greek yogurt with apple.
Menu 5
Among the main tips for maintaining a healthy diet minimizing the presence of products with added sugar is advised. These provide calories but with little nutritional value. Its intake in excessive amounts has been linked to some health problems :- Obesity.
- Cavities.
- Bad nutrition.
- Elevated blood triglycerides.
- Breakfast: a glass of milk, a coffee, or an infusion. A piece of toast with pear slices and a portion of dark chocolate.
- Mid-morning: two slices of fresh pineapple.
- Lunch: whole wheat pasta salad with a hard-boiled egg. Baked chicken with ratatouille. Plain yogurt.
- Snack: cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, and whole wheat bread sticks.
- Cuttlefish with garlic and parsley. 1 cup of red fruit. Dinner: carrot cream.
Menu 6
Smoothies made with fresh fruit can be introduced occasionally in the daily menus for a healthy diet. If almonds (or other nuts) are added, very interesting nutrients are added, representing a protective factor for cardiovascular health.- Breakfast: a glass of milk, coffee, or infusion. Oatmeal porridge with raisins and two kiwis.
- Mid-morning: an apple and a date.
- Lunch: a carrot and beetroot salad. Stewed or sautéed white beans.
- Snack: a shake with milk, strawberries, and a handful of almonds.
- Dinner: pumpkin cream. Tortilla with wholemeal bread or sautéed brown rice.
Menu 7
Cooking in larger quantities is a good way to save time in the kitchen. This way, you can have the first courses or accompaniments ready in a few minutes. The popular garnish is a ratatouille, roasted pepper, or sautéed mushrooms. They can be served with meat (as in the menu for day 5) or used to make all kinds of fillings, like the one we will see below.- Breakfast: a glass of milk, coffee, or an infusion. Yogurt with red fruits, muesli, and pure cocoa powder.
- Mid-morning: an orange with chopped hazelnuts.
- Lunch: vegetable stew (artichoke, green beans, carrot, etc.). Red lentil pasta with pesto sauce.
- Snack: homemade popcorn.
- Dinner: corn tortillas or tacos filled with minced beef and ratatouille. Fresh pineapple.
All these examples can be a good inspiration for the day-to-day. Although planning your weekly diet is not difficult, and in this way, it adapts to the tastes and recipes preferred by each person. A very simple method to start organizing is the Harvard Dish. This offers the possibility of thinking of balanced menus to eat at home and away from it. According to your proposal, the way to organize meals is as follows:
- Half a plate (or half of what will be eaten) is made up of raw and cooked vegetables with the greatest possible variety.
- A quarter of a plate is represented by protein sources (1 serving at each main meal): legumes, fish, eggs, meat, or tofu (and other soy derivatives).
- The last quarter, for carbohydrates: rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc.