A word about a tasty dinner: dietary recipes for an evening meal

"You can't eat after six!" write fashion magazines. "You can't eat 3-4 hours before bed!" correct old-school nutritionists. "You can, if you've had a workout before," timidly put in their two cents by trainers from glamorous sports clubs. "But only proteins and green vegetables!" decisively add fitness bikini stars. "What about the carbohydrate window?" sweaty bodybuilders ask excitedly. "Just one banana!" fashion magazines burst into the debate again.

Such discussions have been going on for many years now, and it is still impossible to come to a common denominator. It is generally accepted among fitness enthusiasts that carbohydrates eaten in the afternoon (and especially in the evening) do not have time to be used up as fuel and replenish fat reserves. It is recommended to have protein for dinner, in order to avoid night catabolism (otherwise you will wake up in the morning and someone has stolen your muscles!), and vegetables rich in fiber to help the sleeping body in the digestion process.

But the well-known Lyle McDonald, a nutritionist, trainer, publicist, author of books on bodybuilding and sports dietetics, has a different point of view. Carbohydrates provoke active production of insulin, which transports glucose obtained with food to glycogen depots, fat cells and other places where this glucose is needed. It is believed that we practically do not spend energy during sleep, and carbohydrates eaten at night will immediately be deposited on the sides. But we must remember that insulin plays an important role in the metabolism of not only glucose, but also amino acids. Therefore, a certain amount of carbohydrates eaten for dinner along with protein foods will help restore muscle tissue after physical exertion (at night this process is especially active).

At the same time, McDonald believes that eating carbohydrates for dinner will not interfere with weight loss or contribute to weight gain if you maintain an average daily calorie deficit. Even if it suddenly happens that the candy (banana, porridge, sandwich) eaten before bed is deposited as fat, you will successfully burn it the next day if you remain in a deficit.

The truth, as always, is very subjective. Some people can't fall asleep without sweets, while others vitally need vegetables in their evening meal. Some people are mercilessly dried out all night if they overdo it with "coals" in the evening, while others swell up after cottage cheese or fruit. You have probably already guessed our advice: eat for dinner what you like, what is not harmful to your health and does not cause any trouble. And we will delight you with recipes so that you can experiment.

Please note: the nutritional value of dishes is calculated for the entire dish, not for 100 g.

Salad with bulgur and chicken breast
Ingredients:

Chicken fillet (boiled) 100 g
Bulgur 30 g
Tomatoes 2 pcs.
Cucumbers 2 pcs.
Arugula 50 g
Olive oil 1 tbsp.
Dijon mustard 1 tsp.
Water 100 ml
Salt to taste
Boil the bulgur until done in boiling water, cool. Cut the fillet into small pieces or separate into fibers. Chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, tear the arugula with your hands (this way the greens will better reveal their aroma). Mix all the ingredients, add oil and mustard, salt, stir.

KBZhU:

Proteins 39.8 g
Fats 15.7 g
Carbohydrates 31.3 g
Caloric content ​​435.9 kcal
Fish steak and broccoli in sauce
Ingredients:

Cod 200 g
Broccoli 200 g
Greek yogurt 100 g
Garlic 2-3 cloves.
Salt, thyme, black pepper, rosemary - to taste
Lemon juice 1 tsp.
Rub the fish (you can use catfish, tilapia or even hake instead of cod) with salt and herbs, sprinkle with lemon juice and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then fry on the grill or in a non-stick frying pan for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Boil broccoli for 4-5 minutes in boiling salted water (if you have frozen cabbage, you dont need to defrost it first). Mix yogurt with black pepper and chopped garlic. Pour sauce over the finished broccoli and serve with fish.

KBZhU:

Proteins 47.1 g
Fats 5.5 g
Carbohydrates 17.2 g
Caloric content ​​294 kcal
Frittata with tomatoes, olives and cauliflower
Ingredients:

Eggs 2 pcs.
Tomato 1 pc.
Cauliflower 100 g
Olives 40 g
Salt, spices to taste
Roughly chop the cabbage, tomato and olives, mix and place in a small baking dish. Beat the eggs with salt and spices, pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and place in the oven for 15 minutes (180C).

KBZhU:

Proteins 18.4 g
Fats 16.7 g
Carbohydrates 11.7 g
Caloric content ​​288.1 kcal
Baked apples with cottage cheese
Ingredients:

Apples 3 pcs.
Cottage cheese 0% 150 g
Egg white 1 pc.
Cinnamon, sweetener to taste
Use a knife to remove the cores from the apples. Mix the cottage cheese thoroughly in a blender with the egg white, cinnamon and sugar substitute. Stuff the apples with the cottage cheese mixture and bake for 20 minutes at 180C. By the way, it also works great in a microwave or multicooker, if you choose the right mode.

KBZhU:

Proteins 29.3 g
Fats 2 g
Carbohydrates 50.5 g
Caloric content ​​349.3 kcal
Turkey fillet with zucchini and champignons
Ingredients:

Turkey fillet 200 g
Zucchini 1 pc.
Champignons 6-10 pcs.
Lemon juice 1 tbsp.
Dijon mustard 1 tsp.
Salt, spices to taste
Marinate the fillet with lemon juice and mustard for 20-30 minutes. You can do it longer if you, say, marinate the meat in the morning to cook it in the evening, the turkey will only benefit from this.

Place the fillet in a baking dish along with the zucchini sliced ​​into circles and the peeled mushrooms. Salt, add spices and cover with a sheet of foil, pressing the edges tightly. Bake at 180C for about 20 minutes. If you dont want to mess around with the oven, a multicooker will also do the job just fine.

KBZhU:

Proteins 65.9 g
Fats 10.1 g
Carbohydrates 47.5 g
Caloric content ​​550.8 kcal
Protein Chocolate Cheesecakes
Ingredients:

Cottage cheese 0% 200 g
Egg white 1 pc.
Chocolate protein - 30 g
Cocoa powder 2 tsp.
Sweetener to taste
Mix all ingredients in a blender, form cheesecakes and bake in a preheated non-stick frying pan without oil (2-3 minutes on each side).

KBZhU:

Proteins 39.9 g
Fats 3.2 g
Carbohydrates 8.3 g
Caloric content ​​219.4 kcal
Vitamin smoothie with kefir
Ingredients:

Low-fat kefir 300 ml
Fresh spinach 50 g
Cucumber 1 pc.
Arugula 50 g
Wild garlic 50 g
Bran 30 g
Flaxseed oil 1 tsp.
Turmeric tsp.
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients in a blender, drink the smoothie fresh. This is a great option for those who do not like to go to bed with a full stomach, but do not want to stay hungry. If your evening appetite is not satisfied by the green smoothie, a delicious diet omelet, juicy chicken steak or fresh salad will be a great addition to it.