Healthy Dinner Recipes

1 fist of high-quality protein (fish and shrimp/poultry/eggs/soy products) + 2 fists of non-starchy vegetables + 0.5-1 fist of whole grains/miscellaneous beans/potatoes. The total calories account for about 30% of the whole day. Try to eat it 2-3 hours before going to bed. Less oil, less sugar and less spicy. This is the most universal conclusion based on the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents, the recommendations of the clinical nutrition department, and my 5 years of practical experience in providing family nutrition guidance.

I have prepared dinner recipes for hundreds of people with different needs. There is really no one-size-fits-all recipe. People with different needs and physiques have a lot of room for adjustment. Let’s talk about the topic “Should I cut off carbs for dinner?” which has been a hot topic on the Internet recently. There are two types of practitioners around me: On the one hand, there are programmers who insist on not eating refined carbohydrates for dinner for half a year and only eat vegetables and meat. Their body fat has dropped from 24% to 19%, and their fasting blood sugar, which was stuck at the critical point, has also returned to the normal range. ； On the other side is a female junior high school teacher who tried to cut off carbon dioxide for half a month. She was so hungry in the middle of the night that she suffered from insomnia, couldn't concentrate in class, and lost a lot of hair. She finally recovered after adding half a piece of steamed pumpkin to her dinner every day. In fact, there is nothing wrong with either statement. The logic of low-carbohydrate is to reduce insulin fluctuations after dinner and prevent excess calories from being converted into fat accumulation. It is originally suitable for people with a large body weight and the need to control sugar. ； But if you consume a lot of mental energy on a daily basis, or have a sensitive stomach or are prone to hypoglycemia, it is safer to eat a small amount of low-GI carbohydrates, which is better than getting up in the middle of the night to eat half a bag of potato chips.

When I am too lazy to turn on the fire at night after get off work, the quick meal I often eat is particularly easy: put the pre-marinated pangasius in the air fryer and bake it at 180 degrees for 8 minutes. Sprinkle some black pepper and salt to make it fragrant. Pair it with a pot of cooked lettuce, drizzle with light soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil, and add half a stick of corn that has been steamed and frozen in the refrigerator. It can be served in 5 minutes, and there is no hassle to clean up after eating. If the elderly at home come over for dinner on the weekend, I will stew some radish and beef brisket. The beef brisket is stewed so soft that the radishes are not greasy even after soaking up the soup. Then I stir-fry garlic broccoli and steam some iron yam as the staple food. It is easy for the elderly to digest, and the blood sugar rises slowly, so they will not feel dizzy or flustered after eating. If I meet a friend who wants to clean up fat recently and asks me for a recipe, I usually reduce the amount of staple food by one-third, add an extra boiled egg, and replace the vegetables with celery and asparagus that have more dietary fiber. They make you feel full and have low calories, so you don’t feel guilty after eating.

Oh, by the way, I really want to remind everyone not to believe in the saying that "not eating after lunch is healthy." I once had a client who stopped eating after 2 pm in order to lose weight. He persisted for three months and lost 10 pounds. However, a physical examination revealed gallbladder polyps. The doctor said that the fasting time was too long, and the bile was accumulated in the gallbladder and could not be excreted. Over time, it is easy to develop stones and polyps, which is not worth the gain. Also, if you have a dinner party with hot pot and barbecue at night, don’t lie down in bed until you’re full. I ate too much while making skewers with my friends last time, and acid reflux kept me up half the night. I had a sore throat the next day, but I learned a lesson later. If I eat too much at night, I should at least stand and walk for half an hour before sitting down. If I’m in a hurry, just eat a few bites less, so as not to suffer for my mouth.

Nowadays, many people are following the trend and trying the 16+8 light fast. The core is to finish dinner before 6 o'clock and eat the first meal at 10 o'clock the next day. I have several self-media friends who eat like this all year round. They say that after the afternoon, they don't have to think about eating, and their work efficiency is better. The rate is high, and the skin is not prone to oil and acne. However, I have also asked my friends who are doctors in the gastroenterology department. People who have chronic gastritis or gastric ulcers should not try it blindly. Gastric acid repeatedly irritates the gastric mucosa on an empty stomach for a long time, which will aggravate gastric problems. How you choose depends on your own physical experience.

After all, there is really no absolutely correct standard answer to a healthy dinner. After eating it, you will not wake up hungry at night, have no gas and acid reflux, wake up refreshed the next morning, have smooth bowel movements, and have a stable weight. That is the most suitable healthy recipe for you. There is no need to follow other people's templates. After all, comfort is the most important thing when it comes to eating, right?