Aspects to take into account in the preparation of meals

To follow a diet correctly there are many elements that you must take into account, it is not enough to know the basic precepts of this. The choice of a diet regime must be based on the characteristics of your body, otherwise you will not get the expected results; keep in mind what we have studied in this course about ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph bodies. It is also important to control other factors such as daily habits, schedules and have a planning that allows you to carry out the diet properly. We will expand on the latter in this lesson. Routine: We all have a life routine, we start the day and repeat almost the same daily patterns, which of course includes eating. Your routine influences this to a great extent, because if you have a very hectic pace you probably do not have time to prepare meals that guarantee to satisfy your nutritional needs.

Much of the population lives focused on their studies, jobs, families and do not devote enough time to eat well; however if you are going to start a diet regime, either for medical reasons, to improve your habits or lose weight, you must make sure to make time in your daily routine to prepare the foods that this indicates correctly. Junk food: Fast food or junk food is something that we tend to consume when we do not have a proper meal planning or established schedules for these. Not thinking about what you are going to eat, leads you to buy fast food to satisfy your hunger, however, this type of behavior, if it becomes a habit, can represent a danger to your health due to its high content of sugars, salts, cholesterol and fats.

Starting a diet means eliminating these foods from your meal plan: Frozen products, sweets, industrial pastries, pizzas, hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks and drinks with high sugar content. Planning: When we start a diet, meal planning is crucial. Not all diets are simple and many include making a daily caloric calculation of all the foods you eat, so we suggest that before starting the week, make a plan with the meals you want and can prepare. Investing this time once a week relieves you of the burden of the rest of the days, just look in your planning the food that corresponds and prepare it as indicated.

Another advantage of planning, is that you can search in advance the food and condiments you need in the market; about this we must recommend you, that you make the purchase of the week at a time when you do not feel hungry, as this can lead you to buy foods that you should not consume.

Food: Once you decide the diet you are going to choose taking into account the elements mentioned above, you should think about what foods you are going to include in your plan; clearly this will be subject to the type of diet you select; however here we show you some general elements that you should take into account when starting any diet:

• Include a variety of foods and ways to prepare them.

• Eliminate or reduce the intake of non-nutritious foods such as those containing simple carbohydrates and saturated fats.

• Calculate the proportion of macronutrients you consume.

• Moderate meal amounts.

• Unless you practice intermittent fasting, be sure to eat at least 2 meals a day.

• Prepare palatable meals.

• Drink fluids.

Recommended times: The timing of your meals is very important. People with endomorphic bodies, for example, should not go long hours without eating, as it is detrimental to losing body fat. On the other hand, eating at preset times every day stabilizes the metabolism and improves digestion.

The times you choose to eat will depend on the diet you choose. In the case of the endomorphic diet, it is recommended to have 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), ensuring a space of at least 4 hours between each one and not to have dinner after 9 pm.