Hello everyone, hope all of you are keeping safe and are healthy and happy. When you’re trying to lose those few extra kilos, unplanned, unhealthy and late dinner just wouldn’t help. On the other hand, it also doesn’t mean that your dinner has to be only a soup or salad. You can consume a healthy, filling and diet friendly dinner using locally available ingredients. This article is about the food which you should include in your dinner
1. Tryptophan
- Tryptophan is an essential amino acidfound in food which is high in protein
- It increases production of serotonin in the body which ultimately has the following benefits
- Promotes healthier and better quality sleep
- Relief from depression and anxiety
- Increased emotional well being
- Managing pain tolerance
2. Magnesium
- Magnesium maintains healthy brain function
- Maintains healthy heartbeat
- Helps regulate muscle contractions
- Helps lower BP
- Improved quality sleep
- Reduces symptoms of depression
- Helps in protein synthesis
- Helps in calcium absorption
3. Slow Carbs
- Complex carbs with low GI index
- Most of these carbs are broken down into glucose, a type of sugar that can be easily used for energy
- Complex carbs are healthier as they pack more nutrients and fiber and taking longer to digest making them a more filling option
4. Soluble and Insoluble Fiber
- Including fiber in diet can help lower cholesterol
- Lower cholesterol further prevents chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and other heart diseases
5. Healthy Fat
- Healthy fat like coconut oil and desi ghee do wonders for your body
- Healthy fat also include nuts and seeds
- These healthy fat help reduce the risk of heart diseases in the body
- These are extremely good for your cholesterol levels as well
Examples of some food which should be included in dinner
- Whole grain, steel cut oats, barley daliya, quinoa and ragi
- Lentils and legumes
- Soy milk, tofu, soya chunks, soy vadi
- Green leafy vegetables like spinach
- Milk and milk products
- Eggs
- Turkey, chicken and fish
- Semi cooked veggies (cooked in healthy oil)
- Bhindi (okra)
- Beans and mushrooms
- Butternut squash
- Nuts and seeds (almonds, pumpkin seeds)
- Dried fruits (figs, prunes and dry dates)
What can you include in a Low Carb Dinner ?
- Eggs / paneer / chana with veggies cooked in healthy fat
- 1/2 cup quinoa, daliya (cooked) with protein and veggies
- Bedtime milk or evening milk : have coco mlik, turmeric milk, moon milk or almond milk
Some important pointers
- Contrary to popular belief, your dinner needs to be filling
- But make sure you eat your dinner 3-4 hours before going to bed
- Eating early dinner has the following advantages
- Assistance in weight loss
- Reduces the risk of obesity
- Reduces risk of cancer
- Improved mood and energy levels
- Better sleep
- Improves the heart health
Healthy Platting
- Make sure your dinner has all the important and essential ingredients
- Use the healthy platting method for better health
- Include veggies, protein, healthy fat and slow carbs in adequate quantity
- Don’t over eat
- Make sure you finish your dinner 3-4 hours prior to hitting the bed
Food you should avoid in dinner
- Caffeine
- Refined food
- Packaged, processed and ready to eat food
Food combination you should avoid
- Plant protein with animal protein
- Acidic or citrus food with alkaline food
- Mixing animal protain with starch