Quick and healthy options for not skipping dinner

After a busy day, full of meetings and activities, it seems impossible to have enough energy to prepare the last meal with all the nutrients needed for a ideal dinner. Therefore, opting for quick meals seems to be the most convenient, doesn't it? However, opting for healthy options in that delivery app is not an easy task when you see a hamburger and a pizza on the home screen... That's why today's article is for you who want a quick and healthy dinner.

What is an ideal dinner?

An ideal dinner needs to have a balance of micro and macronutrients derived from protein sources; vegetables that are high in fiber; and foods rich in amino acids such as grains, cereals and seeds. People tend to replace foods rich in fiber, protein, good fats at dinner with foods with high caloric value, high in sugar, bad fat and sodium, such as ready-to-eat snacks and industrialized foods that nutritionally compromise a night's sleep badly and productivity the next day. A Table 1¹ presents the nutritional composition of 4 types of meals most consumed at dinner time.

Table 1: Nutritional composition of 4 types of meals consumed at dinner time (Source: Ministry of Health)

It is much easier to understand why in addition to dinner being important as the last meal of the day, the choice of what to consume at that time must be careful and oriented to your daily nutritional needs. Thus, we will give you tips on what to consume to make your dinner quick and nutritious.

3 recipe options to eat for dinner

     1. Vegetable Soup

During the weekend, or on the freest day of the week, cut the chayote, carrot and pumpkin (or squash) into cubes; slice cabbage or kale leaves; and cook a small amount of white brown rice.

With everything frozen, when you want to prepare it, just bring water in a pan to the fire and cook for about 25/35 minutes. Your dinner is ready, rich in vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein, with low caloric value.

     2. Stuffed Omelet

Nothing like eggs with a protein source like albumin (from the white) and phosvitine (from the yolk) - Albumin acts in the transport of nutrients and in the distribution of water; phosvitine, a iron carrier² present in the egg. Preparing an omelette with 2 eggs, tomato, onion, adding grains such as sesame seeds, mustard seed, a slice of white cheese and a spoonful of cream cheese in a drizzle of olive oil is a great option for dinner. 

With the richness of proteins, fiber from grains and good fat from cheese and curd, this meal will bring you a feeling of satiety, but in a very light way. Another benefit is that it is a source of vitamin D, essential for our bones and muscles.

     3. Natural Sandwich and a fruit

First choose a good bread option, preferably opt for those containing grain and cereals (oats, chia seed, sesame, wheat). Vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, watercress will be welcome; in addition to finely grated vegetables such as carrots, beets and others of your choice. Assemble the sandwich as you prefer, just keep the base: vegetables, greens, grains and especially a source of protein (you can use cheese, eggs, or cream cheese).

It's fast food that will fill you up with all the nutrients you need for a good dinner, free of preservatives, poor quality fat and excess sugar. It's ideal for functioning when your metabolism is lower.

2 Extra Tips for a Quick and Healthy Dinner

     1. Freeze what you can

This has already been covered, but it will help your brain understand that it won't take work to prepare from scratch, cut vegetables. We are biologically programmed to be lazy³, prefer activities that use as little energy as possible. Now consider this in the evening when you've already had a grueling day full of work, stress, so it's more than normal - and even preferable - to avoid too much exertion. So, when you have some free time on the weekend, cut all the vegetables you'll need for that week, cook the rice now, leave the beans ready in the freezer and defrost them when necessary.

     2. Prepare um Foodz Du Chef

Foodz Du Chef is a nutritionally complete instant meal. This means that each Foodz Du Chef meal contains a perfectly balanced blend of 25g of protein, 25 essential vitamins and minerals, up to 8g of fiber, good fats and carbohydrates. Everything with a perfect balance in terms of calories. 

To prepare, just add boiling water, stir well and let stand for 5 minutes with the lid closed. And ready! Enjoy a quick and healthy meal as if it were fast food, but with incredible benefits for your health!

Foodz Du Chef (7) - BRL 19.98 per meal