The dietitian said what can prevent you from losing weight: Food is not necessarily the fault of being overweight.

First of all, find out how much you need

According to Ž. Dumbraitė, the amount and type of food a person should eat depends directly on their energy needs. If a person does physical work or active sports, the need for energy increases and the body requires more food. And when we do sedentary work, we don’t move much, we don’t do more sports, and we need to eat less.

“First, I advise you to find out how much energy you need from food,” advises the dietitian. – Otherwise, you may feel that you are eating in moderation and that you are actually consuming far more calories than your body needs. There are now many free calorie calculators online and you can find out your needs in minutes. “

According to the interlocutor, a middle-aged, non-athletic woman has 1,600 calories and a man 2,000 calories. With a variety of hearty snacks and lunches, this number is extremely easy to reach and beat.

Ž. According to Dumbraitė, the second important step in balancing your diet is weighing the products you consume most frequently to imagine what one or another amount of the product looks like. It is easy to find information on the Internet about how much a slice of bread or a serving of cereal weighs. This will help you understand how much of your favorite products you can eat within the recommended daily caloric intake.

“If you do not have to count on your own, it is always worth contacting a specialist: the investment is small and after the consultation you will have a ‘ready list’ and understand how much and what kind of food,” advises Ž . Dumbraitė.

Nutrient balance is crucial

According to a nutritionist, it is ideal that energy comes from all three food groups (protein, fat and carbohydrates) at each meal. “For lunch, I would recommend consuming the maximum amount of protein, between 20 and 30 grams. It can be a serving of chicken, meat or fish the size of the palm of your hand or a small glass of legumes: beans, chickpeas or others. In order to eat healthily, it is very important to eat as many and as diverse of fruits and vegetables as possible.The ratio of vegetables to fruits should be 4: 1.

To avoid having to count too much, just add at least a few different colored veggies to all of your dishes. Cucumbers, tomatoes, 2-3 radishes, a handful of leafy greens or salad, 2-3 asparagus will be a great addition to your chosen protein source, “said the dietitian.

Food is not necessarily the culprit for being overweight

Ž. Dumbraitė notes that those who want to lose weight are often advised to significantly reduce or eliminate products that are high in carbohydrates.

“Bread, for example, is a great source of carbohydrates and fiber. Due to the lack of the latter, people often complain of indigestion, irregular bowel movements, poor intestinal health. And for those who care about the figure, I can tell you that the bread itself does not add kilograms. Unwanted weight often increases due to poor physical activity, unbalanced diet, hormonal changes, and other reasons. That is why one product or a group of them should not be blamed ”, the dietician is convinced.

According to her, a healthy person can actually eat 1 to 3 slices of bread a day and even more if they do not choose other cereal dishes that day. It is important that the bread complies with the recommendations of a healthy diet: 100 g of product must contain at least 6 grams of fiber and no more than 5 grams of sugar.

“If you are active, do sports, you can eat even more bread. The most important thing is that all the food we eat during the day is as diverse, fresh and nutritious as possible,” says Ž. Dumbraitė.

Valuable bread, not just black

According to Artūras Kokoškinas, Commercial Director of Vilniaus Duona, not only black bread is the right choice for those who want to enrich their diet with fiber and vitamins derived from it. Loose and light bread, especially formal bread for toasting, is becoming increasingly popular in Lithuania, and this is influenced by the food culture formed in Western Europe, which is also becoming attractive to Lithuanians.

Light bread can also be nutritious and valuable. Nutritionists recommend choosing bread made with whole wheat or “whole wheat” flour, which contains the most fiber. With this flour you can make both rye and wheat bread, which is obtained by removing a small amount or without removing the shell.

The easiest way to know the nutritional value of bread is to check its composition on the label. Pay attention to the amount of protein and carbohydrates and, most importantly, how many grams of sugar and fiber are in 100 grams of product. There are also types of sandwich bread for toasting, which have a healthy composition. Right now, when there is such a large selection of cakes in stores, it is really possible to choose bread that is delicious and valuable, ”says A. Kokoškinas.

According to international guidelines, adults should consume around 28-35g of fiber per day, children 1-3 years old up to 14g, children 4-13 years old about 16-25g fiber. Dietitian Ž. Dumbraitė advises parents to put a sandwich with valuable bread, vegetables and fruits in their children’s lunchbox instead of a muffin or other product with a lot of added sugar.