Let's face it: December is certainly not the month we associate with the idea of ​​going on a diet. Once the holidays have passed between dinners with friends and family lunches, feelings of guilt and above all the needle of the scales push us to dispose of those extra pounds, but only after we have allowed ourselves a few snags.
"Staying within certain limits, it is right to enjoy the conviviality of the Christmas period», The doctor reassured us Carla Lertola, which has "signed" our diet of the month for the whole of 2018. «This is why my staff and I invite you to consider the menu proposed in the gallery below like a weekly plan that you can follow before or after the table period for still keep your weight under control over the course of the month ".
Among the main foods on the table there is also avocado, to be consumed in moderation but which lends itself to different uses in the kitchen, as the biologist and chef Paola Dall'Erta explains to you at the bottom of the article.
In the shopping list
Vegetable: red beets, chard, broccoli, artichokes, thistles, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, savoy cabbage, blonde chicory, red orchid chicory, red chicory, turnip greens, fennel, curly envy, lettuce, potatoes, escarole, salsify, celery , celeriac, spinach, truffles, Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin.
Fruit: pineapple, oranges, avocado, bananas, persimmon, chestnuts, lemon, mandarins, mandarins, pomegranates, pears, grapefruits.
Fish: mullet, hake, sardine, sole, sea bass, mullet.
Follow the menu for 1 week: provides 1400-1500 calories per day for you and 1800-1900 for him. And it's perfect for keeping weight under control. But also the stress.
Monday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• Low-fat milk
• Wholemeal biscuits
Snack
• Pere
Lunch
• Poached eggs on black bread
• 1 small slice of avocado
• Fennel in a pan
Snack
• Grapefruits
Price
• Asiago and mixed grilled vegetables
• Wholemeal crusty bread
Tuesday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• Low-fat fruit yogurt
• Toasted wholemeal bread
• 1 teaspoon of honey
Snack
• Banana
Lunch
• Spelled spaghetti with sardines and turnip greens
• Julienne carrots
Snack
• Pineapple
Price
• Raw ham
• Spinach with lemon
• Whole grain bread
Wednesday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• Low-fat milk
• Wholemeal rusks
• 2 teaspoons of jam
Snack
• Mandarins
Lunch
• Barley with pumpkin and first salt
• Lettuce
Snack
• Pomegranate
Price
• Stewed chickpeas
• Beets in a pan
• Whole grain bread
Thursday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• Low-fat white yogurt
• Muesli
Snack
• Cachi
Lunch
• Grilled chicken breasts with rosemary
• Boiled potatoes
• Cauliflower
Snack
• Orange
Price
• Wholemeal penne with hake and artichokes
• Chicory salad
Friday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• Low-fat fruit yogurt
• Oat flakes
Snack
• Pere
Lunch
• Oat, lentil and dried cherry tomato salad
• Julienne celeriac
Snack
• Mandarins
Price
• Sliced ​​beef
• Brussels sprouts with mustard
• Rye bread
Saturday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• Partial milk skimmed
• Biscuits
Snack
• Pineapple
Lunch
• Mozzarella and beets
• Mixed grain bread
Snack
• Mandaranci
Price
• Brown rice with red beans and parsley
• Savoy cabbage in salads
Sunday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• Low-fat white yogurt
• Muesli or cereal flakes
Snack
• Pineapple
Lunch
• Fusilli with rabbit ragu
• Raw fennel
Snack
• Chestnuts
Price
• Sole and steamed broccoli with mixed aromas and lemon
• Whole grain bread
The first value of the quantities given below are ideal for her, the second for him.
Everyday
Baked products (biscuits and rusks): 30 g • 40 g
or
Breakfast cereals: 30 g • 40 g
They cannot provide more than 430 calories per 100g: check the value on the label! It is better if they are whole (in order to give you more fiber).
Partially skimmed milk: 150 g • 200 g
or
Low-fat yogurt (including fruit): 125-150 g • 200 g
Vegetables: free and in abundance
Fruit: 400 g • 400 g
Aromatic herbs: without any limitation
Spices: without limitations
Extra virgin olive oil: 4 teaspoons • 6 teaspoons
Salt: 2,5 g for seasoning
Twice a day of your choice
Bread or Pasta or Grain Cereals: 70-80 g • 100-120 g
Rotating during the week (1 choice per meal)
Carne: 120 g • 150 g
Fish: 150 g • 200 g
Fresh cheeses: 100 g • 100 g
Aged cheeses: 50 g • 70 g
Dried legumes: 60 g • 80 g
Frozen legumes, fresh, canned: 140 g • 200 g
Lean salami or without visible fat: 60 g • 70 g
Eggs: 2 • 2 (given once a week only
Can I treat myself to a slice of panettone at Christmas?
Answers Dr. Maria Paola Dall'Erta, biologist-chef and teacher of bio-cooking in Milan
Il panettone is less caloric than dry biscuits: 370 kcal against 430 per 100 g. The point, however, lies in the fact that when we consider the caloric share of a food, we must also keep in mind the specific weight and volume. In panettone the first is high, while the second is very low: translated into practice, it means that it is easier to overdo it.
The indication is therefore that of limit yourself to a small slice at the end of the dinner or Christmas lunch, avoiding combining creams based on mascarpone and cream, very caloric: rather, it can be accompanied with a citrus-based sorbet. And if there is any left over, once a week we can always consume it a slice for breakfast, with a cup of coffee or tea.
I love exotic fruit: how to use avocado in the kitchen?
Answered by Dr. Carla Lertola, dietician in Milan, Savona and Gallarate (Varese)
Avocado is a fruit with a creamy pulp, which it can be defined as a vegetable butter. Its fats have a high calorific value: it can therefore also be used often in the kitchen, but always paying attention to the doses and better without cooking it, because otherwise it loses all its nutritional properties e it can become bitter.
there two qualities of avocado. The first, called hate, has a darker skin and a marked creaminess. It is therefore perfect to be made into a guacamole together with lemon juice and salt, to be combined with a crudité mix. But you can also do one sauce to dress the pasta with 1 avocado, 1 tablespoon of turmeric, salt, pepper. The Hass it is also good for breakfast, on a slice of wholemeal bread: spread and sprinkled with salt and lemon for a savory version or with honey and hazelnuts for a sweet version.
The other variety is the Strong, with a bright green skin. It is preferred in preparations in which the avocado it should be introduced in slices or cubes. Also, I recommend it in mixed leaf or diced salads as a side dish for grilled meat or fish dishes.
How to choose smoked salmon?
Answers Dr. Giorgio Donegani, food technologist in Sesto San Giovanni (Milan)
First look at the species indicated by law on the label: the Onchoryncus come from the Pacific and are usually fished in the wild; that of the Atlantic is instead the Salmo Salar, practically all farmed but which can still reach excellent levels of quality.
La choice depends on tastes, although it must be considered that wild salmon is leaner than farmed, which however, it can be tastier precisely because of the greater amount of fat. Scotland, Norway and Ireland they also boast the best smoking tradition: better if it is declared the wood-fired one, of better quality.
In the vacuum bag check that there is no liquid: if present, it means that the product has suffered from the heat and is less good. In the package the slices must appear of a intense pink color, not too orange. It is then better to prefer those large format, because you get from the central part of the fish which is to be considered the best. Finally, the presence of red muscle (the darker one), thorns or bloodstains does not indicate high quality.
