Fractional meals for weight loss: recipes for fractional meals

Fractional nutrition is not a diet, but a way of organizing the diet. Instead of the traditional three meals, you eat even portions every 3-4 hours, of course, with the exception of bedtime. However, if you sensibly evaluate how city residents eat, it becomes clear that for most people, three meals a day is a luxury, not a routine.

In the morning you want to sleep longer, so people often skip breakfast, having a quick snack on the go or limiting themselves to a cup of coffee. Not everyone has the opportunity to take a full lunch break either; many workers actually don’t go out for lunch at all or are forced to grab food on the go. Accordingly, for most people the opportunity to have a full meal appears only in the evening. This leads to overeating before bed.

Fractional meals allow you to reconsider your eating habits, diversify your diet, as well as improve your well-being and normalize your weight. This is an effective weight loss tool, but not because this approach affects metabolism.

Metabolism is an overly complex system of relationships; all the processes that this term covers have not even been fully studied by science. Therefore, the idea itself of “interfering” with the functioning of metabolism is not very sound, unless such intervention means treatment by an endocrinologist. Fortunately, the human body is “sharpened” to maintain a stable state, so even if you want to influence metabolic processes so much that these changes take hold, this is not so easy.

Basic principles of fractional nutrition

So, fractional nutrition means frequent consumption of food in small portions. This approach has a clear advantage: maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Therefore, eat in small portions, but doctors often recommend it for people with diabetes, metabolic syndrome and other disorders of the absorption and production of insulin and glucose. However, starting to eat fractionally is not easy, because you will have to stock up on menu items in advance for at least a week. And this takes time and effort.

The basic principles of fractional nutrition can be described as follows:

You should eat small portions every 3-3.5 hours, but not less than 5 times a day. At the same time, you should not allow yourself to feel a strong feeling of hunger, but you also should not eat when you don’t feel like it at all. It is advisable to eat at the same hours.
The approximate size of one serving is 300 grams of food. You can measure the portion by eye, estimating how much food will fit in the palm of your hand, and eat no more than that at a time.
Compliance with the principles of balanced nutrition. You try to give up “harmful” foods like fatty, salty, sweet, smoked foods, but if you don’t feel full without them, reduce their consumption to a minimum. At the same time, you should also balance the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the diet. Try to eliminate alcohol and give up bad habits.

Sticking to fractional meals is easier than strict diets, because you don’t have to completely give up your favorite foods. You don't stress your body by drastically cutting the number of calories you consume. Of course, there will be a slight deficit, but due to frequent meals you will not suffer from hunger. Such a diet maintains stable blood sugar levels, so there is no risk of breaking out and eating fast food.

If you are used to eating a lot in large portions, reduce the amount of food gradually. Otherwise, you will not eat up in portions of 300-350 grams, you will be constantly haunted by a feeling of hunger, preventing you from working normally and doing other daily activities. Or you can eat more often, about 6 times a day. But gradually try to reduce your portions. If you are of normal weight and have no health problems, it is best to eat small meals 4-5 times a day.

As for the balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, all these elements should be present in your diet. However, to lose weight, you should slightly reduce the amount of carbohydrates in favor of proteins. Also try to eat carbohydrate-rich foods in the first half of the day, and eat no later than 2 hours before bedtime. If you want to eat before going to bed, you can drink herbal tea, a glass of kefir or unsweetened yogurt.

Remember that fractional nutrition is a marathon, not a sprint. It should become a habit, so it is important to make the menu tasty, varied, and attractive to you. The feeling of pleasure from food directly affects the feeling of fullness: we get full faster with tasty food. In addition, a regular diet should be comfortable, otherwise sooner or later you will want to give it up, forget about diets and weight loss and eat to your heart’s content.

At the same time, we should not forget about proper nutrition. Try to reduce fatty, fried, smoked, and sweet foods on the menu. Avoid alcohol - it contains a lot of calories, and it also doesn’t go well with weight loss because it makes you hungry, forcing you to eat more.

Reviews from doctors and specialists

Pavel Ivanishin, nutritionist of the highest category, Tula

Excess weight often results from the fact that a person eats too rarely and, when hungry, consumes large portions of food, especially in the evening. As a result, food is not processed into energy, but is deposited in problem areas as fat. That is why a fractional diet is the surest way to lose weight. After all, a small amount of food is immediately spent on the needs of the body, and nothing goes into reserve depots. A vitamin-protein fractional diet is considered especially useful. It does not limit the protein that feeds the muscles, while the body receives a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. I would not recommend this method of losing weight only to knowledge workers, since carbohydrates are needed for brain activity. Therefore, it is better for them to leave the fractional meal plan, but choose a “sweeter” menu.

Daria Zorina, therapist, Moscow

The Presidential Diet is a correct and balanced weight loss program that does not create stress for the body. I think it’s not for nothing that the most influential people in the world use it. It involves a gradual reduction in caloric intake, supplying the body with all the necessary nutrients and beneficial substances. I would call it a style of eating that you just need to transition to smoothly. The result of such nutrition is not only healthy physiological weight loss and excellent shape, but also the prevention of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and many other dangerous diseases, as well as general improvement and rejuvenation of the body.

Pitfalls of fractional nutrition

It is also useful to know about the disadvantages of fractional meals. For example, that it contributes to rapid wear of tooth enamel and the appearance of sensitivity. Between meals, the body restores the enamel structure, but if you eat frequently, it does not have this opportunity. Because of this, caries can develop. However, this is more likely a reason to monitor oral hygiene more carefully and visit the dentist more often than to abandon the correct menu.

It is also impossible not to take into account that if you have chronic diseases, especially if these are diseases of the endocrine system, you should not switch to fractional meals without the agreement of your doctor. Many health problems require a special menu, and you should not give it up just to normalize your weight.

Fractional meals for weight loss: menu for the week

It’s best to think about what and when you will eat in advance. You can even create a nutrition chart so you don't have any problems with snacking and cooking. Approximate weekly diet:

Monday: milk grain porridge, vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, vegetable soup, kefir, steamed fish.
Tuesday: buckwheat porridge, yeast-free bread with tuna, fresh vegetable salad, chicken chop, kefir, unsweetened yogurt, grilled seafood.
Wednesday: oatmeal with milk, banana, green tea with a sandwich, fresh fruits and nuts, fish soup, grilled fish and salad.
Thursday: scrambled eggs with toast, fresh vegetables and fruits, rice with seafood, unsweetened yogurt and berries, fresh vegetable salad and baked salmon fillet.
Friday: hard-boiled eggs with rye bread, green tea, berries and nuts, brown rice with tuna, kefir or unsweetened yogurt, lean grilled meat, greens.
Saturday-Sunday: omelettes, vegetable broths, grilled mushrooms, unsalted cheeses, vegetable salads with seafood.

Recipes

To introduce fractional meals into everyday life, you need to think through your diet for a week in advance. The dish designer will make planning easier, and with the help of simple recipes you can prepare a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Recipe for oatmeal with coconut milk and sesame seeds

Starting your breakfast with porridge is not only healthy, but also filling and tasty! Coconut milk is replaced with cow's milk. Diluting milk with water will reduce the calorie content of the finished dish.

Oatmeal with sesame seeds

Recipe No. 1
Cooking method:

Place ingredients in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.
Serve with berries or fruit. You can also add honey.

Ingredients for one serving: - long-cooked oat flakes - 55 g; — coconut milk – 80 ml; – water – 180 ml; – sesame – 10 g; - salt - 1 pinch.

Chicken Cauliflower Soup Recipe

The soup is light and rich. Excluding rice from the composition will help reduce the calorie content of the dish.

Chicken soup with cabbage

Recipe No. 2
Cooking method:

Rinse the leg, add water, and put on fire. Skim off foam during cooking and add salt. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
Wash and peel vegetables and herbs. Cut the potatoes into medium cubes.
Cut the carrots into thin strips, chop the onion into cubes.
Separate the cauliflower into florets.
Remove meat, separate from bone, remove skin.
Add prepared vegetables and washed rice to the broth. Cook for 15 minutes, covered, over low heat.
Add cabbage and meat, cook for another 10 minutes.
Before serving, garnish with finely chopped onion.

Ingredients: - chicken leg - 2 pcs.; — cauliflower – 300 g; – rice – 70 g; - potatoes – 160 g; — onion – 60 g; — carrots – 70 g; – water – 2 l; - green onion - optional; - salt, pepper - to taste.

Recipe for stewed cabbage with beef

The dish turns out nourishing and flavorful. Perfect for dinner.

Stewed cabbage with beef

Recipe No. 3
Cooking method:

Rinse the meat, dry it, remove the films. Rinse the meat, dry it, remove the films. Cut into medium pieces.
Heat oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan, add meat, fry over medium heat until golden brown.
Add salt, pour water until the meat is half covered. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 60 minutes.
Wash and peel the vegetables.
Cut the onion into half rings, grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
Add vegetables to the meat and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Chop the cabbage into medium strips. Add to meat. Simmer without a lid until the cabbage settles, stirring occasionally.
Add tomato paste, stir. Add half a glass of water, cover with a lid, and simmer until the cabbage is done. Add liquid as needed.
Finally, add spices to taste and bay leaf. Mix.

Ingredients: - beef - 500 g; — white cabbage – 600 g; — onions – 3 pcs.; - tomato paste - 3 tbsp. l.; — carrots – 1 pc.; — bay leaf – 2 pcs.; - little olive oil - 3 tbsp. l.; - fresh herbs to taste - optional; - salt, pepper - to taste.

Chocolate chia pudding recipe

Chia seeds are gaining popularity in desserts. The product tends to swell when added to a liquid consistency.

Chocolate chia pudding

Recipe No. 4
Cooking method:

Pour chia and cocoa into a deep bowl.
Pour in milk, mix thoroughly. Add honey, mix again and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to swell.
Before serving, stir and pour into glasses. Decorate with berries or fruits as desired.

Ingredients: - chia seeds - 25 g; – milk – 300ml; – cocoa powder – 20 g; – honey – 25 g.

Fractional meals for weight loss: menu for a month

You can also pre-plan a fractional meal menu for 4 weeks in advance. This is more difficult, but in the future it will make it easier to choose and purchase products. But if you are planning fractional meals for longer than a week in advance, be sure to leave one fasting day in the week. After all, it cannot be ruled out that you will be invited to a party or a cafe, or that there will still be unused food in the refrigerator that can be cooked.

To keep your diet varied, pay attention to the list of allowed foods. Perhaps you will discover something new in it or want to try unusual recipes. What can you eat with fractional meals?

Freshly squeezed juices, but not juice packs sold in stores (they are too high in sugar).
Selected sweets: dark chocolate, oatmeal cookies, dried fruits, but not pastries, honey, molasses, sweets, milk chocolate.
Fish and seafood: mussels, squid, tuna, sea bass and so on.
Low-fat dairy products: kefir, sour cream, unsweetened yogurt.
Coffee and tea without sugar, but with milk or ginger.
Cereals: buckwheat, oatmeal, pearl barley, brown rice.
Fresh vegetables and herbs, as well as mushrooms.
Lean meat: beef, chicken.
Baked goods: whole grain bread.

If you like fried foods and cannot give them up completely, cook not in a frying pan, but on the grill or in the oven. Frying in a pan with a lot of oil and especially fat should be avoided.

The BeFit service offers a ready-made menu for a week or a month for those who want to lose excess weight. We use only fresh, high-quality products, and calculate calories and nutritional supplements. In addition, our service makes sure that you eat tasty and varied food. By ordering food for a week from us, you will receive fresh dishes every day. You will also be spared the need to cook and buy food yourself. Stay slim with fractional nutrition from BeFit!