When and how much to eat meat? What gadgets should you buy? About the benefits of protein foods.

Why can't you eat eggs and cheese at the same meal? When is it better to eat fruits, and how do cottage cheese and jam fit together? Nutritionist of the medical center "Horizont" Natalya Davydova tells how some useful material can interfere with the process of assimilation of others eaten together.

Natalia Davydova
nutritionist of the medical center "Horizont"

Protein foods should not be eaten with cereals, pasta and potatoes (complex carbohydrates)

Proteins eaten simultaneously with potatoes, cereals, pasta, as well as with any dough, “stop” all processes in the stomach. The thing is that proteins and starches contradict each other. For the normal breakdown of complex carbohydrates (pasta, cereals, potatoes), a slightly alkaline environment is required. Acid is needed to digest proteins.

If the stomach simultaneously receives protein products(meat, fish) along with carbohydrate-containing (potatoes, pasta), digestion begins to slip. This causes proteins to putrefy in the intestines at the same time as carbohydrates ferment. Enzymes - amylase and pepsin (responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins) - counteract each other. As a result, the body does not receive enough no proteins, no carbohydrates.

Incorrectly eaten food is “stored” and converted into adipose tissue. There is heaviness in the stomach, drowsiness, fatigue and weakness. Such food poisons the blood, provokes gastritis, constipation, ulcers, and in the saddest outcome - stomach cancer (of course, slowly and imperceptibly). The pancreas in this case forced to work hundreds of times more intensively, which over the years leads to wear and tear and, as a result, pancreatitis.

Meat and fish are best consumed with herbs and vegetables.

That's why meat and fish lovers should know that protein pairs well with vegetables. During the assimilation and decomposition of meat in the intestines, dangerous substance(a special molecule of iron), which has carcinogenic properties.

Neutralize her harmful effect can be done with chlorophyll. This substance is found in abundance in all leafy vegetables: salads, spinach, sorrel, parsley, cilantro, dill, basil. It is also found in avocados and white cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, green peppers and cucumbers, celery.

You can not combine nuts and meat, eggs and meat, cheese and nuts, cheese and eggs in one meal. two squirrels different kind and composition require their digestive juices. Moreover, the concentration and time of release of these juices in the stomach differ.

Meat is incompatible with nuts due to high energy value. After such a dish, there is heaviness and heartburn from the abundant release of acid. It is also better not to eat scrambled eggs with grated cheese. This incompatible products. It is advisable to eat the egg separately or with herbs ( green salad). Rule one: one protein per meal. If you want variety, eat them at different times.

Pulses are combined with both potatoes and vegetables

Lentils, beans, beans, soybeans, peas can be consumed with other foods with almost no restrictions. The peculiarity of the compatibility of legumes is explained by the dual nature. As starches, they pair well with fats, especially those that are easy to digest. vegetable oil and sour cream. As a source of vegetable protein, legumes are good with greens and starchy vegetables.

Mushrooms should not be eaten with potatoes

Mushrooms go well with many foods: herbs, cereals, bread, nuts, legumes, cheese and seafood. They are compatible with vegetables. However, it is difficult for them to “get along” with potatoes: potatoes contain too much starch.

Complex carbohydrates (cereals, pasta, potatoes) - self-catering

You should not “combine” cereals with meat - cereals contain phytic compounds that impair the absorption of iron from meat. Great addition to porridge or baked potatoes - vegetables. They are suitable in any form: fresh, stewed, baked, pickled (salted).

Cereals are tasty and healthy with seafood, seaweed, mushrooms, herbs. if you love sweet porridge you can add some dried fruits.

Pasta lovers should avoid meat sauces, but the use of sauces based on vegetables and herbs will “taste” your stomach.

Fruit should be eaten separately.

Fruits do not go well with other foods (such as cereals). It's all about what they contain simple sugars which are quickly digested. This means that fruits should not remain in the stomach for long. That is why it is advisable to eat fruit not before or after a meal, but as a meal.

food with high content fat, protein and starch will be digested many times longer. If you eat fruit after a hearty meal, then fruit sugar will wait for its turn, that is, stagnate and wander in the stomach.

Alcoholic drinks with meat and sweets are not friendly

It is undesirable to drink alcohol along with meat dishes (especially fried ones). As a result of their combination, pepsin is precipitated, which is needed for the digestion of animal proteins. Fatty and fried foods exacerbate and prolong the effect of alcohols, while doubling the load on the liver and gallbladder.

With a combination of alcohol and sweets (cake or chocolate), the cake will win in the fight for digestion. After all, glucose is more important for the body, and alcohol will be postponed for later. As a result, the body will have time to "poison" toxic substances.

Milk is an independent product

Milk does not combine well with other products, due to the presence of protein and fat in its composition. The only exception is sour fruits.

IN acidic environment stomach milk coagulates and envelops the particles of other food, while isolating them from the action of gastric juice. It turns out that until the milk is split, other food will not get access to digestion. Of the dairy products, the most harmless are fermented milk products, since the foreign milk protein has already been “decomposed” by lactic acid bacteria.

Dairy products are best consumed before bed. This contributes to the production of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for the quality of sleep.

Cottage cheese does not go well with jam

Do not add sugar, jam, syrup to cottage cheese. If you want both taste and benefit, sweeten the cottage cheese with raisins, dried apricots or honey. You can also add seeds.

Jam, as a rule, contains a lot of sugar. If you eat cottage cheese with jam, the sweetness will be digested first, and only then the cottage cheese. While the latter is waiting for its turn to be digested, you may feel discomfort in the stomach.

Warning: This article may offend the sensibilities of vegans because this article is not about leaves and roots, but about serious food. In addition, it is better for impressionable citizens to enter with caution the new meat restaurant of Arkady Novikov "BOK" on Petrovka. Because the first thing a visitor sees there is a glass chamber for storing and aging meat. The walls, partly built of pink Himalayan salt, can be mistaken for marble - such an interior would be quite suitable for a jewelry boutique - but instead of precious stones, carcass pieces hang on large hooks, evoking associations with the Flemish school of painting. Indeed, the cutting of meat is treated here as an art: so delicately butchered and trimmed parts of the carcass in Moscow are still a rarity.

But gourmets, devoid of sentiment, are waiting for many interesting discoveries. In this restaurant, everyone knows about meat and is ready to offer consumers not only ready meals, but also intimate knowledge of how this very meat should be handled in order to get the maximum pleasure from it, since the poor calf can’t be saved anyway. We talked about this with the manager of the restaurant, Roman Schuka.

How to choose meat in the market?

First, let's look at the color. The veal should be pink (than redder color, the older the cow) and with light, not yellow veins. The beef should be red, not weathered.

The meat should be shiny. Matte and with dried edges are bypassed. The color should be sure, no yellowish or grayish shades should be traced. Feel the meat: there should be no mucus on it. The smell should be natural, pleasant, without chemical unnatural notes. Pay attention to how the butcher and the seller monitor their workplace, how carefully they pack the goods, how clean their clothes are. Restaurant professionals have a long-established formula - "where it's clean, it's delicious"; she rarely fails.

In transferable cookbooks often write: "Ask your butcher to butcher and stuff a leg of lamb in advance." And this is not a joke: a person who is open to all the joys of life needs a personal butcher as much as his own dentist or hairdresser. By following the above rules, you will certainly find it.

Veal side, a synonym for the word "tenderness" Photo: BOK restaurant

What is a good side?

Many of our compatriots are accustomed to dividing meat into two varieties: tenderloin and tasteless. Apparently, the sad memory of the hungry decades, when properly butchered and prepared beef could be found only in the Kremlin canteens, affects here. However, now seems to be the time to broaden your horizons.

Here, for example, a side (in honor of which, in fact, it is named new restaurant Arkady Novikov). What is so special about this part of the carcass, previously not the most popular in Moscow, that the entire kitchen of the new restaurant on Petrovka is built around it? The main advantage of the side a large number of bones. Yes, yes, this is an advantage, not a stigma. Bones give a strong taste, make it more saturated. Meat cooked on the bone always tastes better. In addition, the lateral muscles attached to the ribs are less involved than, for example, the animal's legs. Accordingly, the meat is much softer and more tender. For maximum juiciness, it’s good to have fat on the ribs, but everything needs a measure.

How to age meat at home

Aging and aging of meat is a technology that is gaining great popularity in Moscow (although in a large and beautiful world You can't call it new.) The meaning of meat aging lies in fermentation: as a result of dozens of complex biochemical reactions, the structure of proteins changes, liquid leaves the meat, and as a result, it becomes much softer. As a result, along with the liquid, the meat loses weight, and the longer it ripens, the less it weighs. The longer the exposure, the more expensive and valuable the meat becomes.

Usually aging lasts from two to three weeks, but can be kept for more than a hundred days. There are cases when meat of long exposure (120 days or more) was put up for auction, as especially large truffles or rare wines.

maturation chamber. Looks like a jewelry boutique, but much tastier Photo: BOK restaurant

The aging chamber that we saw in the BOK restaurant is not a design whim, but an element high technology: Himalayan salt, which the walls are lined with, has very high antiseptic properties. In combination with a strictly adjusted temperature and humidity level, a special microclimate is created in the chamber, in which bacteria on the surface of the carcass do not multiply and do not spoil the meat, but the enzymes in the thickness of the meat quietly do their important work. Thanks to convection, the drying process takes place in the chamber, and the more moisture leaves, the more concentrated it becomes. meat taste. For the sake of interest, you can try meat from the same cut every week and watch how its taste changes.

Can this trick be repeated at home? It is possible, but it will take a lot of effort. A chamber with controlled temperature and humidity will not be replaced by a cellar or conventional refrigerator. A reasonable compromise is the vacuum type of maturation. In this case, the steak or other cut is placed in an airtight package and left to rest in the refrigerator (from 2 to 4 degrees!) For a period of two weeks or a little longer.

How to cook meat?

Every year there are more and more new technologies for cooking meat, from sous-vide to all kinds of ovens. However, the chef of the BOK restaurant, Sergey Kondakov, strongly advises not to complicate things. Despite all the fruits of progress, nothing is more harmonious than the combination of meat and open fire, mankind has not yet come up with.

The ability to look into the kitchen is no longer just a fashion, but a categorical imperative. Photo: BOK restaurant

Here are the three main rules.

1. The pan (grill / cauldron) on which you are going to cook must be hot. The crust on the meat should seize instantly, this is called "sealing the juice inside." This method is useful, even if you plan to stew meat in the oven further. Often cooks advise to heat the pan until it begins to smoke. In a poorly heated frying pan, the meat begins to turn white and secrete juice, as a result, it becomes tough and resembles the same “sole” from the school cafeteria.

2. Choose medium doneness (this is when the steak or tenderloin remains pink in the middle). Often this type is called "meat with blood", but this is fundamentally wrong. All the blood leaves the carcass even during cutting, and after proper frying, the medium remains only juice, which is mistaken for blood. This meat is juicier and softer.

3. Follow Occam's rule and do not introduce unnecessary entities. The simplest and most effective marinade for meat is just salt and pepper. The most versatile and win-win seasoning - fresh garlic and aromatic herbs.

Sergey Kondakov, chef of BOK restaurant Photo: BOK restaurant

How to cook meat bought in a regular store?

Expensive marbled meat is quite difficult to spoil: it will tell you how to cook it. But what about the most plain meat from a regular supermarket? How not to spoil yourself and your guests with an inedible rubber sole?

In this case, Sergei Kondakov still recommends choosing the tenderloin. Cut it across the grain into small five to seven centimeter medallions and give each piece a quick massage of olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Fry on a hot grill pan for a few minutes on each side until medium rare. Then transfer the meat to a wooden board and be sure to let it rest for a couple of minutes, this will make it softer.

Another trick: during frying, throw a piece of butter, a couple of whole cloves of garlic and fresh herbs. During frying, pour the meat with the resulting hot fragrant oil.

What gadgets should you buy?

The fact that the main thing in cooking meat is simplicity, we have already mentioned. And yet, some gadgets can greatly simplify your life and have a beneficial effect on the fate of the piece that you are about to bake.

The most important - sharp knives. Minimum set may consist of only two: a large cleaver that can cut the bone without crushing it, and a small knife for cutting the veins and butchering. It is important that the knives are with a thin blade: thick and clumsy Ceramic knives let's leave it to the "shop on the couch" lovers. There are also special meat hacksaws with fine teeth that will help cut meat into bones more filigree.

The cutting board should be large and heavy. In professional kitchens, plastic is used for hygiene reasons, but for the home it is better to choose wooden: it is wooden boards that all leading butchers use for work. The main thing is to wash it thoroughly after each use and do not use it to work with other products.

For cooking meat, you need to choose dishes with a heavy bottom, cast iron or copper, a grill pan. Teflon-coated cookware just won't hold up high temperatures required for proper roasting. Often, according to the recipe, you first need to fry the meat to a crust, and then remove it to reach the oven - thin and light dishes will not last long under such loads.

Beef in Barolo sauce. Another version of the dish uses classic marsala instead of this Piedmontese wine. Garnish - patriarchal mashed potatoes Photo: BOK restaurant

What do you eat with meat?

In questions the right side dish there is no consensus on meat, but still the chefs agree that the main thing is balance. heavy meat dishes It's better to balance it with something light. Perfect option- This baked vegetables, steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus. Or a classic of the genre - poached green bean and spinach with cream.

What to drink meat?

The choice of drinks depends not so much on the type of meat, but on its preparation in each specific case. Grilled red meat with fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme) is still indispensable dry red wine. To spicy or cooked in Asian style With sweet and sour sauces and marinades are perfect, you won't believe the beer.

To more light meat prepared with lemon, you can pick up dry white wine, for example, aged in oak barrels chardonnay. Dry cider will make a great company light salads with roast beef, all kinds of pâtés and foie gras.

This is how you serve beef ribs Photo: BOK restaurant

How to eat meat if you want to be healthy and beautiful?

Avoiding meat is strongly associated with healthy eating, and we certainly wish all vegetarians - as well as followers of all other fashion trends - good health and longevity. However, the explosive growth of meat restaurants is also a fashion trend, and its adherents may well combine their passion for meat food with reasonable calorie restriction.

In this sense, meat is not as scary as side dishes for it. Firstly, meat and potatoes are not at all such inseparable friends as many used to think. Beef is no less willing to make friends with steamed zucchini and Kenyan beans. beef steak can be replaced with veal, young lamb or rabbit meat.

Much depends on the method of preparation. bunch extra calories meat is given the oil that you pour into the pan without a second thought, just so that it does not burn. Stop immediately and write down the recipe: take a lean tenderloin or edge and make shallow cuts in the meat with a knife. You will get small pockets. Now stuff them with all sorts of root vegetables - celery, parsnips, carrots. Add garlic cloves, grate sea ​​salt and black pepper. To enhance the taste, it will not be superfluous chili or spices. Wrap this treasure in foil and put it in the oven for an hour. If you are haunted by the memory of the Soviet delicacy "meat with mayonnaise", add there Greek yogurt: it will easily cope with all mayonnaise functions without burdening the dish with extra calories.

Can you eat with your hands?

You can, if it's very tasty, says Roman Pike. In the BOK restaurant, a special bib and a wet towel can be brought to you for this purpose.

Proteins and proteins play an important role in weight loss. These substances enter our body mainly with meat. Dukan's recent diet on how to "eat meat and lose weight" covered the entire Earth. According to rumors, even Kate Middleton used it to lose weight for her wedding day (although Buckingham Palace denies these rumors). However, Kate's mom Carol says she really took advantage of Dukan's diet. On the day of the wedding (April 29, 2011), the results were noticeable. You too can try the Dukan Diet by consuming meat products and losing weight.

Steps

Choose lean meat. Maintain optimal cholesterol levels by choosing lean meats such as:

• Seafood: great source low fat protein. Fish (for example, salmon) contains omega 3 fatty acids in the cardiovascular system.
• White meat (poultry): Red meat has a higher fat content. Don't forget to take the skin off white meat because it is loaded with fat.
• Pork tenderloin: This meat now contains 30% less fat than 20 years ago.
• Lean Beef: Believe it or not, lean beef has only one gram more saturated fat than white meat (skinless). Besides lean beef rich in zinc, iron and vitamin B12.

1. Choose natural organic meat. It costs more, but does not contain the hormones and additives found in cheaper products. Natural beef also contains high amounts of linoleic acid, which may prevent cancer. In addition, natural meat obtained from cows that have undergone a medical examination is not contaminated with E.Coli (E. coli). Look for a seal or mark on the meat that the animal was fed 100% natural products, and it passed the medical check. It is also important that the animal moves normally and freely.

   Calculate portion sizes. In order to realize weight loss, you need to adhere to optimal amount meat. One serving of meat equals approximately one cup (220 g).

   Eat one serving of meat at every meal. According to nutritionists from the popular weight show Biggest Loser, you should consume three servings of protein (meat) a day. For example, for breakfast you can eat turkey bacon and an egg, for lunch - Caesar salad with chicken cubes, for dinner - 220 g of salmon with steamed vegetables.

   Before you cook meat, it must be properly processed. First, meat should always be in the refrigerator, never leave meat on the kitchen counter all day. Chicken should always be washed clean running water, then pat it dry a bit. After the meat has been cut on a board or countertop, that board (or countertop) must be washed with antibacterial soap. You need to clean not only the cutting board, but also everything that touched the meat: knives, forks, etc. Remember to wash your hands with soap and water before carving meat.

   Cook meat without additional oils and sauces. For a low-calorie dish, lightly pour over the meat olive oil(half a teaspoon), season with a little salt and pepper (to taste), then toast. Be careful not to overcook the meat, as it can be carcinogenic. If you cannot cook the meat on the grill, you can put it in the oven (375 degrees). Seafood (such as tuna) is enough to fry on the stove for one to two minutes on each side.

2. Do not pour sauces over meat after cooking. Try to eat as much as possible less sauces. Even if you really like ketchup or turkey barbecue sauce, you better endure it. Sauces contain a lot of carbohydrates, which will lead not to weight loss, but to the opposite effect. Look for low carb, low calorie alternatives (e.g. mustard, oil, vinegar). In addition, if you cooked everything correctly, lean meat should be tasty and without any additives.

   • Combine meat with vegetables to maintain balanced diet. For example try lean steak and fried sweet potato for dinner or spinach salad and fried shrimps for lunch.
   • To get from proteins maximum benefit, experts say that you need to eat about 0.8-1.1 g of protein per 1 kilogram of body weight. Donald Lyman, Ph.D. and professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of Illinois, says you should try to eat about 30 grams of protein with breakfast.
   • Don't forget to include carbohydrate-based grains in your diet. Carbohydrates are not so bad for weight loss, they can even help with it! Healthy carbohydrates are found in vegetables, grains, brown rice and beans. Incorporate any of these foods into your diet and you'll be able to keep physically and mentally active throughout the day.

   Warnings

   • Never consume undercooked meat (unless it's sushi). Undercooked meat not only can lead to food poisoning, it may also be infested with worm larvae. The best way to find out if the meat is fully cooked - use a special thermometer, which can be purchased at any home improvement store.
   • Talk to your doctor before starting this diet. The doctor should check the cholesterol level and blood pressure. In some cases consumption is only lean meat can be dangerous.

One of the most harmful myths modern society is the belief that one should not eat meat. Meat is called the culprit of obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol and many other diseases. Open any site dedicated to proper nutrition, and you will probably find articles like "A number of reasons why you should give up meat."

Each person has the right to choose what kind of food he will eat. As for eating meat, in addition to the arguments "against" there are no fewer arguments "for". Here are 12 reasons why you should eat meat:

1. Our body needs fat and cholesterol. Otherwise, it simply will not be able to function normally. Hormone production, energy levels, health nervous system depends on nutrients that come from meat.
2. Meat keeps blood sugar levels stable and prevents “carbohydrate addiction.”
3. Meat is needed to maintain muscle strength, and a strong muscular corset protects the bones.
4. Only meat contains all the available amino acids necessary for good health. Amino acids are the building blocks for the neurotransmitters that are responsible for our emotional condition, behavior, memory, learning and sleep. Plant-based forms of protein do not have the full spectrum of amino acids.
5. Meat is the main source of vitamin B12, a lack of which leads to a whole range of mental illnesses, including anxiety and depression. Plants do not contain true vitamin B12. They have a similar compound, but it cannot be used by the body. In addition, this compound interferes with the absorption of real vitamin B12, which comes from animal products.
6. Red meat is the only reliable source of CoQ10.
   CoQ10 is critical for heart health and energy production. Every cell in the body uses CoQ10, and its deficiency increases the risk of many diseases.
7. Meat provides the body with energy for a long time, unlike carbohydrates, which cause blood glucose levels to spike.
8. In meat, the most optimal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 acids is necessary condition to reduce inflammation.
9. Beef - best source conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). This substance has antioxidant and antitumor properties, helps reduce abdominal fat and plays an important role in the fight against osteoporosis. Like vaccenic acid (VA), it is a naturally occurring trans fat that helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
   These are not the artificial trans fats found in hydrogenated oils and are a real danger.
10. People who don't eat meat are 7 times more likely to suffer from a zinc deficiency.
11. in red meat great content vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for good vision, healthy mucous membranes and a strong immune system.
12. Beef is high in antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase.

What can be called "meat"?

The main question is: what can be called "meat"?

Processed convenience foods stuffed with sugar, salt, nitrates, antibiotics and preservatives have nothing to do with fresh tenderloin. But cutouts are different.

Cattle should eat grass, not grain. Only in this case the correct ratio is preserved in the meat. fatty acids Omega-6 and Omega-3 (approximately 2:1). Feed consisting of grains and various additives, changes this ratio and dramatically increases the amount of Omega-6. In addition, commercial meat contains great amount hormones. If we eat such meat, we may well get sick of cardio-vascular system and cancer.

The composition of organic meat is very different from commercial meat, and when compared, it seems that we are talking oh absolutely different products. Sausages, frankfurters, sausages, ready-made dumplings are food prepared with the addition of a number of chemical substances, and it is difficult to call it "meat".

Many people think that they care about their health by preferring fish. Only now it is very difficult to find fish that is not contaminated with mercury and other toxic metals.

The issue of ecology

Some environmentalists say that we shouldn't eat meat because it harms the environment. But we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot because we need to protect nature and we can’t walk on the grass. Better eat fresh steak and improve our brain activity to come up with new effective ways struggle to save the environment.

And what about cholesterol?

The human body needs cholesterol to produce cortisol, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and aldosterone. The mass fear of cholesterol has led to the fact that many people have disrupted the production of these hormones.

A recent Australian study found that people who have low cholesterol levels are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts.

Studies claiming that meat reduces life expectancy are observational. This means that they do not take into account many important variables, but are based on questionnaires that ask you to remember what a person has eaten over the past few years. Naturally, such data are highly questionable. In addition, for some reason, meat includes pizza with salami, hamburgers or hot dogs with sausages.

Apple pie can also make you fat, but no one says you should stay away from apples.

So this is again a question of what can be called "real" meat.

When and how to eat meat?

Experts say that in daily diet meat should make up half of all food. But a lot depends on individual features each person. The best combination- meat with herbs, vegetables (except potatoes) and seeds.

Organic beef can't cause any negative consequences. It provides essential vitamins healthy fats and antioxidants that we can't get from plant foods.

12 reasons why you should eat meat

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