Frozen vegetable mix - calories and recipes. General rules for freezing vegetables

Modern stores offer a huge selection of frozen vegetables - separately by type, as well as in various mixtures. And almost every housewife in the freezer of the refrigerator has at least one package of such a product. Let's figure out where and how you can use frozen vegetables.

Innovative technologies, especially in food processing, have made life much easier for modern women. After all, few of them are now engaged only in housework - the vast majority of the female population is actively working. But this circumstance does not at all remove from many the decision of such an urgent question as “what to cook today?”.

And frozen vegetables sometimes become indispensable helpers in solving this problem. After all, this product does not need to be cleaned, it does not need to be further processed, it does not even require defrosting. Prepares quickly.

And another undoubted plus of the mixtures is that they are able to supply the necessary vitamins to our table all year round. And if at the height of the summer season fresh vegetables are preferred, then in other seasons, especially in winter and early spring, frozen vegetables are simply irreplaceable.

Indeed, in the process of freezing, almost all of their useful properties are preserved.

The right way to choose

Many supermarkets offer frozen vegetables both packaged and loose. And if you can carefully examine the weights and notice any major discrepancy, then the packaging reliably hides the product from our eyes.

What needs to be done to buy a quality product?

Features of cooking frozen vegetables

So, the mixture is bought, it remains to figure out how to cook it and what to serve with. It is worth remembering a few nuances before you start cooking:

1. The time required to cook frozen vegetables is about two times less than the standard cooking time for raw vegetables. Keep this in mind when placing your products. In soup, for example, such ingredients should be put almost at the end of cooking;
2. You don't have to cook these vegetables, they are edible raw as well. But in this case, they require defrosting. It is best to defrost without opening the package by placing the closed bag in a bowl. The dishes should not be made of metal, have a lid or be covered with a film. Defrosting is carried out not in heat, but in a cool place. The best place for this shelf is at the bottom of your refrigerator.

How to cook frozen vegetables

If you have planned a side dish of boiled frozen vegetables, then you need to cook them just before serving. Do not be afraid to be late and delay your meal - such mixtures are cooked very quickly. Plus, you don't need to defrost them. You simply open the package and place it in boiling water.

In order to boil a standard pack of vegetable mix, weighing four hundred grams, you will need to pour about one and a half liters of water into the pan.

Then the pot is put on fire and the water is boiled. In the process, add salt and the seasonings you need to the water.

After boiling water, pour vegetables into it, mix them, wait for the water to boil again, loosely close the pan with a lid and cook the mixture for ten minutes.

After that, the vegetables are placed in a colander to drain the liquid. Then the vegetables are placed in a bowl and dressed to taste with vegetable or butter, vinegar, sour cream, or some sauce of your choice.

How to cook frozen vegetables deliciously without spending a lot of time and effort

Quick Dinner Recipe

Frozen vegetables are a lifesaver, especially when you need to cook something, and time is sorely short. Instead of using not always healthy ready-to-cook foods, it is better to use a package of frozen mix, which will make a tasty, healthy and easy-to-figure dish. What we need:

First of all, cut the onion into small pieces. Then pour vegetable oil into the pan and place the onion in the pan.

When the onion turns golden, add the vegetables and stir well. Then add salt and spices, mix again, add water.

Simmer with the lid closed for twenty to twenty-five minutes. After that, a delicious and healthy dinner is ready.

Frozen vegetables in a pan

This is another quick way to cook food. The whole process does not take much time. And it does not require the expenditure of your strength - all you need is to open the package and place the mixture in the pan. But even in this easy task there are some nuances.

So, the pan is placed on the fire, and the vegetables are placed in it. The frying process starts.

The fire should be strong for two or three minutes, do not cover the pan with a lid, because you need to get rid of the moisture that will result when the mixture is defrosted during the cooking process.

When the water has completely evaporated, add vegetable oil, salt and spices.

Stir the mixture, cover the pan with a lid and fry until cooked through.

Such a dish can be independent, or it can act as a side dish for potatoes, cereals or fish.

Steamed vegetables in a slow cooker

As you know, steam from all types of heat treatment best preserves the beneficial properties of products. And all multicookers are equipped with a program for steaming dishes. All we need for cooking:

• Water - a couple of glasses for a multicooker;
• Frozen vegetables - 1 pack.

Pour water into the main bowl of the multicooker, place the bowl on top for steaming dishes. Pour vegetables into it. Close the lid of the multicooker and set the “Steam cooking” program by setting the time to 8-12 minutes.

You can find out the exact time from the table in the instructions for your multicooker, everything is indicated in detail there. After the time has passed, transfer the prepared vegetables to a dish, salt them and season to your liking.

Also, you can cook two dishes at once by placing some cereal, such as rice, in the main bowl, and putting a mixture of vegetables in the top bowl as a side dish. The total cooking time will depend on the time of the mode selected for cooking cereals.

Also in the slow cooker, you can cook all kinds of dishes with the addition of frozen vegetables.

Quick and healthy breakfast

To make an omelette with green beans, you will need:

• Frozen green beans - one hundred grams;
• Eggs - 2-3 pieces;
• Garlic - 1 clove, or a pinch of granulated;
• Some milk;
• Salt to taste;
• Vegetable oil.

Pour the bean pods into the pan and wait for the liquid to evaporate. At this time, beat eggs with milk in a container with a whisk, add garlic and salt there.

When the water has completely evaporated from the pan, add vegetable oil and mix the vegetables. Then pour the egg mixture, mix everything again. Close the pan with a lid and cook the omelet until cooked.

Buckwheat with vegetables

To prepare this dish you will need the following ingredients:

• Buckwheat - 1 glass;
• Water - 2 glasses;
• Frozen mixture - 1 pack;
• Vegetable oil.

Washed buckwheat is placed in a saucepan with water, salt. Boil the cereal until cooked. Then pour oil into the pan and pour the vegetable mixture there, mix and salt it.

We cook vegetables for about ten minutes, after which we pour buckwheat porridge into the pan. Mix everything and leave on low heat for another five minutes under a closed lid. After that, you can serve the dish on the table.

How to freeze vegetables yourself

You can also stock up on a storehouse of vitamins at home by freezing vegetables yourself. What needs to be done for this?

So you got acquainted with various ways of preparing such a healthy product as frozen vegetables. Now you know how they can be fried, boiled, steamed with rice and more, without spending a lot of time cooking.

And if you find time to freeze vegetables on your own, then in winter you will always have a product at hand, the quality of which you can be sure of.

Gone are the days when, during the period of ripening vegetables and fruits, the kitchens of many housewives turned into real branches of canneries, clogging the shelves of cellars, loggias and other premises with jars of pickled, sweet and other preparations for the winter. Today, freezers are becoming more and more common in homes.

What vegetables can be frozen for the winter

Wondering what vegetables can be frozen in the freezer? The answer is simple - any: zucchini, eggplant, cabbage, potatoes, sorrel and others. Products from your own garden are especially good for freezing. At the same time, the usefulness of frozen vegetables cannot be compared with the result of home canning and with vegetables that are offered fresh to us in the winter in the supermarket.

To preserve the maximum of useful properties, you need to know how to freeze vegetables for the winter correctly, because you can’t just put them in the freezer - they can turn into ice lumps, from which it will then be difficult to cook a delicious dish, and even more so, some kind of culinary masterpiece. To enjoy cooked food, check out some general tips for freezing vegetables for the winter at home:

• before harvesting, any vegetables must be washed and allowed to dry;
• select containers (containers, packages) mainly for the size of portions for one cooking;
• when using ordinary bags, after filling, air must be squeezed out of them;
• Do not re-freeze vegetables after defrosting.

How to freeze eggplant for the winter

Eggplants belong to a group of vegetables rich in many vitamins and fiber, which do not lose their valuable properties even when frozen for a long time. You can freeze fruits fresh, baked or fried. It is not recommended to put eggplants directly from the garden in the freezer, because during cooking they become “rubber” and lose their taste. About ways to freeze eggplant for the winter at home:

• Freeze fresh. Select young ripe fruits. Cut them into sticks, circles or cubes, depending on what you plan to cook from them. Cover the cut with coarse salt for several hours, after which its residues must be washed off well. Next, the slightly squeezed cut is blanched, dipped in boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then in cold water, after which it is dried. It remains only one layer to spread the slices on a tray, the size of which will fit in the freezer. After 3-4 hours, frozen vegetables can be packed in airtight containers or freezer bags.
• To freeze baked eggplants, it is not necessary to cut them. Each fruit is pierced with a fork several times. Then the eggplants are baked in the oven, after which, after cooling and removing the peel (optional), they are packaged in bags or food containers.
• How to fry eggplant, many housewives know. After frying, the circles are laid out on paper towels to get rid of excess fat. After cooling, they are placed on a tray, wrapped in cling film, a layer of fried eggplants is again laid out on top, which is also wrapped in cling film, etc. The tray is placed in the freezer for quick freezing, after which you can arrange the eggplants in bags and return to the camera.

How to freeze cauliflower

Choose a fresh juicy head of cabbage for freezing at home, which must first be placed in cold salt water to get rid of the larvae. After that, blanching is needed - for 2-3 minutes, the head of cabbage must be dipped in boiling water, adding a little lemon juice or citric acid. From boiling water, the head of cabbage should be immediately lowered under cold water, then dried.

Before blanching, you can remove the leaves from the head, divide it into inflorescences, if you do not want to freeze it whole. Freezing containers can be both airtight containers and bags with a zipper, inside of which a vacuum is created. The temperature of the freezer for a long stay of cauliflower there with the preservation of all its vitamins should be -18 degrees.

Freezing tomatoes for the winter

Two ways of freezing these vegetables for the winter at home are equally good here, while maintaining the taste and smell of a fresh tomato:

• Skip the tomatoes through a meat grinder or blender, removing the skin from them. After that, pour into small containers. Silicone molds for cupcakes are convenient for this.
• Cutting the fruits (into 2-4 parts or circles). Small cherry tomatoes do not need to be cut. Then quickly freeze everything on a tray or board, after which the slices or figures from the molds are laid out in storage containers.

How to freeze peppers for the winter for stuffing

Sweet peppers are prepared before freezing at home: cut off the cap, remove the stalk and clean inside. To freeze it, there are such methods:

• Place the pepper prepared for stuffing on a tray and place inside the freezer for 10-12 minutes. Then compactly shift into regular plastic bags and put back in the freezer.
• Dip the prepared pepper in boiling water for 30 seconds. After that, carefully fold the cooled peppers one into one, place in bags and freeze.

How to freeze mixed vegetables for the winter

For vegetable mixes, different vegetables of any quantity can be suitable. No prescription needed here. It all depends on what purpose it is prepared for and on your own tastes:

• For borscht, you can grate beets, carrots, add finely chopped greens and freeze the mixture in small containers or portioned bags so that you can use everything at once when cooking.
• For vegetable stew, cut any greens, leeks into rings, bell peppers, tomatoes, grated carrots. The mixed mixture is laid out in containers and frozen.
• To prepare vegetable mixtures with green peas, beans, they are first blanched for 1-3 minutes in boiling water and immediately cooled with cold water, allowed to drain and frozen by quick freezing.
• Separately, without blanching, freeze broccoli and diced carrots. After that, you can mix everything and send it to storage in the freezer.

Why Blanch Vegetables Before Freezing

Freezing vegetables for the winter at home requires blanching. You can do without it, but you will not get the perfect freezing result. The main goal of blanching is to preserve the original appearance and aroma of vegetables as much as possible. Besides:

Have you noticed which vegetables can be frozen for the winter at home? Freeze them in two steps. The first stage - rapid cooling is called the shock freezing procedure. This requires freezers, inside which very low temperatures are maintained: from -19 to -23 degrees. Only after that, frozen vegetables are packed for further preservation (second stage).

Shock treatment (quick freezing) does not damage the cells of vegetables and, after defrosting, preserves their shape, color and about 90% of nutrients. It is carried out in normal home conditions in the presence of freezers and refrigerators with the "quick freeze" function. After blast freezing, frozen stocks can last longer. This also applies to berries.

How to choose a freezer bag

You've learned a little about how to freeze vegetables, but you need to be familiar with freezer bags as well. There are many of them on the market: disposable, reusable, roll; made of polyethylene and lavsan. For freezing vegetables, it is important that they are strong. It is advisable to purchase bags with reusable locks, which increases their usable volume, and a labeling field, because it is sometimes difficult to find the right vegetables or mixtures in the freezer in appearance.

Vacuum bags are recognized as better quality - a wonderful alternative to food containers (see photo). Inside such packages, freezing vegetables for the winter at home is preserved better, moisture is not lost, they are not covered with frost, as a result of which it is easy to get the right products from the freezer even if there is no marking on the package, if the package is transparent.

Plant foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, do not contain fat, harmful cholesterol, quickly saturate. For weight loss, it is advisable to eat raw vegetables, occasionally stewed, boiled. A variety of recipes for vegetable dishes allows you to create an individual diet for every day, combining natural juices, soups, salads and casseroles. Fresh meals are most useful, so do not cook in advance, leaving the preparations in the refrigerator, the usefulness of which will decrease by 70% in a few hours.

The most useful vegetables for weight loss

For effective weight loss, it is necessary to include in the diet non-starchy vegetables rich in fiber, water and bioflavonoids, such as carrots, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, cabbage, asparagus, sweet peppers and radishes. The more colorful the vitamin salad, the more useful substances it contains. Nutritionists do not recommend eating potatoes, referring to them as high-calorie foods.

How many vegetables can you eat while losing weight? Vegetables (different) should be eaten at least 1-1.5 kg during the day (without mayonnaise, ketchup and sauces). It is desirable to season dishes with vegetable oil, low-fat sour cream, apple cider vinegar. It is necessary to drink up to 2 liters of water per day, excluding coffee, tea, carbonated drinks.

Vegetables that you can eat while losing weight (and in the evening too)

Carrot

Raw carrots contain potassium, beta-carotene, lecithin, ascorbic acid and vitamin A. Increases hemoglobin levels, improves vision and metabolism. A low-calorie orange vegetable can be consumed whole, grated or in the form of purees, juices. We have a separate article devoted to carrots.

cucumbers

Consisting of 90-95% water, cucumbers are distinguished by a minimum of fats and a maximum of useful organic compounds. An important source of iodine, potassium and fiber improves intestinal motility, removes excess cholesterol. One of the lowest calorie vegetables (15 kcal / 100 grams), an indispensable ingredient in fasting days and popular diets. Cucumbers are most useful in the season of their natural ripening.

Celery

Celery is a unique plant whose leaves, roots and roots are saturated with essential oils, vitamins and minerals. Due to the presence of zinc, potassium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium vitamins A, B, E, C, PP celery:

• rejuvenates, cleanses the body, eliminates excess fluid;
• fills with energy, invigorates;
• improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, relieving the intestines from stagnation;
• burns excess calories, helps to reduce weight.

For the prevention of obesity, weight loss, it is recommended to drink ¼ cup of celery juice three times a day, or mix it with other juices - apple, cabbage, carrot. Persons who are prone to fullness can consume celery every day, adding to salads, mashed potatoes and other dishes. You can read more about the benefits of celery here.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are recommended not only for dietary nutrition, but also for the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular diseases. Lycopene - a special substance found in tomatoes, speeds up the digestion process, breaks down fat cells, lowers cholesterol.

Cabbage

Cabbage contains tartronic acid, which prevents the formation of fatty deposits. To maintain a figure and lose weight, cabbage (white, broccoli, cauliflower) is an ideal dietary product that can be consumed in large portions. Light salads, sauerkraut, soups, stews and other dishes are low in calories and nutrition. However, the cabbage diet should not be carried out for more than seven days.

Asparagus

Asparagus (we also wrote about it) is a rich source of minerals, antioxidants, fiber, folic acid. Low-calorie asparagus (20 kcal/100g) allows you to:

• get rid of cellulite;
• lose extra pounds;
• normalize stool;
• remove excess fluid and toxins.

Bell pepper

Bell pepper is one of the best vegetables for weight loss, which allows you to lose 3-5 kg ​​in 7 days. The sweet vegetable contains vitamin C, A, B, E and P, lycopene, anthocyanins. By adding sweet peppers to meals, you can get enough of less food without cravings for fatty and salty foods. To achieve the maximum effect, the diet course is carried out for 14 days (red pepper diluted with other products is added to the diet).

Radish

A healthy vegetable is rich in vitamins and minerals (sodium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium), has a low calorie content (15 kcal / 100 g). By improving metabolism, radish:

• prevents the deposition of fat;
• returns the harmony of the figure;
• regulates the level of sugar and hemoglobin in the blood;
• improves digestion.

Vegetables for weight loss can be eaten both raw and boiled, also baked, grilled, freshly squeezed (in the form of juice). Ingredients for dietary nutrition are selected depending on personal preferences and taste.

Vegetable salad recipes for weight loss

Dietary salad with cottage cheese and vegetables

200-250 g of low-fat cottage cheese is mixed with green onions, basil, chopped sweet peppers, seasoned with a spoonful of sour cream or yogurt.

Cottage cheese with vegetables for weight loss

Fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, parsley are cut, salted, sprinkled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar. Add cottage cheese, mix, spread on lettuce leaves.

Carrot and cottage cheese casserole

200 g of grated carrots are mixed with a glass of cottage cheese, 1 egg, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar, vanilla. The curd-carrot mixture is laid out in a special form, baked for 25-30 minutes over medium heat.

Light cabbage salad

One red pepper, 200 g of Chinese cabbage, two cucumbers and tomatoes, a small onion are chopped, mixed, seasoned with olive oil. You can add lettuce, dill, parsley.

Summer soup with cabbage and celery

Cabbage, celery, sweet peppers, carrots, green onions are washed, cut, poured with water (2.5-3 liters). Bring to a boil, cook for 5-7 minutes, the soup can be seasoned with herbs to taste.

Does the vegetable diet have contraindications?

When eating vegetables for weight loss, it is worth considering the individual characteristics of the body. Coarse fiber in vegetables can irritate the gastric mucosa, so people with gastrointestinal diseases should consult a specialist before dieting.

Reviews about losing weight on vegetables

Any girl who wants to lose weight is aware of the benefits of vegetables, because they satisfy the feeling of hunger, cleanse the body. You just need to choose the right diet from your favorite vegetables, do not eat starchy foods and sweets. I eat fresh vegetables, stew, cook in a slow cooker.

Svetlana

Salads began to be consumed daily, instead of sweet - berries, fruits. I drink a lot of water, green tea, the result is fresh, healthy skin, even complexion, lightness in the body and minus 9 kg per month. Another sport three times a week.

I believe that a vegetable diet is effective if you stick to it constantly. Meat, fish dishes, chicken breast can be included in the diet, but fatty, sweet, fried foods will have to be abandoned.

Frozen vegetables are a real salvation in the winter, when the price of ordinary products increases several times, but you want to add a little variety to your diet. In most systems for weight loss, vegetables occupy a large place. They give fast saturation, allow you to get the optimal amount of substances useful for our body. A frozen vegetable diet is a great weight loss option at a time when fresh vegetables are not available. Postponing weight loss for a better time is not worth it, because, as you know, you need to prepare for the beach season already in the winter.

Are frozen vegetables good for weight loss?

Many do not really like frozen vegetables due to the fact that, in their opinion, the benefits in this product remain at a minimum. In a way they are right. After even shock freezing and further heat treatment, vegetables lose a certain part of their nutrients, but this is not so critical.
What's more, during the winter, when such frozen mixes are especially popular, fresh vegetables are usually grown in greenhouses or imported from abroad. As a result of transportation or the method of cultivation used, vegetables also lose some of their nutrients. So there is no particular difference in the benefits of fresh winter vegetables and frozen ones, except that the latter will be more affordable and varied.
If we talk about the benefits of such vegetables directly for weight loss, then there is no difference between fresh and frozen ones at all. Vegetables are used as an excellent source of dietary fiber. They quickly fill the stomach, create a feeling of satiety, give our body a lot of necessary substances. Vegetables are also in some way responsible for cleaning the body, which in some way speeds up the metabolism. When losing weight, this effect will be very useful.

What vegetable mixes are better to choose?

The frozen vegetable diet follows the same rules as the fresh food diet. Not all vegetables will help you with weight loss. Some of them can only harm the process. This includes all products with a large amount of starch in the chemical composition, fast carbohydrate. It instantly breaks down in the stomach, gives a large supply of glucose that enters the bloodstream. This amount is too much for the body to work, so some of the glucose is sent to fat stores.
Starchy vegetables include potatoes, any legumes (corn, peas), olives, sweet potatoes, and the like. If you take ready-made vegetable mixtures for a diet, make sure that they do not contain these components.

Who Can Use the Frozen Vegetable Diet?

The diet is balanced enough to be offered to a large group of people. Of the contraindications, it is especially worth highlighting individual intolerance to certain products or substances, problems with the functioning of internal organs, and chronic diseases.
In all other cases, a diet with frozen vegetables will be excellent for rapid weight loss.

What other foods can you eat while on a diet?

Your diet does not end with frozen vegetables. You can also include some protein products on the menu, for example:
- Lean meat (beef, horse meat, rabbit).
- Low-fat poultry (chicken, turkey).
- Low-fat fish (hake, pollock, etc.).
- Any seafood.
- Dairy products up to 5% fat.
- Eggs.
All this can be eaten without restriction. During the daytime, you can also include one serving of a high-carbohydrate product in your diet. Serving size - no more than 200g. You can choose from:
- Cereals other than semolina or rice.
- Beans.
- Coarse wheat pasta.
- Homemade oatmeal.
- Fruits, except bananas and grapes.
- Dried fruits, except dates and raisins.
In addition to all this, you can use 1 tbsp of vegetable oil per day (it is better not to take sunflower oil, because there are more useful substances in olive oil), about 30 g of nuts, 40–50 g of fatty cheese. You can add sugar substitutes to dishes, drink tea, coffee, vegetable juices without salt, decoctions of herbs, rosehip broth. All other products are completely prohibited. You need to make up your diet only from the listed foods. You can combine it, make new interesting recipes.

In addition to the choice of products, before the diet you need to familiarize yourself with the general rules:
- You should eat very often during the diet. Approximately 5-6 times in one day. In addition to the standard breakfast, lunch and dinner, your diet should include at least 2 more snacks.
- You need to create a daily routine that you will adhere to constantly. It should take into account all meals, because you should always eat at the same time.
- The size of one serving for breakfast, lunch or dinner should not exceed 300 g. During a snack, you can only eat 200 g of food.
- The last meal is taken 2-3 hours before bedtime. Not later and not earlier. You can’t stay hungry for a long time, even at night.
- Between meals, preferably 20 minutes before meals, you need to drink a glass of water. Another glass should be drunk immediately after waking up and immediately before bedtime. Thus, you will drink approximately 1.5–2 liters of water per day, which has a positive effect on the process of losing weight.
- For 20 minutes a day, you should play sports or at least take long walks. Physical activity is another key to a beautiful figure.

What does an example diet menu look like?

Example #1

Breakfast: oatmeal porridge on the water (150 g); vegetable mixture cooked in a slow cooker (150 g); coffee with sugar substitute and low-fat milk.
Second breakfast: fat-free cottage cheese (150g); strawberries (50 g).
Lunch: boiled chicken breast (150 g); steamed mixed vegetable side dish (150 g); tomato juice without salt.
Snack: cottage cheese casserole (200 g); green tea without sugar.
Dinner: omelet with mixed vegetables (300 g); green tea without additives.
Second dinner: a glass of yogurt or curdled milk to choose from.

Example #2

Breakfast: oatmeal pancakes (100 g); fat-free cottage cheese (200 g); coffee with milk.
Second breakfast: steam omelet with vegetables (200 g).
Lunch: oven-baked beef with cream sauce (150 g); boiled buckwheat (100 g); vegetable mixture in the oven (50 g, as an addition to beef); rosehip broth with sugar substitute.
Snack: eggs stuffed with sour cream, garlic and lightly salted salmon pieces (200g).
Dinner: trout baked in foil (200 g); liver salad from a vegetable mixture with boiled eggs (100 g); green tea without sugar.
Second dinner: boiled chicken fillet (200 g).

Diet Reviews

We have not so common and in demand a diet of frozen vegetables. For this reason, it is quite difficult to find reviews about it. Most often, various options for mono-diets are described, during which you will not eat anything other than frozen vegetables. Yet on the forums there are some references to such a diet. Basically, they are positive. The term of the diet is unlimited, so some manage to achieve simply amazing results - 5-6 kg in one month.

General rules

Vegetable diet refers to low-calorie express diets and allows you to reduce body weight in a short period of time. The importance of vegetables in human nutrition cannot be overestimated, since their absence in the diet does not allow providing the body with physiologically complete nutrition. The nutritional value of vegetables is determined by their biological composition, which includes a wide range of macro- and micronutrients. Vegetable crops contain carbohydrates, vitamins, macro- and microelements, organic acids, essential oils in a form available for absorption by the body. The content of carbohydrates in vegetables varies from 3 to 10%, the maximum amount of which contains carrots (up to 7%) and beets (up to 10.8%). Vegetable carbohydrates are predominantly complex carbohydrates ( pectin, starch, fiber) and, to a lesser extent, simple carbohydrates - sugars in the form of glucose (pumpkin, cabbage, cucumbers) and sucrose (carrots, onions, beets). High starch vegetables include potatoes, legumes, and root crops. The benefits of vegetables are also due to the high content of fiber, which contributes to the excretion of cholesterol, improvement of peristalsis and normalization of intestinal biocenosis. Vegetables are rich in vitamins ( IN 1, AT 6, TO, R, ascorbic, folic acid, routine) and micro / macro elements (sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iodine, copper, cobalt, calcium, manganese, molybdenum, sulfur). So, parsley leaves, onions, green peas, parsnips and cabbage contain a lot of phosphorus; root crops and leafy vegetables - potassium; cauliflower, salads, garden greens, spinach - calcium; cucumbers, beets, lettuce and tomatoes - iron. Vegetable crops also play an important role as a source of vegetable proteins. In general, vegetables and dishes from various vegetables cover a significant part of the body's need for water-soluble vitamins, maintain acid-base balance, stimulate the secretion of gastric juice and bile formation, the motor function of the gastrointestinal tract, improve the absorption of animal proteins, fats and carbohydrates, allow you to diversify the diet and stimulate appetite . The value of vegetable dishes and raw vegetables increases significantly, given that the energy value of the vast majority of vegetables varies between 15-50 Kcal/100 g of product. For guidance, below is a table of the calorie content of the main raw vegetables.

Product name	Calorie content of fresh vegetables (Kcal per 100 g)
White cabbage	27
cauliflower	32
Brussels sprouts	44
Broccoli	34
Kohlrabi	42.6
Carrot	37
eggplant	24.8
Zucchini	25
Bulb onions	41
Green peas	74
Bulgarian pepper	27
ground cucumbers	14
Potato	81
radish	35
tomatoes	22
parsley greens	48
Beet	42
Celery (root)	32
Garlic	46
leaf lettuce	16
Pumpkin	25
Dill	31
Sorrel	19
Radish	21

What vegetables can you eat on a diet

A diet on vegetables allows the inclusion of many vegetables in the menu, with the exception of vegetables rich in starch (potatoes, corn, squash, radishes, pumpkins, radishes) and reduced consumption of moderately starchy vegetables (carrots, turnips, beets, eggplant, zucchini, soybeans). Potatoes can only be used in baked form. The rest are non-starchy species: cucumber, all types of cabbage (except cauliflower), green peas, asparagus, spinach, onions (leek, onion, shallot, chives), garlic, lettuce, sweet peppers, celery (greens) should take most of the daily vegetable diet. Vegetable crops can be consumed raw and as boiled, steamed and stewed dishes. When cooking, it is recommended to combine several vegetables in one dish and actively use garden greens. It is allowed to prepare smoothies based on them and include freshly squeezed juices in the diet. For weight loss, you can use various options for a vegetable diet, both strictly vegetable and more gentle options (protein-vegetable and fruit-vegetable). A strict version of the diet provides for the presence in the diet of only permitted vegetables in the amount of 1.5-1.8 kg / day, which are divided into 5-6 doses. You can use them both raw in the form of salads, seasoned with lemon juice or with a teaspoon of olive oil and garden herbs, and stewed, boiled or in the form of vegetable soups. The diet involves the exclusion / restriction of salt and sugar. The amount of free liquid at the level of 1.5-2.0 l / day, in the form of rosehip broth, mineral still water, vegetable juice, unsweetened green or herbal tea. This diet option has a low calorie content, about 900-1200 Kcal / day and is extremely unbalanced - the body practically does not receive proteins and fats. The duration of such hard diet options should not exceed 3 days. Longer periods of being on such a diet increase the risk of developing protein starvation and a deficiency in the intake of unsaturated fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. In addition, such a diet is a strong stress for the body. For longer periods (7-15 days), protein-vegetable diets are recommended, the diet of which is expanded due to products containing protein - lean fish, dietary meats, cottage cheese, chicken eggs, low-fat sour-milk products, dried grain bread. At the same time, you can use both all these products, and only one of them, for example, chicken breast or fish. Products containing protein are included in the diet only in boiled, steamed or stewed form and in small quantities (up to 200 g / day). With any diet option, salt and sugar, animal and cooking fats, bakery products, sweets, and alcohol are excluded. It is desirable to take tablets of a vitamin-mineral complex. In general, vegetable-based weight loss diets have a number of significant disadvantages. The diet is physiologically inadequate in terms of macro- and micronutrients, which can cause weakness and a decrease in overall performance, concentration, and slow reactions. Eating a lot of vegetables and especially cabbage can cause fermentation in the intestines with pain and flatulence. The diet is psychologically difficult. With a diet for more than 7 days, the correct way out of it is extremely important:

• Expand your diet and increase portions gradually. First, introduce red lean meats, seafood, red fish, cheeses, dried bread into the diet. Continue to include enough vegetables in your diet. Eat dairy products for dinner. Drink plenty of fluids.
• After 3-5 days, introduce foods containing simple carbohydrates (honey, jams, preserves, small amounts of sugar) into the diet, and even later - sausages, white bread, smoked meats, fatty and fried foods. Don't overeat.

Approved Products

In a vegetable diet, it is allowed to use many different vegetables, mostly non-starchy types - all types of cabbage (except cauliflower), cucumber, asparagus, green peas, garlic, onions (leek, shallot, onion, chives), spinach, lettuce, celery (greens) sweet peppers, from which you can cook soups (cream soups) and main dishes - vegetable stews, casseroles, stewed, boiled and baked vegetables. Also, these vegetables can be consumed raw in the form of a variety of salads, for dressing which you can use lemon juice or olive oil (1 teaspoon per day). With sparing diet options, 150-200 g / day of dietary meat (turkey meat, rabbit meat, or skinless chicken) and lean types of river or sea fish can be included in the diet. It is allowed to include chicken eggs, vegetable oils, low-fat cottage cheese and sour-milk products in the diet. For drinking, mineral water without gas, rosehip broth, herbal / green teas are used.

Table of allowed products

	Proteins, g	Fats, g	Carbohydrates, g	Calories, kcal
Vegetables and greens
eggplant	1,2	0,1	4,5	24
dried white cabbage	15,0	1,4	48,0	278
broccoli	3,0	0,4	5,2	28
boiled broccoli cabbage	3,0	0,4	4,0	27
Brussels sprouts	4,8	0,0	8,0	43
kohlrabi cabbage	2,8	0,0	10,7	42
red cabbage	0,8	0,0	7,6	24
cabbage	1,2	0,2	2,0	16
savoy cabbage	1,2	0,1	6,0	28
boiled cauliflower	1,8	0,3	4,0	29
watercress	2,3	0,1	1,3	11
onion red	1,4	0,0	9,1	42
bulb onions	1,4	0,0	10,4	41
carrot	1,3	0,1	6,9	32
cucumbers	0,8	0,1	2,8	15
olives	0,8	10,7	6,3	115
pepper salad	1,3	0,0	5,3	27
radish	1,2	0,1	3,4	19
arugula	2,6	0,7	2,1	25
celery	0,9	0,1	2,1	12
tomatoes	0,6	0,2	4,2	20
dill	2,5	0,5	6,3	38
zucchini	1,5	0,2	3,0	16
garlic	6,5	0,5	29,9	143
Fruits
apples	0,4	0,4	9,8	47
Dairy
dairy products	3,2	6,5	4,1	117
kefir 1%	2,8	1,0	4,0	40
Meat products
rabbit	21,0	8,0	0,0	156
Bird
steamed chicken breast	23,6	1,9	0,0	113
Eggs
chicken eggs	12,7	10,9	0,7	157
Fish and seafood
sea ​​kale	0,8	5,1	0,0	49
Oils and fats
linseed oil	0,0	99,8	0,0	898
olive oil	0,0	99,8	0,0	898
Soft drinks
mineral water	0,0	0,0	0,0	-
instant chicory	0,1	0,0	2,8	11
green tea	0,0	0,0	0,0	-
Juices and compotes
rosehip juice	0,1	0,0	17,6	70

Wholly or partially restricted products

The diet does not allow the inclusion of fatty meats and products from them (bacon, ham, sausages, offal, sausages, canned meat), animal fats, white rice, cereals, pasta. All smoked meats, salted vegetables, conservation are excluded. It is forbidden to use sugar, jam, honey, chocolate, jam, bakery products, ice cream, sweets and cream-containing products, butter. Completely excluded from the diet: fatty dairy products - cream, cheese, sour cream, kefir / fermented baked milk with a high fat content. Salt intake is limited. It is forbidden to drink alcohol-containing and carbonated sweet drinks, coffee and sweet black tea.

Table of prohibited products

	Proteins, g	Fats, g	Carbohydrates, g	Calories, kcal
Vegetables and greens
legume vegetables	9,1	1,6	27,0	168
potato	2,0	0,4	18,1	80
Fruits
oranges	0,9	0,2	8,1	36
bananas	1,5	0,2	21,8	95
grapefruit	0,7	0,2	6,5	29
mango	0,5	0,3	11,5	67
tangerines	0,8	0,2	7,5	33
Berries
grape	0,6	0,2	16,8	65
Mushrooms
mushrooms	3,5	2,0	2,5	30
Nuts and dried fruits
nuts	15,0	40,0	20,0	500
Snacks
potato chips	5,5	30,0	53,0	520
Cereals and cereals
porridge	3,3	1,2	22,1	102
rice	6,7	0,7	78,9	344
white rice	6,7	0,7	78,9	344
Flour and pasta
pasta	10,4	1,1	69,7	337
pancakes	6,1	12,3	26,0	233
vareniki	7,6	2,3	18,7	155
pancakes	6,3	7,3	51,4	294
Bakery products
buns	7,2	6,2	51,0	317
bread	7,5	2,1	46,4	227
Confectionery
jam	0,3	0,2	63,0	263
jam	0,3	0,1	56,0	238
candies	4,3	19,8	67,5	453
cookie	7,5	11,8	74,9	417
cake	3,8	22,6	47,0	397
dough	7,9	1,4	50,6	234
Cakes
cake	4,4	23,4	45,2	407
Chocolate
chocolate	5,4	35,3	56,5	544
Raw materials and seasonings
seasonings	7,0	1,9	26,0	149
mayonnaise	2,4	67,0	3,9	627
honey	0,8	0,0	81,5	329
Dairy
milk	3,2	3,6	4,8	64
condensed milk	7,2	8,5	56,0	320
Cheese and cottage cheese
cheese	24,1	29,5	0,3	363
amber processed cheese	7,0	27,3	4,0	289
cottage cheese 18% (fatty)	14,0	18,0	2,8	232
Meat products
fatty pork	11,4	49,3	0,0	489
pork fat	1,4	92,8	0,0	841
salo	2,4	89,0	0,0	797
Sausages
boiled sausage	13,7	22,8	0,0	260
w/smoked sausage	28,2	27,5	0,0	360
sausage with/smoked	9,9	63,2	0,3	608
sausages	10,1	31,6	1,9	332
sausages	12,3	25,3	0,0	277
Bird
smoked chicken	27,5	8,2	0,0	184
duck	16,5	61,2	0,0	346
goose	16,1	33,3	0,0	364
Eggs
eggs	12,7	10,9	0,7	157
Fish and seafood
fish	18,5	4,9	0,0	136
salted fish	19,2	2,0	0,0	190
caviar	36,0	10,2	0,0	123
canned fish	17,5	2,0	0,0	88
fish semi-finished products	12,5	6,7	14,7	209
Oils and fats
butter	0,5	82,5	0,8	748
creamy margarine	0,5	82,0	0,0	745
coconut oil	0,0	99,9	0,0	899
animal fat	0,0	99,7	0,0	897
culinary fat	0,0	99,7	0,0	897
Alcoholic drinks
white dessert wine 16%	0,5	0,0	16,0	153
vodka	0,0	0,0	0,1	235
cognac	0,0	0,0	0,1	239
liquor	0,3	1,1	17,2	242
beer	0,3	0,0	4,6	42
Soft drinks
cola	0,0	0,0	10,4	42
coffee	0,2	0,0	0,3	2
pepsi	0,0	0,0	8,7	38
sprite	0,1	0,0	7,0	29
energy drink	0,0	0,0	11,3	45

* data are per 100 g of product

Vegetable Diet Menu for Weight Loss (Diet)

The vegetable diet menu is determined by the set of products allowed for inclusion in the diet. Eating 4-5 times a day, with a feeling of hunger, you can additionally snack on vegetables. Below is a sample menu for the week:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Recipes for dietary vegetable dishes

Vegetable dishes for weight loss are relatively simple and do not require any special culinary skills and knowledge. Dietary vegetable dishes for weight loss are quite numerous, and using them in various combinations and many ways of cooking vegetables allows you to diversify the menu as much as possible - these are vegetable soups, dietary stews, a variety of salads that use a lot of vegetables, cabbage cutlets, vegetable pilaf, casserole.

Recipes for dietary vegetable soups

vegetable soup

Vegetables - 350 g (celery, carrots, parsley, leeks, sweet peppers, broccoli, garden greens), 1.5 liters of water, pepper, bay leaf. How to cook vegetable broth? Wash the celery root and carrots, peel and cook for 30 minutes until cooked, while the liquid should boil down to one liter. How to make vegetable broth soup? Add leeks, sweet peppers, broccoli cabbage to the prepared broth and boil for another 5-7 minutes, add allspice and bay leaf. Let it brew. Strain. Season with herbs. How to cook thick soup from vegetables. As a rule, vegetable puree soup or vegetable cream soup is prepared for this. The recipe for a diet vegetable puree soup is simple and contains almost the same ingredients, but the technology for preparing it is somewhat different. Below are such soups with photos.

Diet vegetable soup

Vegetables: potatoes, carrots, broccoli, spinach, garlic, spices to choose from. Boil the vegetables until cooked and beat everything with a blender until the consistency of the cream. If the puree is too liquid, you can add a spoonful of starch and beat well with a blender again. Add spices, garden greens and green peas to the finished soup puree. Place a teaspoon of yogurt on a plate before serving.

Main courses

Vegetable stew recipe

Vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, herbs, spices, garlic. To prepare the stew, cut eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots into slices, put in a saucepan, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and simmer until tender. Add chopped onion, garlic, spices and tomatoes (tomato paste). Simmer another 5 minutes. You can also use pre-stewed vegetables.

Diet vegetable casserole (omelette)

Zucchini, bell peppers, eggs, leeks, broccoli, carrots, low-fat cheese, spices. Cut the vegetables into small pieces, put in a saucepan and add water, simmer for 5-7 minutes. Put the stewed vegetables in a baking dish, pre-greasing its walls and bottom with vegetable oil. Whisk the egg and pour over the vegetables. The casserole is cooked at a temperature of 180 degrees for 15 minutes. 3 minutes before cooking, sprinkle the casserole with finely grated cheese.

Contraindications

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, childhood, anemia, diabetes, allergic diseases, pregnancy And lactation period.