Do you have questions about nutrition? Send them to us at comer@lavanguardia.es, our nutritionist Aitor Sánchez will answer all your questions.
What should a healthy dinner be like? (Elizabeth Sole, reader)
Hola Elisabeth,
The guidelines for a healthy dinner are the same as those for lunchtime, with some small particularities due to the time and also depending on the activity we have done that day.
We consider dinner a main meal, so the guidelines given by Harvard’s healthy plate can be a great approach. They would be the following:
-That there is a quality protein source, regardless of whether it is meat, fish, eggs or legumes, that is in a healthy version. Of course, nowadays it is important to give more prominence to plant-based protein.
-That there is a serving of vegetables, since it is also unlikely that we consume vegetables in the rest of the meals of the day.
-Quality fats, something that we normally supply very well and with note thanks to virgin olive oil.
-Let the dessert be fresh fruit.
-The contribution of other carbohydrates, such as bread, rice or pasta, would be conditioned by how physically active we are. If we are sedentary people it is better to reduce the amount of this food group, while if we practice physical activity regularly we must include them to recover correctly.
It is also important that dinner is not too voluminous, especially for reasons of digestibility and rest. We should also try not to eat dinner right before going to bed, as it can affect our sleep.
Finally, we must remember that we should also watch the amounts of salt we drink at night, as it can make us sleep worse, especially if we feel thirsty at midnight. This is usually very common if we have had a significant amount of cheese for dinner or have had preparations such as fried potatoes with salt or pizzas. Better to leave these preparations for special moments.
I am a woman and I am 62 years old. I have 275 cholesterol, how can I lower it? I resist taking the pill (Ana Molina, reader)
Hello Ana, diet is one of the best strategies we have to control not only cholesterol, but also the rest of the cardiovascular risk factors. There will be certain elements of our life that we cannot modify so easily, such as age or genetics, but we can make a big life change with our diet, physical activity and stress levels.
Before delving into dietary guidelines, it must be said that diet to control cholesterol has historically been one of the most controversial, with many myths surrounding it. For this reason, I leave you here a small guide that we usually give to patients and that summarizes everything very well, from errors to the most modern recommendations.
I will highlight the following:
1) It’s not about eating less fat, but better fats. Here nuts and olive oil are great allies.
2) Including satiating and whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains is essential to improve blood cholesterol levels.
3) The change in protein is also crucial, in short, meats, eggs and cheeses should be limited, while we will increase the amount of legumes and fish.
4) Sweets, industrial pastries, soft drinks, cookies… are contraindicated. It is better to eat fruit and nuts between meals.
Finally, I have to emphasize the importance of practicing physical activity regularly. Following these guidelines is one of the best help that can be received to treat our high cholesterol levels.
