How to allocate nutrients in a diet plan for weight loss.

1. Choose nutrient-rich foods.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam, former Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, a healthy meal is one that provides a complete, balanced, and reasonable supply of nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates), vitamins, and minerals. Processed foods must ensure food safety and hygiene and not become a source of disease.

To have a healthy meal, you should limit processed foods and choose the freshest, most nutrient-rich foods from each food group, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, and fish.

For those looking to lose weight, food choices are crucial because even with the same calorie intake, the weight-loss effect can be different. For example, eating 1200kcal of cakes, cookies, and white bread every day will not lead to weight loss or provide as many nutrients as eating 1200kcal from whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean protein.

2. Determine the appropriate daily calorie intake.

When following a healthy diet for safe weight loss, women should ensure a calorie intake of 1200-1500 kcal per day, while men, heavier women, or those who exercise regularly need 1500-1800 kcal per day. It's important to note that diets below 800 kcal per day should be avoided.

However, when planning healthy meals, you need to consider several specific requirements such as your weight loss goals, daily activity level, any chronic health conditions, whether you can cook complex dishes, and whether the meal plan includes other family members.

However, the nutrient content of each plan can vary greatly, so you need to ensure you're getting enough nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Furthermore, it's important to reduce calorie intake from food and drinks and increase physical activity.

3. Balancing nutrients in healthy meals helps with weight loss.

Protein

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam, protein is essential for the body to build and repair tissues, muscles, cartilage, and skin, and to improve blood circulation. Furthermore, a high-protein diet can also help with weight loss and muscle building. For those wanting to lose weight, it's crucial to ensure that protein accounts for a maximum of 30% of their energy intake.

Fat

Fats help the body produce hormones, absorb vitamins, and provide energy. Dietary energy from fats (including saturated and monounsaturated fats) should account for approximately 20-30% of the total daily energy intake.

To ensure you get enough healthy fats, you can combine different oils in your meals, including olive oil, rice bran oil, mustard oil, soybean, sesame, sunflower, and peanut oil. However, you must avoid trans fats, which are abundant in fried and baked goods.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy, and carbohydrate-based energy accounts for approximately 40-65% of daily calorie needs. Choosing the right types of carbohydrates is crucial for weight loss. Simple carbohydrates, such as bread, cookies, white rice, and whole wheat flour, are rapidly absorbed and are not good for health or weight loss.

Instead, you should choose complex carbohydrates like brown rice and oats, which are high in fiber and contain many nutrients. Fiber is harder to digest, making you feel fuller for longer and therefore the best choice for weight management.

In addition, drinking enough water and consuming vitamins A, E, B12, D, calcium, and iron are essential for the body as they support metabolism, nerve and muscle function, bone maintenance, and cell production. Therefore, in a healthy diet for weight loss, you should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (200g of vegetables and 80g of ripe fruit per meal to increase vitamins, minerals, and fiber).