Diet and borscht: can this dish be included in the diet menu?

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Prepared by: Marina Sofyanchuk

04/06/2016 Cooking time: 1 hour 0 min

Vegetarian borscht is a tasty, nutritious and at the same time light dish. This borscht has all the healthiest vegetables, so it can be safely eaten by people who adhere to a diet and proper nutrition.

Basic cooking rules

There are a huge number of borscht recipes. And yet, there are a number of rules that must be followed so that the end result is borscht, and not ordinary vegetable soup or cabbage soup:

1. Be sure to use beets. Many housewives refuse this ingredient, believing that tomato paste is enough to give the desired color, but it is the beets that give the unique taste and shade to this first dish.
2. Replace tomato paste with fresh tomatoes. Rubbed through a sieve they will provide the desired consistency.
3. The order of laying vegetables. If there are potatoes, they are the first to go into the broth, then cabbage, stewed vegetables and frying. The cooking time for each product is individual and depends, among other things, on freshness. So, last year’s cabbage takes longer to prepare, while the new harvest takes longer to prepare.
4. Avoid vinegar. This product provides the necessary sourness and preserves the color of vegetables, however, it can be replaced with lemon juice or the same tomatoes, which will cope with this task.
5. Do not forget about spices, namely bay leaf, allspice and black pepper.
6. Let the dish brew. Ideally, you should wrap the pan in a blanket and leave for 30-40 minutes.

Borscht is served with sour cream, herbs, chopped garlic and donuts.

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Lenten borscht with beans

Drain and rinse beans under running water. Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with water.

Place the pan over low heat. The beans are cooked for 30 minutes to 60 minutes. Do not stir with a spoon or cover the pan.

Peel the potatoes and beets and wash in cold water. Cut them into strips. Place the potatoes in the pan with the beans, and fry the beets in a small amount of vegetable oil. After 5-7 minutes, add the beets to the pan with the beans.

Finely chop the onion and fry in a frying pan until it becomes translucent. Then cut the carrots and place them in the pan with the onions. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

While the onions and carrots are frying, cut the tomatoes into small pieces. When you're done with the tomatoes, remove the roast from the pan and add to the borscht.

Now fry the tomatoes for 5-7 minutes, adding finely chopped garlic to them.

While the tomatoes and garlic are roasting, finely chop the cabbage and bell pepper and add them to the borscht.

The tomatoes should soften and absorb the smell of garlic.

Add tomato paste or ketchup (to taste), hot dry pepper and throw into the pan.

Stir and salt the borscht. Sprinkle it with herbs and add peppercorns and bay leaves.

Now throw two cubes of refined sugar into the pan.

Cook for a couple of minutes, turn off the heat and leave to sit for at least half an hour.

Is it possible to eat while on a diet and losing weight?

For fans of this dish, nutritionists have developed a special nutrition plan. By sticking to it, you can lose several kilograms without experiencing a painful feeling of hunger.

Dietary borscht has many advantages:

• Use healthy vegetables that can improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• weight loss occurs gradually without harm to health;
• all products are affordable;
• There are many variations of this dish that can be enjoyed by both vegetarians and meat eaters.

Interesting! You can eat dietary borscht every 2-3 hours, not forgetting about your drinking regime in between (at least 2 liters per day). Don't forget about physical activity. If you can’t go to the gym, you need to increase your walking time or give up the elevator and transport.

How to make borscht dietary

Many people wonder whether borscht can be eaten on a diet. Nutrition experts answer - it is possible, but subject to a number of rules:

1. As a base, you should take low-fat beef shoulder broth, mushroom or vegetable broth.
2. Potatoes should be eliminated altogether or replaced with hearty but low-calorie alternatives, such as beans.
3. It is better not to fry beets before adding them to borscht, but to bake them, so they will not lose color and will not gain extra calories.
4. It is worth abandoning frying, replacing it with baking or boiling.

These simple rules will significantly reduce the calorie content of the dish.

If we talk about types of diets, then people who adhere to the Dukan system, on the contrary, should leave meat and protein products, but at the same time minimize ingredients rich in carbohydrates, in particular potatoes.

If chicken broth is used in the cooking process, then the first fatty broth from the chicken should be drained, then refill the meat with boiled water and cook until done. The resulting secondary broth will be less fatty and high in calories.

Useful tips

1. In order for vegetarian borscht to have a rich taste, you must use seasonings. And not only the usual pepper, bay leaf, onion and garlic, but also mustard.
2. If you've never used mustard, I recommend giving it a try. This is done like this: I put the prepared mustard from the jar in a heated frying pan with a thick bottom along with a bay leaf. What does this give? When the mustard is heated, it releases a pleasant nutty aroma.
3. The most popular seasonings for the most delicious borscht are curry, suneli hops, basil, and oregano. I also use vinegar and sugar as seasonings. They give the borscht interesting flavor tones.
4. I confidently classify our vegetarian borscht as vegan. And, in order to completely feel like a true vegan, you can serve Indian bread – chapati – with the borscht.
5. The main stage in preparing borscht is frying. Both the taste and attractiveness of borscht depend on it. Therefore, do not be afraid to add seasonings and spices to it, but you should not overdo it either, so as not to interrupt the taste of the vegetables.

Low-calorie recipe options

The recipe for borscht is very variable. This allows you to create a wide variety of recipes that will satisfy the tastes and needs of every lover.

Vegetarian

1. Onions – 1 pc.
2. Carrots – 1 pc.
3. Celery – 1 pc.
4. Tomatoes – 2-3 pcs.
5. Beet tops – 1 bunch.
6. Sweet pepper – 1 pc.
7. Cabbage – 300 gr.

Preparation:

1. Finely chop the onion and carrots with celery, add half a glass of water and simmer the vegetables for 7 minutes.
2. Add 2 liters of water and after boiling, add peeled, grated tomatoes, peppercorns and bay leaves. Add salt.
3. Cut the peppers and cabbage into strips, chop the tops.
4. Add vegetable mixture to soup. Cook until done.

Serve with fresh herbs and vegetarian bread.

With sorrel (green)

1. Onions – 1 pc.
2. Carrots – 1 pc.
3. Tomatoes – 2-3 pcs.
4. Sorrel – 1 bunch.
5. Cabbage – 300 gr.
6. Beets – 2 pcs.
7. Boiled eggs.

Preparation:

1. Finely chop the carrots and onions and simmer them in a small amount of water.
2. Add water, pureed tomatoes, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add chopped beets and shredded cabbage.
4. 7 minutes before readiness – washed sorrel.

Lemon juice or vinegar is not required, as sorrel will add the necessary sourness to the dish. If the dish is not lean, then before serving you can add finely chopped boiled eggs to the plate.

With zucchini

1. Sweet pepper – ½ pc.
2. Onion – 1 pc.
3. Small zucchini – 1 pc.
4. Carrots and beets – 1 pc.
5. Tomatoes – 2 pcs.
6. Parsley or celery greens.

Preparation:

1. Chop the onion into half rings, grate the carrots, beets and simmer in a small amount of water.
2. After 5-7 minutes, add 2.5 liters of vegetable broth and mashed tomatoes.
3. Chop cabbage, zucchini and pepper (into cubes).
4. Add the vegetable mixture to the soup and bring it to a boil.

Leave for 20-30 minutes, then serve.

Mushroom

The soup is easy to prepare both in the traditional way and in a slow cooker:

1. Beets – 300 gr.
2. Fresh champignons – 250 gr.
3. Onions, carrots, sweet peppers - 1 pc.
4. Cabbage – 500 gr.
5. Tomatoes – 3 pcs.
6. Herbs and spices.

Preparation:

1. Chop onions, peppers and cabbage, grate carrots and beets, cut mushrooms into slices.
2. Place the onions and mushrooms in the multicooker on the “Fry” mode for 10-15 minutes. Add ⅓ cup of water or broth.
3. After 4-5 minutes add carrots and peppers, after another 5 – beets and pureed tomatoes.
4. Move well, add water, salt and add cabbage.
5. Change the mode to “Soup” and set the timer for 25 minutes.

With beans

1. Onions, carrots and sweet peppers - 1 pc.
2. Beets – 2 pcs.
3. Tomatoes – 2 pcs.
4. Can of canned beans – 1 pc.
5. Cabbage – 300-400 gr.
6. Greenery.
7. Lemon juice – 10 gr.

Preparation:

1. Chop and simmer onions and carrots in a saucepan, adding diced sweet peppers at the end.
2. Bake the beets in the oven. Cool and cut it into strips.
3. Add peeled and pureed tomatoes and beets to the pan, 5 minutes after boiling, add cabbage.
4. Add the beans to the soup and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

To add flavor at the end of cooking, you can add lemon juice to the borscht.

Beetroot

1. Beetroot – 3 pcs.
2. Cucumbers – 2 pcs.
3. Boiled eggs – 3 pcs.
4. Lemon juice – 20 gr.
5. Greens (onion, dill).
6. Sour cream 10% – 150-170 gr.
7. Mustard – 20 gr.

Preparation:

1. Boil the peeled beets and cut them into strips, sprinkle with lemon juice. Do not pour out the broth and let it cool.
2. Chop the cucumbers and herbs into cubes, add everything to the broth along with the beets, add salt.
3. Mix mustard and sour cream until smooth.

Serve with mustard sour cream and chopped eggs.

Interesting! The second name for beetroot soup is cold borscht. This is an excellent first course option for the summer season, since, in addition to hunger, it also quenches thirst.

With meatballs

1. Minced chicken or beef – 400 gr.
2. Carrots – 1 pc.
3. Onions – 3 pcs.
4. Cabbage – 300 gr.
5. Beets – 1 pc.
6. Tomatoes – 2 pcs.

Preparation:

1. Finely chop 2 onions and mix with minced meat, form into meatballs.
2. Chop the remaining onion and carrots and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
3. Pour water over everything, bring to a boil and carefully place the meatballs, black pepper and bay leaf into the pan.
4. Bake the beets and cut them into strips, peel and grind the tomatoes.
5. Add everything to the soup, add salt.
6. 10-15 minutes before readiness add shredded cabbage.
7. Let the dish brew for 15-20 minutes.

Small children will definitely appreciate borscht with meatballs.

When to eat a dish if you are losing weight

The “borscht” diet is not too strict or complicated. You can eat borscht at any time of the day, but no more than 200-300 grams at a time. In this case, the number of daily servings can reach 4-5. If desired, you can also eat the first course for breakfast.

At the same time, on Monday you can use fruits (except for grapes and bananas) as snacks, on Tuesday you can use green vegetables, and for dinner you can indulge in a couple of baked potatoes. On Wednesday - only fruits, on Thursday you can drink a glass of milk with 2.5% fat, and on Friday you can have lean beef (150 grams) for dinner. On Saturday you can have any kind of salad (lettuce, iceberg, spinach) and lean meat for dinner, and on Sunday you can have brown rice with vegetables.

You can go on such a diet no more than once a month, and you should not forget about mineral and vitamin complexes and minimal physical activity.

Classic borscht with beans and meat

Drain and rinse the beans under running water. Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with water.

Place the pan over low heat. The beans are cooked from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours - it depends on the hardness and type of beans, and the quality of the water. There is no need to stir the beans with a spoon or cover the pan.

If the beans turn into porridge, it means they are overcooked; if they crunch, it means they are still raw. When done, it should be easily crushed with a fork.

Wash the meat, add two liters of water and cook over medium heat.

When the water boils, skim off all the foam and simmer the broth over low heat for about 1 hour.

Peel the vegetables. Chop the onion and bell pepper, grate the carrots and beets on a coarse grater. Heat the vegetable oil.

Fry the onions and carrots in a frying pan until soft, add the bell pepper and lightly fry everything together. Then add grated beets and mix everything.

Add seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, squeezed garlic and bay leaf. Fry for 5-7 minutes.

Dissolve tomato paste in 3 tablespoons of water and add to the frying pan.

Simmer the borscht mixture over low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes - 1-2 cm thick. Finely chop the cabbage.

Remove the meat from the broth and remove the bones. Salt the broth, return the meat, add chopped potatoes and cook for 8 minutes until tender.

Now add the cabbage and beans and cook for about 5 minutes. The cabbage in the borscht should not be boiled.

At the end, add the fry to the broth, bring to a boil and turn off the heat.

Remove the borscht from the stove and let it sit for at least half an hour.

Now you can serve.

How to cook in winter

In order to delight yourself with a fragrant first course, you can make special preparations in the fall.

For this you will need:

1. Onions, carrots and tomatoes - 1 kg each.
2. Beetroot – 3 kg.
3. Salt – 60 gr.
4. Sugar – 150 gr.
5. Water – 450-500 ml.
6. Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar – 220 gr.
7. Vegetable oil – 20 gr.

All vegetables are chopped or minced, then lightly fried and simmered for 12-15 minutes over low heat. The remaining ingredients are added and the simmering is extended for another 20 minutes.

After this, the mixture is rolled into sterilized jars.

Thus, you can prepare the basis for any recipe: with beans, sorrel, zucchini, mushrooms or celery.

Canned bean borscht

Boil potatoes and cabbage.

Pour water into a three-liter saucepan about 5-7 cm below the rim and place on fire. While the water is boiling, peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces.

Cut the cabbage into thin strips.

Place chopped potatoes into boiling water and stir. Wait until the water boils and add the cabbage. Stir again, cover and reduce heat to medium.

Peel the onions, beets and carrots. Cut the onion into small cubes, grate the beets and carrots on a coarse grater or cut into thin strips.

Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Pour the onion into the heated oil, spread in an even layer over the frying pan and reduce the heat.

Sprinkle the beets in an even layer on top of the onions. Cover with a lid, wait 2-3 minutes, then stir and simmer with the lid closed, stirring occasionally.

Scatter carrots evenly on top of the onions and beets, cover with a lid and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the onions, beets and carrots are stewing, finely chop the tomatoes. When the pieces of beets and carrots break easily with the edge of a spoon, pour the tomatoes into the pan in an even layer, cover with a lid and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add roast and beans to the borscht.

While you are preparing the frying, the potatoes and cabbage will have time to cook. Once the frying is done, turn up the heat under the pan. Wait until the broth is boiling strongly, add the roast and pour the beans out of the jar along with the juice.

Stir and wait until the water boils. Now reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Finely chop the parsley and dill and add them to the pan. Salt the borscht and cover with a lid. Wait 3-4 minutes and turn off the heat.

Once the borscht is cooked, let it sit for about half an hour before serving.

Main conclusions

Dietary borscht is a simple, affordable and low-calorie dish that allows you to easily get rid of a couple of extra pounds:

1. The classic recipe always includes tomatoes and beets.
2. The dietary version can be prepared without meat and potatoes in vegetable broth.
3. It is best to replace vinegar with lemon juice.
4. The dish must be infused.
5. There are a large number of recipes for low-calorie borscht, including vegetarian ones.
6. You can eat this type of first course up to 5 times a day, but the portion should not exceed 300 grams.
7. You cannot stay on such a diet for more than 7-8 days.
8. During the borscht diet, it is necessary to maintain a drinking regime and maintain physical activity.
9. People with acute gastrointestinal diseases should exclude borscht from the menu.
10. For winter, you can make special preparations that will significantly reduce the cooking time.

A simple and tasty diet based on borscht will suit both men and women. A wide variety of recipes will make it not boring and easy to complete.

We are waiting for your comments, original recipes and weight loss stories using this wonderful dish.

Bean borscht in a slow cooker

Drain and rinse beans under running water. Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with water.

Place the pan over low heat. The beans are cooked from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours - it depends on the hardness and type of beans, and the quality of the water. There is no need to stir with a spoon or cover the pan.

If the beans turn into porridge, it means they are overcooked; if they crunch, it means they are still raw.

When cooked, the beans should flake easily with a fork.

Prepare the beans and meat.

Rinse the meat, pat dry with a paper towel and cut into small pieces. Place the soaked beans, bay leaf into the multicooker bowl, add salt and black pepper to taste. Then fill everything with distilled water. Set the “Extinguishing” mode and press the “Start” button.

While everything is stewing, prepare the vegetables. Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes - about a centimeter. Finely chop the onion. Peel the carrots and grate them on a fine grater. Shred the cabbage.

Peel the beets and grate them on a fine grater. Make cross-shaped cuts on the tomatoes and scald them with boiling water. Then carefully remove the skin from them and finely chop the pulp with a knife.