Single dish diet: what it is and how it works

The single dish diet is a diet based on the intake of balanced meals, served and conceived as a single perfectly balanced dish, with optimal quantities of macro and micronutrients.

It is therefore a question of moving away from our typical, very Italian concept of first and/or second course, to embrace a philosophy in which the meal is made up of variable and balanced proportions of complex carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals, proteins and fats.

To be healthy, everything must be supported by the right hydration water-based and the keep active, with a sport or simply with long walks, with a non-sedentary lifestyle.

Single dish diet, what to eat (according to Harvard)

This diet was promoted by none other than a team of nutritionists and scientists from the Faculty of Nutrition at Harvard, the famous American university.

A now famous infographic has been created which defines how the so-called Healthy Eating Plate: the single dish should be divided by choosing mainly vegetables and cereals, the latter possibly whole, two components which overall take up more than half of the total.

Smaller parts of the plate are occupied by fruit and healthy proteins, the latter also better if plant-based.

The green light, therefore, for all types of vegetables and fruit, perhaps choosing them by color so as to always vary and guarantee a complete supply of all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

As far as proteins are concerned, one of the best sources according to Harvard are legumes: vegetable proteins are preferable to animal ones.

Finally, a separate note on hydration - drinking lots of water, obviously - and on condiments: very small quantities of good fats are allowed, olive oil in particular.

Benefits and contraindications of the main course

The single dish is a solution that supports a sense of satiety and a balanced intake of nutrients. It was designed with the objective of gradual and controlled weight loss, so generally the calories in each dish are designed in such a way as to guarantee a calorie deficit for those who eat them.

The benefits are, therefore, the possibility of eating in a tasty and satiating way, with healthy and light foods, which provide the body with all the necessary substances.

Another con could be the sustainability of this eating style in the long term and in "social" situations, given that it excludes some foods, but as always flexibility is the key: a richer dinner with friends will not ruin the levels of general health obtained with a consistently healthy diet.

For further information:

• https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/