Curious About the Mediterranean Diet? Here's a Week of Meals to Get You Started
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The Mediterranean diet is touted time and time again as the best diet out there. It's not only great for shedding pounds, but it can also improve your gut health and even your brain function. And did we mention it can help you live longer? If you haven't tried this simple diet yet, it's time to give it a shot.
Meals on the Mediterranean diet follow this formula: half vegetables and fruit, a quarter whole grains, and a quarter fish, lean protein, or vegetarian protein, with a small amount of healthy fat. Sounds simple, right? The diet is less extreme than many other diets, so it's likely to be an easy transition from whatever you're eating now. It's just a matter of filling up on low-starch vegetables and fruits and keeping your lean protein intake high. To get you started, we've put together a week of meals you can try out. You can, of course, mix and match as you please, as long as you keep the meal formula in mind.
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Day 1
Breakfast: mini frittata egg bites with brown rice
Lunch: kale caesar salad with chicken and couscous
Dinner: tomato lentil soup and a side salad with arugula, quinoa, and veggies, tossed with olive oil and vinegar
Snack: assorted fruit
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Day 2
Breakfast: slow-cooker steel-cut oatmeal
Lunch: kale and farro salad with mixed fruit
Dinner: sheet-pan salmon with crispy cabbage and kale (or a vegetable of your choice) and couscous
Snack: a few pieces of cheese
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Day 3
Breakfast: mini frittata egg bites with brown rice
Lunch: smoked salmon sandwich with avocado and wasabi, and a side salad with veggies and walnuts, drizzled in olive oil and vinegar
Dinner: Greek yogurt chicken salad with whole-wheat bread and a glass of wine
Snack: mixed fruit
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Day 4
Breakfast: slow-cooker steel-cut oatmeal
Lunch: watermelon bowl salad with a side of wild rice
Dinner: lemon-herb grilled chicken with brown rice and steamed broccoli, drizzled with olive oil
Snack: mixed veggies with smashed avocado to dip
Day 5
Breakfast: yogurt-filled cantaloupe with whole-wheat toast
Lunch: pesto salad with whole-grain pasta and grilled chicken or tofu
Dinner: Asian chicken salad with brown rice drizzled in olive oil
Snack: mixed nuts
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Day 6
Breakfast: poached egg and avocado toast with tomatoes
Lunch: burrito bowl with brown rice and avocado
Dinner: cod with asparagus in parchment with a side of couscous
Snack: a few pieces of cheese and a glass of wine
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Day 7
Breakfast: yogurt-filled cantaloupe with whole-wheat toast
Lunch: spiced carrot soup with crispy chickpeas and tahini and a slice of whole-grain bread
Dinner: warm artichoke and mushroom salad with chicken and couscous
Snack: mixed nuts
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