The Mediterranean diet may not be the most popular compared to the carnivore diet or pescetarian diet, but millions of individuals in the world still prefer it over other meal plans. The diet is based on traditional eating patterns from the culture of Mediterranean countries (Greece, Italy, Spain, etc.). The main benefit of this meal plan is that you focus on unprocessed food, getting lean protein, saturated and unsaturated fats, vitamins, fiber, and all the needed elements to satisfy your body. The diet focuses on these key components:
Fruits and vegetables. Seasonal products play a major role in the Mediterranean diet, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Whole grains. Brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat bread instead of white bread, oats, bulgur, and other products form the basis of the Mediterranean diet.
Healthy fats. When on this diet, you mostly get fats from olive oil (because you use it for cooking), seeds, nuts, and avocado. At the same time, products like butter are limited.
Lean proteins. In the Mediterranean diet, your main protein sources are seafood and fish. Sardines, salmon, and other products are rich in omega-3. Eggs, poultry, and plant-based protein are also included in the diet. At the same time, read meat appears less frequently.
Dairy products. Two products dominate in this category: cheese and yogurt. In most cases, people use goat cheese and goat milk to cook meals. These products are good sources of probiotics and calcium, and the last one is very important for bone maintenance.
People who follow the Mediterranean diet cut off processed food and sweets. Cookies, cakes, and similar products appear very rarely. Such maintenance allows to reduce the risk of heart disease and balance the cholesterol level. You have better control of your blood sugar and reduce the risk of diabetes. You will also feel the difference as your mood changes, so you will have emotional stability. Now, let's move to the most important part and discuss Mediterranean recipes.
Mediterranean Recipes for Breakfast
Let's start with something simple like ricotta toast. The basic components of this meal are toast and ricotta cheese. What to add on top is your choice. Peaches and Hamon create a contrast of flavors while cooked mushrooms give a more monotonous taste. Adding honey or jam on top of the main ingredients is also a good option that emphasizes the taste. For example, adding honey on top of peaches will blow up your taste buds.
The second recipe for breakfast is more complicated but has a strong taste. It's a carrot cake with dates and walnuts. For batter, combine 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup honey, 1/3 cup milk and 1/2 cup honey. Add 3 eggs one after another, and whisk the whole mixture, so all the ingredients will create a homogenous mixture. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cardamom. Adding these ingredients will make the flavor more expressive. In the next step, mix wet and dry ingredients until they come up in a homogeneous mass. At this stage, add 2 cups of grated carrots. Add chopped hazelnuts and dates on top of the batter. Bake your carrot cake at 350°F for about an hour.
This recipe can be used not only in the Mediterranean diet meal plan. If you follow a weight maintenance meal plan, this cake can easily become an option for breakfast. There's no added sugar, so you won't receive extra carbs, keeping your calorie count at a normal level.
Lunch on a Mediterranean Diet
It's lunchtime, so you have another option to cook something unusual. What about vegetable soup? There's a tasty and hearty recipe that will give you satisfaction for the rest of the day. You will spend less than 30 minutes but get a nice meal that can be served to the whole family. For the soup, you will need oil, garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, one tablespoon of dried oregano, and one cube of stock (vegetable or chicken, it's up to you). Also, the recipe requires root vegetables (you can use carrots) and green vegetables (courgette is a good option). Cut them into single pieces before adding to the main mix.
The soup will be cooked in a single saucepan. Heat it adding 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and start cooking the onion. Fry it for 5 minutes. After that, add some garlic and stir for a few more seconds. Add tomatoes, the tomato puree, and oregano. Simmer for around 3 minutes. After that, add 1.2 liters of water and throw in the stock cube. Bring the soup to a simmer and start adding vegetables. You don't have to limit yourself to listed options, as you can have green beans, carrots, and other products. Just make sure you bring everything to a needed condition and add seasoning in the final stage.
Another meal for lunch is a tuna pasta salad. We upgrade the classic tuna pasta and make a warm salad by adding fresh vegetables and seasoning. Your meal gets more healthy products and fills you up for the rest of the day. For this meal, it's better to use whole wheat pasta, as it contains more fiber and satisfies your body more. Use carrot, cucumber, and chopped tomatoes. Also, add chopped olives as they will resonate with pasta and tuna. Mix vegetables in a separate bowl. In another bowl, mix cooked pasta, tuna, olives, and cheese. Don't worry that the pasta is warm because it will warm the rest of the ingredients. Now, mix two bowls and serve the salad. With 150 grams of pasta (dry weight) and 150 grams of canned tuna, you get 5 portions of the meal.
What to Eat for Dinner?
In the evening, when you are tired after work, you probably want something simple and delicious to satisfy your body after a hard day. The first option that comes to mind is to order delivery and have a well-balanced dinner from the restaurant. Still, if you are not sure about the quality of the delivery or just want to cook something yourself, it's better to find a recipe and cook it yourself.
The first guest for today's Mediterranean dinner compilation is a cauliflower cire bowl with grilled chicken. A simple combo of rice and chicken is advanced to a higher level with rice by adding high-quality ingredients: cauliflower, feta, tomatoes, and olives. Also, you can add some oregano and lemon juice for flavor. Cauliflower should be cooked separately with a bit of olive oil and salt. Grill chicken with a bit of olive oil at 165 degrees F for about 15 minutes. For the seasoning, mix olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and salt. Mix all the ingredients in bowls, and add the seasoning on top. You get 400 calories per serving with only 10 grams of carbs. What can be better?
The second option we offer for dinner is provencal baked fish with roasted potatoes and mushrooms. You can use default or red potatoes for this recipe as it won't make a big difference. To achieve better flavor, combine olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt. Combine it with tossed mushrooms and potatoes, and cook for 30-40 minutes. Stir the vegetables and create a layer in a baking form. Put fish on top and bake for 15 minutes until the fillet becomes opaque in the center. That's it, your meal is ready!
What Is the Best Mediterranean Diet?
What's great about the Mediterranean diet is that it offers a huge number of meals you can cook. There are hundreds of combinations you can have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Depending on the pace of your life and the way of eating you prefer, select more or less complicated options to cook. Even meals cooked within 3 steps or less can be delicious and healthy. However, if you don't have time for cooking due to a busy schedule or other obstacles, but you still want a healthy meal plan, you can order a delivery at our restaurant. With a solid number of Mediterranean meals, you will find something special.
FAQ
What dish is the most popular in the Mediterranean diet food list?
People mostly prefer Gyros and Tzatziki. These light meals are easily digestible and have a nice flavor.
Is the Mediterranean diet high in calories?
If you follow the Mediterranean diet, you will usually get around 1,500-2,000 calories per day depending on the meals you'll cook.
Do you consume a lot of fats when doing the Mediterranean diet?
Around 30-40% of calories come from fats when you follow a Mediterranean way program of eating.
