Mediterranean Diet Recipes Meal Plan

How do you follow the Mediterranean diet? This simple Mediterranean diet meal plan with expert tips and easy recipes is the best place to get started! Use it as a blueprint to plan your own meals and enjoy big Mediterranean flavors!

Named the world’s top diet several years in a row by US News and World Report and other expert organizations, the Mediterranean Diet is a heart-healthy, well-balanced way of eating that prioritizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins (particularly from fish), and good fats from things like extra virgin olive oil and nuts.

As someone who is a true daughter of the Mediterranean and who grew up living the Mediterranean lifestyle, I love sharing my experience and helping others learn about this delicious way of eating.

Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan For Beginners — Beyond The Brambleberry

Please Note: the information shared here on The Mediterranean Dish is intended for your general knowledge. It is not intended as a medical diagnosis or advice. Please be sure to consult your healthcare provider before trying a new diet or a way of eating. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking treatment based on what you read.

While the Mediterranean diet is a plant-based or plant-heavy diet, there are no big restrictive rules, deprivation, or calorie counting as with other diets. Eating the Mediterranean way is about satiation, inclusion, and enjoying your favorite treats in moderation!

It is not a diet in the restrictive sense, but a a well-balanced eating pattern that you can customize and use day-to-day to make healthier choices that honor your body.

Mediterranean Diet: Complete Food List And 14 Day Meal Plan

To help you get started, I have put together a Mediterranean diet meal plan with some tips and recipes. Use my meal plan as a blueprint to help you make sustainable food choices and infuse your mealtime with loads of flavor! And when you’re ready for more, check out my list of top Mediterranean diet recipes!

Meal planning begins with the pantry. You’ll find that the Mediterranean way of eating uses simple ingredients that are available in most grocery stores (and you may have some already on hand). I have a complete Mediterranean diet shopping list for you. But aside from stocking your fridge with vegetables and leafy greens, and your freezer with some good wild-caught fish and other seafood, here is a short list of essential pantry items that I keep on hand and use often in Mediterranean cooking:

As you plan your meals and dinners, keep in mind the basic principles of eating the Mediterranean way. Focus more on fresh vegetables, herbs, grains, legumes, and nuts, with some lean proteins such including fish and poultry. Generally, this is how I plan my Mediterranean dinners this for my family:

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You’ll find hundreds of Mediterranean recipes here on our site, but I put together a sample Mediterranean diet meal plan with a few easy recipes to get you started:

I've created a quick at-a-glance calendar for this sample meal plan. When you download the plan by clicking the button below, you will be able to click on the recipe names so that you can see each recipe in full.

Want to learn more about the Mediterranean diet? Don't miss our Q & A with Kelly LeBlanc, a registered dietician and director of nutrition forOldaways, a food and nutrition nonprofit. So many of your questions answered!

Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan

For new recipes and my weekly meal plans, please subscribe to my FREE e-mail list! I would love to have you as part of The Mediterranean Dish community! You can also follow along on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook for delicious ideas and daily inspiration.With this easy guide, you will get an easy to follow authentic Mediterranean diet meal plan with everything you need to get started: recipes and tips.

I’ve been asked many times to provide an authentic Mediterranean Diet meal plan, and when we say authentic, we mean it! The reason for this is that most “Mediterranean Diet” meal plans I see online are anything but. Sorry, but edamame beans, minuscule amounts of olive oil, canola oil, meat with every meal etc. are not part of a Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet is considered the Gold Standard of diets. It was voted Best Diet for 2018 from US News and is associated with numerous health benefits supported by strong evidence. This covers heart Health, Cancer Prevention, Psychological Health, Alzheimers, Fertility, Weight Loss and many more.

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Now I have to say, I am not a supporter of rigid plans, however it is important to eat at somewhat regular times so you don’t end up feeling very-very hungry at any particularly moment of the day. Having said that, I also think it is important to be able to actually feel hunger, and look forward to eating a meal. While adding a snack here and there is good to keep blood sugar and hunger levels in balance, snacking can also backfire. Many times we eat a snack without being hungry or we depend on ready-made snacks such as granola bars, juices, smoothies etc. which not only add quite a few calories but also are a processed food with all that entails.

Below is a quick graphic of a meal plan on the traditional Mediterranean diet, it is the same meal plan that I also follow. Under the graphic you can find details, tips and links to the recipes. I provide a variety of choices for meals that you can mix and match with links to the recipes. For more ideas just head over to the Recipe Index and you will find a large selection of Mediterranean recipes.

Lunch in the largest meal of the day. If you have trouble doing that, you can switch dinner with lunch and try and have dinner somewhat early.

Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan 7 Days By Dietitian

Choice #1: Lathero Dish (seasonal vegetables or beans cooked with olive oil, herbs, and tomato sauce accompanied by bread and cheese). This is what you will have 3-4 times a week. Typically this is green beans, peas, spanakorizo (spinach-rice) and cauliflower cooked in this way. This is accompanied by a slice of bread and feta. Clickfor lathera recipes. Please note that one serving consists of 3-4 servings of vegetables.

Choice #4: A bean dish. Beans such as lentils as well as white beans are consumed as a thick stew or roasted. They are accompanied with feta cheese and some bread.

Choice #5: Small fatty fish such as sardines or anchovies roasted. Accompanied with lightly boiled greens and drizzled with olive oil and some lemon.

Mediterranean Meal Plans

Dinner is a lighter meal, so it is generally good to keep fairly light-avoid meats and heavy sauces. Typically it is a small serving of lunch or a meal rich in vegetables.

Choice #2:A large salad (in the winter mainly greens, in the summer tomatoes) with an olive oil salad dressing, grated or crumbled cheese, and nuts (walnuts, pine nuts or almonds). Check ourMediterranean salad recipes.

Choice 3: Roasted vegetables in olive oil (cauliflower or a mix –like briami). This is an easy and effortless way to get prepare vegetables and consume it as a main course.

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Choice 4: Omelette with feta accompanied by a simple salad such as tomato and cucumber with olive oil or a green leafy salad.

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Elena Paravantes, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Writer and consultant specializing in the Mediterranean Diet and Cuisine. She has been active as a clinician, consultant and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece.

Traditional Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan