MEDITERRANEAN DIET MEAL PLAN + RECIPES

Shortly after returning to work after having my daughter Presley, I began having some pretty severe chest pains. I went to the doctor, and was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety. We discussed all my options, and because I wanted to continue breastfeeding, we tried to avoid medication. Besides continuing to ensure I was working out regularly, my doctor suggested following the Mediterranean diet, which is recommended by the Mayo Clinic and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to promote health and prevent chronic disease.

What is the Mediterranean diet?

As the Mayo Clinic states, “the Mediterranean diet is a way of eating based on the traditional cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea…it is typically high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nut and seeds, and olive oil.

The main components of Mediterranean diet include:

• Daily consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats
• Weekly intake of fish, poultry, beans and eggs
• Moderate portions of dairy products
• Limited intake of red meat

Other important elements of the Mediterranean diet are sharing meals with family and friends, enjoying a glass of red wine and being physically active.”

Keeping all this in mind, I have found it very easy to follow because even though it’s called the Mediterranean “diet,” it’s truly more of a lifestyle. And today I’m going to be sharing with you a Mediterranean diet meal plan and recipes for one week of breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks. You’ll see there are so many options for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. It makes it easy and doesn’t feel restrictive to eat delicious food and maintain your healthy weight.

Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan

In the video below, I walk you through the Mediterranean diet meal plan, and I share the options for breakfast, lunch, drinks, and snacks. I also planned out the follow dinners:

• Sunday: Mediterranean Chicken
• Monday: Kabobs
• Tuesday: Taco Bowls
• Wednesday: Spinach Salad (meatless)
• Thursday: Burgers
• Friday: Loaded Potatoes (meatless)
• Saturday: Takeout

Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Below are the recipes for the Mediterranean diet dinners in my meal plan above. I found all these recipes on Pinterest over the years, and modified them a little bit for our tastes.

Mediterranean Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 Italian dressing seasoning packet
• 1 lemon, squeezed
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2  red onion, chopped
• 1 cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup roasted red peppers
• 2 tablespoons capers

Add chicken to slow cooker. Add onions, olives, red peppers, and capers to slow cooker. Whisk together Italian dressing packet, lemon juice, and garlic and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Mediterranean Kabobs

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 Italian dressing seasoning packet
• 1 lemon, squeezed
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 /2 red onion, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• Mushrooms caps
• Metal Skewers

Whisk the olive oil, Italian dressing packet, lemon juice, garlic, black pepper, and salt together in a bowl. Pour marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. Remove chicken cubes from the marinade. Pour the marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, then set aside for basting. Alternate adding peppers, mushrooms, and chicken on the skewers, and baste the kabobs with the marinade while cooking on the grill for around 15 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.

Taco Bowls

• 1 lbs ground turkey
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 can corn
• 1 can black beans
• 1 jar salsa
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded romain lettuce
• Whole grain tortilla chips (optional garnish)

Follow directions on taco seasoning to cook taco meat. Heat 1 can of corn (drained) and 1 can of black beans (drained). Layer corn and beans in bottom of bowl. Next, layer taco meat, cheese, salsa, and lettuce. Garnish with tortilla chips if desired.

Spinach Salad

• 1 package spinach
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup candied walnuts
• Raspberry Vinaigrette
• Optional: berries or craisins

Top spinach with cheese and walnuts. Add dressing to taste.

Burgers

• 1 lbs ground turkey or 96% lean ground beef
• 1 Italian or Ranch dressing seasoning packet
• Sliced cheese
• Whole wheat buns

Combine ground meat with seasoning packet, and form four patties. Grill until cooked, add cheese to melt on burger last few minutes of grilling. Serve on whole wheat buns with side salad or veggies.

Loaded Potatoes

• Sweet Potatoes (1 per person)
• Salt
• Feta + shredded cheese
• Chopped Broccoli
• Sliced almonds

Rinse potatoes, poke all over skins with fork, then season with salt before baking. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven and slice down center. Add feta and shredded cheese, chopped cooked broccoli, and sliced almonds to taste.

I hope that this meal plan and Mediterranean diet recipes help you get started if you’re looking to try out this lifestyle. I couldn’t recommend it to you more. If you’d like me to share more Mediterranean diet recipes or meal plans in the future, please let me know in the comments.

Thanks so much for reading this post- I hope you sign up for the newsletter on the sidebar so we can keep in touch!

Love,

Brianna K

xoxo