MEDITERRANEAN DIET MEAL PLAN + RECIPES

Brianna K in all white kitchen sharing Mediterranean diet meal plan and recipes with breakfast lunch snacks and dinner options and her planner and grocery shopping list for all the ingredients for the week of Mediterranean diet meals. bitsofbri blog bits of Bri blog

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.

Image from Pinterest

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.

Image from Food Network

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.

Image from Pinterest

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.

image from Food Network

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.

Image from My Kitchen Addiction

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.

Image from American Heritage Cooking

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

11 comments so far.

11 responses to “MEDITERRANEAN DIET MEAL PLAN + RECIPES”

  1. Gina Jones says:

    Hi! This is my first time visiting your blog and now I’m going to be hooked. Just like your YouTube page. First I want to say I’m so sorry for the loss of your Dad. Knowing he is in Heaven with all the family and friends gone before him has to bring such comfort and knowing he’s know longer in pain. I know you’re still grieving pretty hard because I can hear it in your voice when you speak of him. I don’t even know you and it’s obvious. So I’m praying for comfort for you to get through this hard time. My son’s Dad has MS. He’s still mobile but I’m not sure for how much longer. By watching your videos it will help me help my son when it’s his Dad’s time to go through what you’ve been through. So thank you for those.
    I just turned 49 on June 26th. Uggg where does the time go? I got really sick a few years ago because of a stressful job and marriage. I let the job go but still working on the marriage :). I couldn’t eat and was down to 120lbs and I’m 5’8 so I wasn’t looking good at all. I ended up having a misdiagnosis and had a hysterectomy which put me right into menopause. Boo! It’s really not that bad except for the weight gain. So I went from being ugly thin to ummmm not horribly overweight but I’m not liking the new sized hips, thighs and upper arms that I have. It does just go to show that no matter what size you are sometimes you’re never happy. Lol Anyway I’m so looking forward to trying this “lifestyle”. I have the hardest time knowing what to eat especially things I like that are healthy. You just made it so easy. I can’t wait to go get groceries! I also wanted so just say I really enjoy your videos. They always inspire me to get up and get moving. Your house looks gorgeous! Love the new all white kitchen. Keep up the great work and I’ll be following along on the recipes and I’ll message back sometime about how good I’m feeling. 🙏❤️

    Lots of love,
    Gina Jones

    • bitsofbri says:

      Awww hi Gina! I love getting such a good feel for who you are as a person. Makes me feel really connected to you too! I am so very sorry about your son’s dad, and I think it’s incredible how you are wanting to be there to support him through it. That’s wonderful. And just thank you for your positivity and compliments. So sweet of you to say, and makes my day! 💛☀️

  2. Carly Sivillo says:

    This is perfect! Thank you for sharing! I would absolutely love to see more recipes that fit within the diet! This helps me a lot. Thank you!

  3. Kerry says:

    Bri what brand of bread do you get?

  4. Missy says:

    Hi! What size crock pot do you use??

  5. anna says:

    Bri! I love you YouTube and just discovered your blog!!! I would love to see more videos and recipes on the Mediterranean diet. I’ve struggled with my weight ever since my second baby 6 years ago and this way of eating seems like the perfect balance to keep me healthy but not make me feel restricted! Thank you so much love!

  6. Yolanda says:

    Thank you so very much for sharing this. I am always looking to prevent diabetes in myself, but my best friend just had a heart attack at age 47 and I ran across your youtube video which led me here. It is SO VERY appreciated that you have laid this out in such an easy way to get started as we begin following the Meditarranean Diet for lifelong health. Thank you again and many blessings to you.

  7. Jane Hathcock says:

    Thank you for the recipe. This will help me get started on the Mediterranean diet that I have considering.

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enjoying bits of life as a mama + homemaker 🏡💕
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