Great Meal Ideas for the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet contains a surplus of nutritious food, from whole grains to olive oil-it is a combination of well-chosen ingredients that provides long-lasting health benefits. It has a holistic diet approach that emphasizes the quality of food over its quantity. U.S News & World Report (2021) ranked the Mediterranean diet as number 1 over 39 other food diets due to reasons such as promoting a healthy heart and managing diabetes. Evidently, this is due to the food components that the diet is known for-vegetables and fruits rich in antioxidants, whole grains with high fiber, legumes rich in protein, and more.
This list of meal ideas can easily be made at home as long as you have the right set of ingredients. Keep in mind that highly processed food should be avoided in order to arrive with a hearty dish that is bursting with earthy flavors and nutrition.
Breakfast Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
This may look intimidating yet is actually easy to do. A no-fail dish that is suitable for breakfast-giving you an energy boost that will keep you motivated throughout the day. Clarke (2020) even emphasized it as “the sort of recipe we need to be enjoying in PJs, at all times of the day. Both-meaning the PJs and this recipe-are appropriate at any hour. It makes enough for leftovers, can be prepped well in advance (overnight if you like!), and is easily adaptable to a variety of diets and ingredients.” It is also a low-carb and gluten-free dish that your stomach will thank you for in the morning. This dish contains the following ingredients, sweet potatoes, cremini mushrooms, broccoli, red bell pepper, onion, salt and pepper, extra virgin olive oil, eggs, milk, garlic, Italian seasoning, ricotta cheese, and fresh basil.
Mushroom, Ricotta, and Fried Egg Tartine
If you’re feeling extra lazy, then this is the right dish for you. This basic dish is still packed with nutrients that will let you start your day in a positive light. The fusion of these ingredients produces an appetizing and savory taste that gives the perfect balance. It includes olive oil, crusty bread, part-skim ricotta, butter, garlic, mixed mushrooms, sherry vinegar, walnuts, eggs, Calabrian chilies, and dried or fresh herbs (dill, basil, parsley).
Lunch Baked Falafel Salad Bowl
Other than the fact that this dish is high in protein, this is also a vegan-friendly and gluten-free dish that is packed with superfoods. Overhiser (2015) highlighted this as “the ultimate Mediterranean-inspired bowl meal.” What I love about falafels is that they can be paired with a salad or pita bread. It’s a versatile food that is always paired with a tangy dressing that is also healthy. This recipe contains the following, dried chickpeas, garlic, onion, fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, olive oil, red cabbage, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and lettuce.
Pasta Salad Mediterranean Style
Pasta for lunch is always a great idea-but recreating it as a salad? Even greater. Beer (2017) asserts that “This gluten-free pasta salad, Mediterranean style, is a bold, zippy, and veggie-filled pasta salad recipe made with brown rice noodles, and loaded with tender roasted eggplant and juicy cherry tomatoes.” This dish is loaded with flavor and nutrients that will most likely be your next favorite. The following ingredients are incorporated into this hearty dish; cherry tomatoes, Chinese eggplants, avocado or olive oil, salt and pepper, ground cumin, red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, brown rice spaghetti, lemon dressing, and dried or fresh herbs (dill, mint, parsley, cilantro).
Snacks Greek Yogurt Bowl Ideas
Of course, a typical Mediterranean must always include Greek yogurt. This article contains a variety of yogurt bowl ideas that will amaze you and inspire you to start crafting your own. Greek yogurt is known for its health benefits given that it is rich in calcium, protein, probiotics, iodine, and vitamin B-12. It cannot be denied why it’s a highly favored snack in the Mediterranean diet. This article includes (1) Strawberry Banana Yogurt Bowl with Peanut Butter and Almonds, (2) Blackberry and Granola Yogurt Bowl, (3) Pomegranate and Honey Yogurt Bowl, (4) Blueberry and Walnut Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowl, (5) Pineapple & Coconut Chia Seed Bowl, and (6) Greek Yogurt with Raspberries & Pecans.
Dinner Zucchini Lasagna Rolls with Smoked Mozzarella
A perfect go-to dinner that is easy to digest. It is a low-calorie, gluten-free, low sodium, nut-free, and soy-free dish that will definitely leave you feeling satisfied. Howard (2019) articulated this dish as “this healthy riff on lasagna rolls uses strips of zucchini instead of lasagna noodles for a vegetable-packed dinner that’s fun for the whole family. This is a great recipe for kids to help make-let them get their hands dirty rolling the zucchini ribbons with the cheesy filling. Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to quickly slice the zucchini into uniform thin strips-this will ensure easy rolling and even cooking.” The ingredients of this dish include zucchini, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, smoked mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, ricotta, frozen spinach, garlic, marinara sauce, and basil.
Another dish that is low-carb but full of nourishment. It is also a simple dish that promotes raw ingredients as the staple so as to retain its nutritional value even more. Bryan (2017) demonstrated this as “a tasty spin on traditional tabbouleh and swaps bulgur with cauliflower rice. It’s a veggie-packed salad that’s gluten-free, paleo, light, and healthy…with a lemon herb flavor.” While his dish is light, it will still have you feeling full due to its high-fiber content-making it suitable for dinner. This includes the following ingredients, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, mint leaves, olive oil, and salt.
Dominique Fradin-Read’s practice, VitaLife-MD, offers weight loss programs based upon the Mediterranean diet, one of the best ranked diet for health and longevity.
Originally published at http://drfradinread.wordpress.com on October 7, 2021.
