The Mediterranean diet recipes is known as one of the most delicious, and healthiest weight loss diet while also enjoying your meal at the same time.
Mediterranean diet is built on the concept of eating just like those who live within the Mediterranean region.
You do this by consuming only vegetables and fresh fruits, whole grains, fish, healthy fats, and legumes.
You can also top it all with moderate amounts of red wine.
This 30-day Mediterranean diet recipes combine those foods you love, and which are also healthy for you to make up an incredible month of healthy eating.
It contains just about 1,200 calories per week which will help you lose about 2 pounds every week.
What Is the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet recipes have been used for centuries and have proven itself a very healthy and effective diet to help lose weight.
It is based on those traditional foods that were consumed in countries such as Greece, and Italy as far back as 1960.
It was discovered that the people who lived in these countries were particularly healthy when compared to Americans.
They also had a very low risk of very many diseases that occur as a result of lifestyle.
The American Heart Association has described the Mediterranean diet as a diet that simply includes foods such as;
- Vegetables, potatoes, lots of fresh fruits, grains, nuts and seeds, and also beans
- Fish and poultry, including dairy products (make sure they are low to moderate amounts)
- Eggs (eat it at most 4 times weekly)
- Olive oil to serve as a monounsaturated source of fat
- Wine (ensure you drink only low to moderate amount)
Health and fitness experts have also discovered that the Mediterranean diet recipes are even more effective than most diet plans to help reduce body weight (1).
Also, apart from weight loss, there are also some many other benefits of the Mediterranean diet which we will also tell you about.
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet Recipes
Mediterranean diet is not only helpful for weight loss, but it also has a lot of health benefits that it provides to the human body.
Some of the benefits of Mediterranean diet recipes are explained below;
It Helps to Keep you Agile
Mediterranean diet can help to keep adults agile. As the body grows, so also does the muscles experience weakness.
The Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of you developing a muscle weakness by supplying your body with a host of nutrients.
These nutrients will help strengthen your muscles and prevent signs of frailty by up to 70%.
Mediterranean Diet also reduces the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
This diet is loaded with lots of antioxidants that can help to prevent your cells from undergoing oxidative stress.
The oxidative stress is the damaging process that the cells undergo which can lead to Parkinson’s disease.
By preventing the cells from undergoing this damaging process, the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease by half.
It Helps to Prevent Strokes and Heart Diseases
In the Mediterranean diet recipes, you are to limit your consumption of red meat, refined bread, and also processed foods.
The diet also encourages taking red wine in place of hard liquor.
All these help to prevent stroke and other forms of heart diseases.
Reduces the Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s
The Mediterranean diet has also been said to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
It does this by improving the blood sugar levels, the health of the blood vessel, and improve your cholesterol.
All these can help to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Helps to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Mediterranean diet is known to be loaded with fiber. The human body slowly digests fiber and this helps to regulate your blood sugar level.
By so doing, the Mediterranean diet recipes protect you against type 2 diabetes and help you maintain that healthy weight you so much desire.
The Diet Increases Longevity
As we stated earlier, the Mediterranean diet helps to reduce your risk of heart diseases and cancer.
By doing this, the diet increases your longevity and reduces the risk of death by up to 20% at any age.
Read Also: 30 Day Paleo Diet Plan for Beginners to Lose Weight and Belly Fat Fast
Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
The popular Mediterranean diet recipes pyramid is quite different from the other food pyramids out there.
The physical activity and social eating sit at the bottom. They are the ones that supply the foundational piece in this plan.
It was noticed that those living in the countries within the Mediterranean usually take their time when preparing, eating, and savoring the food.
Most times, they also enjoyed their meal in the company of their loved ones.
This is in sharp contrast to the American habit of mostly eating fast food on the run, alone, or in their car, or even at their desk.
The Mediterranean lifestyle also involved less activity and physical labor, which is the reason why it sits at the bottom of the Mediterranean diet pyramid.
The next largest part of the Mediterranean diet recipes pyramid is made up of plant foods.
These plant foods include whole grains, vegetables and fruits, seeds, beans, nuts, legumes, spices, herbs, and olive oil.
These slices of the pyramid are known as the nutritional base of this Mediterranean diet. They form the basis for each meal.
Next, on the Mediterranean diet recipes pyramid come the fish and seafood.
They should be consumed about two times every week.
You can take eggs, poultry, and dairy products like yogurt and cheese in moderate sizes on a daily basis or even weekly.
Health experts have recommended that you can eat about 4 eggs every week.
Now at the top of the Mediterranean diet pyramid are sweets and red meat.
These should only be eaten sparingly.
As for beverages, you can take red wine in moderation, and drink enough water.
How To Do A Mediterranean Diet For 30 Days
For those who have made up their mind to try out the Mediterranean diet for a month in order to lose weight, then this is simply a guide you can use.
You should try a rotation of all 7 breakfasts, lunch, and also dinners.
Once you get the hang of the diet, then you can add more foods to your Mediterranean diet recipes to increase your options.
You must remember that protein and fiber should make up the majority of this diet.
The reason is that both fiber and protein give you satiety and allows you to stay full for a longer period. This will allow you not to overeat.
You will only be able to lose weight if you avoid consuming excess food.
Make sure you also limit the pizza and pasta.
Opt for small portions of grains instead.
You can fill up your plate with a ½ cup of pasta and then add in vegetables to make you more satisfied.
Learn More – How Long Does It Take to Lose 10 Pounds
Breakfast on the Mediterranean Diet Recipes
It is a very bad practice to skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast does not actually help you to lose weight.
On a Mediterranean diet, you begin your day with breakfast.
This will boost your energy for the day ahead and keep you satiated for a longer period.
You can have breakfast with your loved ones and family.
You must also make sure you avoid eating and watching television at the same time.
Take your time and enjoy your meal.
Read Also- 3 Day Diabetic Diet Plan for a Beginner: Type 2 Diabetes Diet and Weight Loss
On the first day, take one cup of a plain low-fat Greek yogurt as breakfast.
Top it with about ½ cup blueberries and one ounce chopped walnuts.
You can also have this same yogurt on the 4th day but this time add in chopped pistachios, and also pomegranate seeds.
Alternatively, you can also try adding chopped almonds, and oranges (sliced).
Day two, take a cup of oatmeal mixed with one ounce chopped walnut and ½ a cup of apples (sliced).
You can also sprinkle one teaspoon cinnamon and maple syrup.
You can also have this same breakfast on the fifth day, the only difference is that you add in ½ a cup of strawberries mixed with almonds that are thinly sliced.
For those who prefer milk with oatmeal, you can go for soy or unsweetened almond.
On day 3, you can take a frittata that is made using 2 eggs, scallion, red bell pepper and two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
On day 6, break an egg into two and make an avocado, then add in some Romano cheese and then bake.
For breakfast on day 7, take 2 slices of toast made from whole grain and mix with about two tablespoons of almond butter.
You can follow this with one sliced pear or ½ of a grapefruit.
Lunch on the Mediterranean Diet Recipes
On the first day, you take about three cups of spinach and top it with three ounces salmon for lunch.
You can also make use of sardines instead of salmon.
Add in some fresh and chopped vegetables like broccoli, bell pepper, or tomato on the salad.
You will also have salad again on the fifth day, only this time you will be making use of romaine lettuce and also use cannellini beans and add in carrots, asparagus, and also cucumber to serve as vegetables.
Also, on day 5, go for balsamic vinegar, or red wine and olive oil to serve as a dressing.
The 2nd day, your lunch should be made up of one serving of hummus and any sliced veggies that you like but between bell pepper, celery, and carrots.
Use one round of the whole-wheat pita to serve as dipping. Then round up the lunch for day 5 with kiwifruit or orange.
For the days 3, 6, and also 7, take ½ avocado and fill it with tuna salad; one broiled turkey burger and serve it with side soup, or some salad; and also, one grilled portobello mushroom and too it with tomato and lettuce for day 7.
You can go for a bean burger instead of turkey for the vegetarians.
For the 4th day, you should take one bowl of lentil soup mixed with wholegrain crackers.
Also, top this bowl of soup with some crunchy seeds of a pomegranate and one dollop of some plain yogurt.
Learn More – Easy Healthy Quinoa Salad Recipes (5 Best Tasty Choice)
Dinner on the Mediterranean Diet
You might have observed that we are yet to use red meat or poultry in this Mediterranean diet recipes.
What this entails is that it’s time to include red meat and poultry into the Mediterranean diet recipes.
You should set aside two nights every week where you can make use of poultry and red meat instead of fish.
You should also not fail to enjoy one glass of red wine with your dinner.
The dinner meal options you have on this Mediterranean diet recipes are chicken that is baked using rosemary and olive oil;
- Fishes like a pan-seared trout or
- Grilled salmon that is seasoned using dill and lemon.
Also, a grilled lamb chops mixed with mint; chili that is made using kidney beans,
Ground turkey and cayenne; mussels that are cooked in one tomato, wine broth, and garlic;
And also scallops that is sauteed using leeks and mushrooms.
For dinner, you should make sure you always eat about 4 ounces of protein
And fill your dish using cooked vegetables which may include broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts.
Learn More – Easy Boiled Egg Diet Plan: Lose 24 Pounds in 2 Weeks
The Snacks and Desserts that you can take
We all need an occasional snack at one point or the other to help us get through the day.
You can opt for one ounce of dried apricots or nuts;
One ounce of herbed goat cheese mixed with one handful of the whole grain crackers; or
One cup of low-fat cottage cheese and sprinkle it using a dash of salt and also black pepper.
For those that prefer something delicious after dinner, then you should opt for ½ a cup of the fresh fruit sorbet or alternatively go for one piece of fruit.
Learn More
- 3-Day Cardiac Diet: Lose 10 Pounds in 3 Days with Heart Healthy Foods
- Easy Cabbage Soup Diet Recipes for Weight Loss; Lose 10 lbs in 7 Days
Conclusion
Once you decide to go on this Mediterranean diet recipes, then you should repeat the recipes above every week for 30 days.
Also, you must ensure that you walk for 30 minutes most days during the week.
You’ll definitely drop a significant number of pounds after the 30 days are complete.
You must be aware that this is just a general guideline.
Once you get used to the diet, then you can tweak it and add more healthy food options to your version of the Mediterranean diet recipes.
Check out recipes and curate your Mediterranean diet shopping list to start on this journey.
MOHAN
Mediterranean food recipes