50 Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

These Mediterranean diet recipes make eating well delicious and simple! My well-tested healthy meals star olive oil, fresh vegetables, seafood, and whole grains: and have all been enjoyed by my entire family.

Mediterranean Diet recipes

Want to eat the Mediterranean way? You’ve come to the right place. I’m Sonja and over the past decade, I’ve dedicated my career to Mediterranean diet recipes. As the author of two published cookbooks and creator of thousands of online recipes, I can confidently say this: the Mediterranean diet isn’t just one of the healthiest ways to eat: it’s also the most delicious.

I’ve spent countless hours perfecting these recipes in my own kitchen and testing them on my family (including two very honest kids!). Here’s a list of all my favorite Mediterranean diet recipes that everyone always loves.

Note: I’m currently working on a Mediterranean diet cookbook! My Mediterranean Every Night cookbook will be published by Chronicle Books in spring 2027.

What Makes the Mediterranean Diet Special

The Mediterranean diet has been called the “healthiest diet in the world” by US News and World Report. It’s a way of eating and living modeled after countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, like Italy and Greece. It’s not a strict diet, but more a set of guidelines. Here’s how the Mayo Clinic defines the Mediterranean diet:

  • Daily consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats (like olive oil)
  • Weekly consumption of fish, poultry, legumes (beans & lentils), and eggs
  • Moderate portions of dairy products
  • Limited intake of red meat and foods with added sugar.

Mayo Clinic stresses that a Mediterranean diet is plant based, not meat based. It’s essentially a whole food plant based diet with a bit of seafood, poultry, and dairy thrown in. (Here’s some general guidance from the Cleveland Clinic on serving goals and serving sizes.)

Why I’m Passionate About The Mediterranean Diet

What draws me to Mediterranean diet cooking is far beyond the flavors. I’ve found this way of eating transforms not just what’s on your plate, but the way you approach food! Instead of eating by restriction or following rules, it’s about abundance and enjoying food in community.

I traveled extensively in the Mediterranean (Greece, Spain, Italy and France) and I’ve realized: it’s not about eating from a single cultural tradition, but cooking with from-scratch, whole food ingredients.

To learn more about this way of eating and living, I also completed the Lifestyle and Wellness Coaching program through Harvard Medical School’s Executive Education division, a certificate course focused on lifestyle medicine and behavior change which encourages eating using a philosophy like the Mediterranean diet. Here’s more about What I Learned About Healthy Living from Harvard.

Top 50 Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Here are my top Mediterranean diet recipes that work for lunch or dinner! They feature:

  • Olive oil: The heart healthy cooking oil of choice.
  • Beans, lentils, bulgur wheat, quinoa, and rice: Recipes in the Mediterranean diet rely on legumes and whole grains as nutritious foods.
  • Vegetarian, vegan, seafood, and chicken recipes. Mediterranean diet recipes are plant-forward in nature. It’s recommended to include seafood and poultry each about 2 times per week.

Why Make These Recipes?

One of our readers is a doctor who recently let us know she recommends our recipes to her patients. She said:

“I am an Internal Medicine physician and I’ve been recommending your cookbook and website to my patients, as I tell them the way to stay healthy is to follow a Mediterranean diet. Thank you for continuing to provide me and my patients with easy, delicious, and healthy recipes!”

Beyond Food: The Mediterranean Lifestyle

One of the best things about the Mediterranean diet is that it’s all about the lifestyle. This eating philosophy originated based on the longevity of people in the Mediterranean, and researchers observed more than just eating habits. Simply eating Mediterranean diet recipes is not all there is to it. Here’s what’s important in addition to food:

  • Stay active and exercise regularly.
  • Avoid smoking.
  • Enjoy wine in moderation if you drink alcohol.
  • Reduce the amount of stress in your lifestyle.
  • Actively participate in community: be invested and engaged in the people around you.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack Recipes

Looking for another meal of the day? Try our Mediterranean diet breakfast, lunch, and snack ideas below:



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