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Home » Diet » Mediterranean diet: A guide and 7-day meal plan

Many doctors and dietitians recommend a Mediterranean diet to prevent disease and keep people healthy for longer.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and it includes less dairy and meat than a typical Western diet.

In this article, we explain what the Mediterranean diet is and provide a 7-day meal plan for people to follow.

Essentially, following a Mediterranean diet means eating in the way that the people in the Mediterranean region traditionally ate.

A traditional diet from the Mediterranean region includes a generous portion of fresh produce, whole grains, and legumes, as well as some healthful fats and fish.

The general guidelines of the diet recommend that people eat:

The American Heart Association note that the average Mediterranean diet contains a high percentage of calories from fat.

Although more than half of the calories from fat come from monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, the diet may not be right for people who need to limit their fat intake.

The Mediterranean diet puts a higher focus on plant foods than many other diets. It is not uncommon for vegetables, whole grains, and legumes to make up all or most of a meal.

People following the diet typically cook these foods using healthful fats, such as olive oil, and add plenty of flavorful spices.

Meals may include small portions of fish, meat, or eggs.

Water and sparkling water are common drink choices, as well as moderate amounts of red wine.

People on a Mediterranean diet avoid the following foods:

Here is an example of a 7-day Mediterranean diet meal plan:

Breakfast

For additional calories, add another egg or some sliced avocado to the toast.

Lunch

Dinner

For added calories, add some shredded chicken, ham, tuna, or pine nuts to the pizza.

Breakfast

For additional calories, add 12 oz of almonds or walnuts.

Lunch

To increase the calorie content, spread hummus or avocado on the bread before adding the fillings.

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Add another artichoke for a hearty, filling meal.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

There are many snack options available as part of the Mediterranean diet.

Suitable snacks include:

The Mediterranean diet receives a lot of attention from the medical community because many studies verify its benefits.

The benefits of a Mediterranean diet include:

Evidence suggests that a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. A study that featured in The New England Journal of Medicine compared two Mediterranean diets with a control diet for almost 5 years.

The research suggested that the diet reduced the risk of cardiovascular issues, including stroke, heart attack, and death, by about 30 percent compared with the control group.

More studies are necessary to determine whether lifestyle factors, such as more physical activity and extended social support systems, are partly responsible for the lower incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries than in the United States.

In a 2018 study, researchers explored how the Mediterranean diet affects sleep.

Their research suggested that adhering to a Mediterranean diet may improve sleep quality in older adults. The diet did not seem to affect sleep quality in younger people.

The Mediterranean diet may also be helpful for people who are trying to lose weight.

The authors of a 2016 review noted that people who were overweight or had obesity lost more weight on the Mediterranean diet than on a low-fat diet. The Mediterranean diet group achieved results that were similar to those of the participants on other standard weight loss diets.

Following a Mediterranean diet involves making long-term, sustainable dietary changes.

Generally speaking, a person should aim for a diet that is rich in natural foods, including plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and healthful fats.

Anyone who finds that the diet does not feel satisfying should talk to a dietitian. They can recommend additional or alternative foods to help increase satiety.

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Mediterranean diet: A guide and 7-day meal plan

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Home » Diet » Mediterranean diet: A guide and 7-day meal plan