A Complete Mediterranean Diet Food List and 14-Day Meal Plan

A simple lifestyle with a frugal diet and lots of physical activity like regular exercise are some recommendations for a healthy lifestyle. Red meat and sugary processed foods are unhealthy.

A Mediterranean Diet is plant-food-based and is among the healthy options. While avoiding the extremes of strict vegetarianism, occasional indulgence is allowed in whatever food strikes the fancy, be it red meat, wine, or alcohol. As a rule, they are off the menu. The Mediterranean Diet is almost the opposite of the Carnivore diet, which prescribes intense meat-eating in the belief that heightened protein is good.

Compare With Mindless Eating And Drinking.

Regarding the present life, especially in global megacities, the devil has got into food and drink! Along with intense red meat consumption, the range of alcoholic beverages and narcotic drugs is widespread. Processed fast foods and fizzy drinks are all equally unhealthy but are consumed in huge quantities. Obesity is a typical result in countries like America. In comparison, a Mediterranean diet is a sane approach and keeps all the health parameters in mind.

Why is it Called a Mediterranean Diet?

The extensive Mediterranean Sea stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to Asia. The Mediterranean Sea is vast, about 25 million square meters in area. By comparison, the Red Sea and the Black Sea are 4.38 lakh square kilometers and 4.36 lakh square kilometers, respectively. As many as 22 countries are located on the Mediterranean Sea periphery, and some follow the healthy diet under discussion. Some leading countries are Italy and Spain, France, and Greece. Israel, Libya, and Morocco are others.

Long-Term Benefits

The Mediterranean diet is not merely a researcher’s dream of healthy eating. It is based on the diet eaten for generations in parts of the Mediterranean culture. Based on realistic traditions, the diet plan is entirely sustainable. Many experts approve of the diet plan and consider it very healthy. More than a diet, it deserves to be called a lifestyle that would benefit the present and future generations.

Essentials of The Mediterranean Diet

Free from strict rules, it is a flexible diet that is reasonably easy to adhere to. Along with fresh vegetables and fruits, the Mediterranean diet approves the consumption of nuts, beans, and seeds. Fish is emphasized along with seafood twice a week. Poultry and eggs, along with dairy products, may sometimes be taken. Add whole grains and herbs along with spices. The cooking medium is very healthy, olive oil. Red meat and sweets are rarely eaten. The list seems much beneficial and free from the dangers of red meat. It is a dietician nutritionist’s dream diet and is backed up by science.

Advantages

Control blood sugar and improve brain health. Long life and a healthy heart are some excellent results of the MD. Surveys across many years upon thousands of persons confirm the traditional beliefs now strengthened by scientific backing. The likelihood of early death decreases the more rigidly the diet is followed. Among heart disease sufferers, the survey of 26,000 women found 28 percent fewer chances of heart disease.

Hydroxytyrosol is an antioxidant found in nuts, fruits, and olive oil. Hydroxytyrosol guards against free radical damage to the heart. The diet results in significant weight loss, and so many millions are searching for such magic! Loss of weight without frustration and starvation is the wonder. Those who suffer serious medical conditions like Type 2 diabetes need an MD. The diet is low in sugar content and unhealthy saturated fat.

MD Shopping list

The local grocery, vegetable, and meat store provide all the essentials for the MD plan. Start with Olive oil. Buy Fish, including canned and frozen Fish. Beans and lentils, along with Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables too. Shop for Herbs and Spices. Next are the Whole grains. They include oatmeal, quinoa, whole-wheat pasta, and brown rice. Red wine is fine, but moderately. Don’t forget Nuts, seeds, and nut butter. Eggs, along with Fermented dairy like yogurt, complete the initial list.

The 14-Day Diet Plan

First Day

• Breakfast − Oatmeal porridge with fresh fruit and tea/coffee

• Lunch − Chicken sandwich and lentil soup

• Dinner − Mixed vegetable broth

• Snacks − Almonds or walnuts

Second Day

• Breakfast − Walnuts and dates with yogurt and tea/coffee

• Lunch − Vegetable soup and whole grain bread

• Dinner − Fried chicken and salad

• Snacks − Apple or peach slices

Third-Day

• Breakfast − Smoothie along with pears and nut butter

• Lunch − Bean soup with whole grain bread rolls

• Dinner − Baked salmon along with salad

• Snacks − Avocados and Olives

Fourth Day

• Breakfast − Papaya and Strawberries, cheese and tea or coffee

• Lunch − Lentil soup with tomato and olives

• Dinner − Grilled chicken along with a vegetable burger

• Snacks − Pistachios and Yogurt

Fifth Day

• Breakfast − Poached eggs and apple slices, muesli in milk, and tea/coffee

• Lunch − Beans and quinoa, whole-grain bread, and fruit salad with ice cream

• Dinner − Grilled Fish with vegetable salad and dessert

• Snacks − Dry fruits

Sixth Day

• Breakfast − Grilled mackerel, whole grain bread, and tea/coffee

• Lunch − Bean platter with a vegetable salad

• Dinner − Lamb chops and fruit salad

• Snacks − Olives and cheese

Seventh Day

• Breakfast − Raspberries and yogurt with tea/coffee

• Lunch − Olives, cheese, and whole grain bread

• Dinner − Vegetable stew and lentil soup

• Snacks − Pistachios and seasonal fruit slices

Eighth Day

• Breakfast − Eggs, boiled broccoli, and orange with milk/tea/coffee

• Lunch − Lamb stew and vegetable salad with cream

• Dinner − Grilled Fish, boiled potato, and cheese

• Snacks − Nuts and chocolate

Ninth Day

• Breakfast − Milk smoothie with bananas, cherries, and tea/coffee

• Lunch − Fried tuna slices with olives, spinach, and vegetable salad with cream

• Dinner − Bean soup and whole-grain bread

• Snacks − Fruit and cheese

Tenth Day

• Breakfast − Oatmeal porridge, raisins, walnuts, and tea/coffee

• Lunch − Bean soup and whole grain bread

• Dinner − Ginger chicken steak with asparagus and dessert

• Snacks − Fruit, celery, and cucumber

Eleventh Day

• Breakfast − Vegetable platter and seasonal fruit and cream with tea/coffee

• Lunch − Vegetable dumplings with cheese and fruit salad

• Dinner − Seafood platter with fruit salad

• Snacks − Apple slices with yogurt and nuts

Twelfth Day

• Breakfast − Eggs, cheese, and honey with peaches, strawberries, and tea/coffee

• Lunch − Vegetable and cheese pasta with fruit salad

• Dinner − Roasted chicken and vegetable salad

• Snacks − Mixed salted hazelnuts, pistachios

Thirteenth Day

• Breakfast − Muesli in yogurt, nut butter, and tea/coffee

• Lunch − Salmon burger and bean soup

• Dinner − Fried eggs with cheese slices and vegetable salad

• Snacks − Grilled mushroom and fruit salad

Fourteenth Day

• Breakfast − Whole grain bread, cheese slices, fresh fruits, and tea/coffee/milk

• Lunch − Quinoa porridge, roasted potato, and walnuts

• Dinner − Grilled Fish and vegetable pasta with cheese

• Snacks − Olives and potato chips

All is not lost for those many who suffer from obesity, heart disease, or diabetes. A simpler food plan that does not require calorie counting but common sense will help improve health and reduce weight. Start with mental preparation and firmly control fast foods, meats, and alcohol.