For the past several years, US News & World Report has ranked the Mediterranean diet as the best overall diet. Additionally, in 2024, the Mediterranean diet will take the top spot as Best Meal for Bone and Joint Health, Family Friendly Meal, Most Easy to Follow, Heart Healthy Meal, and Best Meal for Healthy Eating. Did.
The tenets of the Mediterranean diet are simple. Eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and whole grains, and reduce your intake of saturated fat and sugar. Research shows that following this diet reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Having a healthy gut microbiome has many similar benefits. Data shows that good gut bacteria not only help with constipation and digestion, they may also help improve mood, sleep, and heart health.
Additionally, a healthy microbiome and Mediterranean diet both help maintain a healthy weight.
To increase the good bacteria in your gut and reap the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, we’ve created this 7-day meal plan packed with foods that follow both diets. Additionally, this meal plan sets him at 1,500 calories, which is a level that most people can use to lose weight, but if you need more or fewer calories, you can set him at 1,200 calories and his A 2,000 calorie adjustment is also listed. Feel free to modify it to suit your calorie needs.
noteworthy foods
Contrary to what you might believe, you don’t have to eat traditional foods from the Mediterranean region if you follow the Mediterranean diet. Foods included in these groups fit into this diet.
Mediterranean diet foods:
- herbs and spices
- fruit
- vegetables
- Healthy fats like olive oil and avocado oil
- Nuts (including natural nut butters)
- Seeds (chia, pumpkin, flax, etc.)
- fish
- egg
- meat
- poultry
- Legumes (chickpeas, pinto beans, lentils, etc.)
- Dairy products including cheese, yogurt, and kefir
- Whole grains (bulgur, farro, fonio, freekeh, couscous, rice, etc.)
Foods that are good for your gut health:
Probiotics are foods that contain healthy gut bacteria, and prebiotics are foods that feed good gut bacteria. These foods are naturally high in each nutrient, but you’re not limited to just this list.
Foods rich in probiotics:
- Yogurt
- kefir
- miso
- Sauerkraut
- kimchi
- Tempe
- kombucha
Foods rich in prebiotics:
- garlic
- Green onions, especially the green parts
- asparagus
- artichoke
- banana
- seaweed
- Jerusalem artichoke
- young dandelion leaves
- soy
- mushroom
- oats
How to meal prep for the week:
- Bake banana protein muffins for breakfast on days 2 and 3 and snack on day 4.
- Prepare 2 servings of Creamy Blueberry Pecan Overnight Oatmeal for the evening of day 3 and breakfast on days 4 and 5.
- Make Everything Bagel Crispy Chickpeas for a snack on days 6 and 7.
First day
Breakfast (249 calories)
Morning snack (211 calories)
- 3/4 cup blueberries
- 3 tablespoons roasted unsalted cashews
Lunch (439 calories)
Afternoon snack (163 calories)
- 2 tablespoons hummus
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 2 tablespoons walnuts, halved
Dinner (429 calories)
Meal preparation tips: Save the bowl of charred shrimp, pesto, and quinoa for tomorrow’s lunch.
Daily total: 1,491 calories, 67g protein, 168g carbohydrates, 29g fiber, 70g fat, 1,397mg sodium
Make it 1,200 calories: Skip the cashews for your mid-morning snack and the hummus and walnuts for your afternoon snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 boiled eggs for breakfast, increase to 1 cup of blueberries and 1/3 cup of cashews for morning snack, increase to 1/4 cup of hummus and 1/4 cup of walnuts for afternoon snack, and creamy dill for dinner. Add 2 servings of yogurt sauce.
the 2nd day
Breakfast (254 calories)
Morning snack (208 calories)
Lunch (429 calories)
Afternoon snack (101 calories)
Dinner (504 calories)
Meal preparation tips: Save the bowl of charred shrimp, pesto, and quinoa for tomorrow’s lunch.
Daily total: 1,496 calories, 81g protein, 177g carbohydrates, 27g fiber, 58g fat, 1,533mg sodium
Make it 1,200 calories: Omit the orange at breakfast, replace your mid-morning snack with 1 cup of air-popped popcorn, and reduce your afternoon snack to half a pear.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 boiled eggs to your breakfast, 1/4 cup of sliced almonds to your morning snack, and 2 ounces of low-fat cheddar to your afternoon snack.
Third day
Breakfast (373 calories)
Morning snack (173 calories)
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 ounce low-fat cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons shelled pistachios
Lunch (353 calories)
Afternoon snack (200 calories)
Dinner (408 calories)
Daily total: 1,506 calories, 84g protein, 164g carbohydrates, 41g fiber, 64g fat, 1,916mg sodium
Make it 1,200 calories: Omit the clementines, reduce the kefir to 1/2 cup at breakfast, reduce the edamame to 1/2 cup at afternoon snack, and omit the baguette at dinner.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast, increase to 1 1/2 cups of raspberries for mid-morning snack, add 2 servings of creamy dill yogurt sauce for lunch, 2 cups of edamame for afternoon snack, and increase to 1 1/2 cups of raspberries for lunch. Increase to 2 slices of baguette.
Day 4
Breakfast (291 calories)
Morning snack (176 calories)
- 1 medium apple
- 2 tablespoons walnuts, halved
Lunch (430 calories)
PM Snack (193 calories)
Dinner (411 calories)
Meal preparation tips: Save the lentil salad with feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives for lunch tomorrow.
Daily total: 1,501 calories, 80g protein, 162g carbohydrates, 26g fiber, 63g fat, 1,394mg sodium
Make it 1,200 calories: Reduce your mid-morning snack to 1 tablespoon of walnuts, skip the chicken for dinner, and replace your afternoon snack with one small banana.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to your breakfast, increase the walnuts to 1/4 cup for your morning snack, add 1 ounce of dark chocolate for your afternoon snack, and increase to 4 ounces of chicken for dinner.
Day 5
Breakfast (291 calories)
Morning snack (210 calories)
- 1 medium banana
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Lunch (368 calories)
PM Snack (206 calories)
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted almonds
Dinner (414 calories)
Daily total: 1,489 calories, 86g protein, 147g carbohydrates, 24g fiber, 67g fat, 1,580mg sodium
Make it 1,200 calories: Skip the peanut butter for your mid-morning snack and replace your mid-afternoon snack with half a small pear.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for breakfast, 1/2 cup of whole wheat pita for lunch, increase to 5 tablespoons of almonds for an afternoon snack, and add 1 ounce of dark chocolate for dinner.
Day 6
Breakfast (311 calories)
Morning snack (301 calories)
- 1 large pear
- 22 roasted unsalted almonds
Lunch (333 calories)
PM Snack (220 calories)
Dinner (330 calories)
Daily total: 1,494 calories, 63g protein, 168g carbohydrates, 24g fiber, 68g fat, 2,384mg sodium
Make it 1,200 calories: Skip the English muffin for breakfast, the almonds for your morning snack, and cut the pita bread by 1/4 for dinner.
Make it 2,000 calories: Increase to 1 whole English muffin for breakfast, add 1/2 cup of kimchi and 2 tablespoons of chopped peanuts for lunch, increase to 2 servings of chickpeas for afternoon snack, and 1 whole pita for dinner. .
7th day
Breakfast (296 calories)
Morning snack (121 calories)
- 3/4 cup plain low-fat kefir
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon honey
Lunch (488 calories)
Crispy smoked tofu and coleslaw wrap 1 serving
PM Snack (220 calories)
Dinner (383 calories)
Daily total: 1,508 calories, 77g protein, 141g carbohydrates, 25g fiber, 66g fat, 2,473mg sodium
Make it 1,200 calories: Omit the honey and chia seeds from your morning snack, reduce the kefir to 1/4 cup, and replace your afternoon snack with 1/2 cup of air-popped popcorn.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add one large banana to your breakfast, increase your morning snack to 1 cup of kefir, 2 teaspoons of chia seeds, and 2 teaspoons of honey, increase your afternoon snack to 2 servings of chickpeas, and add a boiled egg to your dinner.
