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How To Start A Mediterranean Diet

February 9, 2023 by Elizabeth Murray | Affiliate Disclaimer
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Starting a new diet can be a daunting experience if you don’t know where to start. Luckily, the Mediterranean diet is less of a diet and more of a lifestyle! There are no strict rules, but there are guidelines that if followed, will help you to live a healthier life. So let’s jump into how to start a Mediterranean Diet today!

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • What Is The Mediterranean Diet?
  • How To Start A Mediterranean Diet
  • Easy Ways To Eat The Mediterranean Way Every Day+−
    • Vegetables First
    • Eat In Season and Locally, If Possible
    • Make Your Grains Ahead of Time
    • Rethink Protein
    • Have Fun With Flavors and Textures!
  • Your Printable Mediterranean Diet Food List
  • Recipes To Get You Started
A wooden cutting board with a small bowl of olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic, vinegar, parsley, and mint

What Is The Mediterranean Diet?

So what even is the Mediterranean diet?  

I know when I first heard of it, I pretty much dismissed it because of the term ‘diet’.  I knew that diet culture in general was bad, and I didn’t want to fall into the trap of restrictive eating habits.

  • If only I knew that the Mediterranean diet was less of a diet and more of a lifestyle change!

It involves eating a large variety of fruits and vegetables every day, including healthy grains and legumes in your meals, and trying to have a few meatless meals a week.

Fish is encouraged to be consumed twice a week, and red meats and sweets should only be enjoyed on occasion (notice how I didn’t say never!)

The lifestyle change encourages you to try to get 30 minutes of exercise a day.  That can be a walk outdoors, a gym session, or even just dancing in your living room!  It also encourages meals to be shared with family and friends.

  • The Mediterranean diet has been voted the ‘Best Overall Diet‘ in 2022, 2021, 202, 2019 & 2018 by US News and World Report! There is a lot of evidence-based research to back this up, and if you are interested I suggest you check out my post What Is The Mediterranean Diet? Foods List, Evidence-Based Research.

With all that being said, do you think anyone will ever go on the ‘American diet’?  (hotdogs, hamburgers, Mcdonalds, eating in your car on the way to work LOL)

How To Start A Mediterranean Diet

So, how do you start the Mediterranean diet?  

A great place to start is to try to make your next 5 dinners with these plate ratios in mind.

  • HALF of your plate should consist of a variety of fruits and vegetables

  • A little over 1/4 of your plate should consist of whole grains and/or legumes

  • About 1/3 of your plate should be protein

Use what you have and don’t stress too much about the preparation.  If you can manage this, you will be well on your way to healthier eating habits and a healthier lifestyle!

Easy Ways To Eat The Mediterranean Way Every Day

Here are some quick and helpful hints to help you build meals that you love every single day.

Vegetables First

  • Vegetables should be at the forefront of your meal planning.  Since they are extraordinarily nutrient dense, it is wise to treat them as if they are the star of your meals!

Eat In Season and Locally, If Possible

  • Consuming local produce and goods is not only a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainably, but it also helps you narrow down your choices and prevent decision paralysis!  Seeing 50 different types of fruits and vegetables at the store can be daunting, so always choosing what has been locally grown can help narrow your focus and decrease anxiety when shopping.

Make Your Grains Ahead of Time

  • Since many MedDiet meals can use different types of whole grains interchangeably, I find that it saves SOO much time and stress to make my grains ahead of time.  Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for approximately 3-4 days.  

Rethink Protein

  • Protein doesn’t just come from meat!  Legumes and many grains provide plant-based, hearty, and healthy proteins.  Reimagine how you eat hummus by serving it as a base for a sauteed vegetable dish.  Just a half-cup serving of lentils provides 12 grams of protein!

Have Fun With Flavors and Textures!

  • Don’t take it too seriously. Experiment and have fun with new flavors and textures! If you have never tried barley before, you might really enjoy the pleasant chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor. Drizzle simple dishes with a bright herb sauce or yogurt sauce to awaken them. Add the crunch of chopped nuts to boring salads. Eating healthy doesn’t mean eating the same things over and over!

An overhead shot of ingredients used to make tofu and arrabiata sauce recipe, including tofu, plum tomatoes, toasted bread, dried serrano peppers

Your Printable Mediterranean Diet Food List

Other than ‘How do I start the Mediterranean diet?’, I also frequently get asked about what ingredients are okay to eat on a Mediterranean diet. 

The answer isn’t really black and white, because the MedDiet t isn’t a restrictive diet.

There really aren’t a lot of ‘do’s and don’ts’. 

To help you out, I created this free Mediterranean diet shopping list with the framework that you will need to make healthy ingredient purchases!

  • GET YOUR FREE PRINTABLE MEDITERRANEAN SHOPPING LIST HERE

Recipes To Get You Started

Since this is a (mostly) Mediterranean diet blog, we are chock-full of Mediterranean diet recipes that even the most novice of MedDiet enthusiasts will enjoy! Just pair them with the healthy whole grain and veggie of your choice, and you’ve got dinner.

blender pesto recipe

5 Minute Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Recipe

A spatula taking a piece of mediterranean baked cod topped with tomatoes, olives and feta out of a blue baking dish

Mediterranean Cod Recipe with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Feta

A black plate with 4 kabobs on top filled with bright grilled vegetables and lemon dill chicken, with a greek yogurt sauce drizzled over the top

7 Ingredient Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs Recipe

strawberry flaxseed smoothie

Anti Inflammatory Smoothie Recipe

overhead shot of a large pot filled with shakshuka and sprinkled with parsley

Easy Shakshuka Recipe

a blue and white flowered bowl filled with greek lemon and rice soup, with carrots, kale and chickpeas visible in the soup. There is another bowl in the background, and they are on a dark wooden surface

Greek Lemon Soup With Chickpeas

hummus chicken

Sheet Pan Hummus Chicken And Veggies

A cast iron skillet filled with mediterranean shrimp, olives, mushrooms and orzo, with green basil on top

One Skillet Shrimp Orzo Recipe

A plate filled with a greek layered dip with hummus, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumber and olives

Greek Layered Dip

Category: Mediterranean Diet Info
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Affiliate Disclaimer

My posts may contain affiliate links. Every one of the affiliate companies is a company that I stand by and believe in. If you choose to purchase something through their link on my website, you won’t pay a penny more, but I will receive a small commission. It helps me to continue to create great content for you! Thanks!

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Hey, I’m Liz!

I am SO thrilled to meet you!

I’m a Physical Therapy Assistant turned food blogger, and love merging my intrigue for the human body with my passion for all things food! I’m here to show you that enjoying a Mediterranean diet doesn’t mean that you can only eat Mediterranean food! I can’t wait to show you how rewarding the MedDiet lifestyle can be!

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About Me

Hello! I am the recipe hippie, and I am here to give you a free spirited approach towards home cooking. When it comes to the ingredients you have available, I challenge you to reject your conventional notions around recipes and think outside of the box. Substitutions are encouraged! So open up your pantry, get creative and have fun. Some of the greatest things in life originated through improvisation!

Hello! I am the recipe hippie, and I am here to give you a free spirited approach towards home cooking!

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