These Mediterranean food regimen recipes make consuming effectively scrumptious and easy! My well-tested wholesome meals star olive oil, contemporary greens, seafood, and complete grains: and have all been loved by my whole household.

Need to eat the Mediterranean means? You’ve come to the proper place. I’m Sonja and over the previous decade, I’ve devoted my profession to Mediterranean food regimen recipes. Because the creator of two printed cookbooks and creator of hundreds of on-line recipes, I can confidently say this: the Mediterranean food regimen isn’t simply one of many healthiest methods to eat: it’s additionally probably the most scrumptious.
I’ve spent numerous hours perfecting these recipes in my very own kitchen and testing them on my household (together with two very sincere children!). Right here’s a listing of all my favourite Mediterranean food regimen recipes that everybody all the time loves.
Word: I’m at the moment engaged on a Mediterranean food regimen cookbook! My Mediterranean Each Evening cookbook might be printed by Chronicle Books in spring 2027.
What Makes the Mediterranean Weight loss program Particular
The Mediterranean food regimen has been known as the “healthiest food regimen on the planet” by US Information and World Report. It’s a means of consuming and dwelling modeled after nations that border the Mediterranean Sea, like Italy and Greece. It’s not a strict food regimen, however extra a set of pointers. Right here’s how the Mayo Clinic defines the Mediterranean food regimen:
- Day by day consumption of greens, fruits, complete grains, and wholesome fat (like olive oil)
- Weekly consumption of fish, poultry, legumes (beans & lentils), and eggs
- Reasonable parts of dairy merchandise
- Restricted consumption of purple meat and meals with added sugar.
Mayo Clinic stresses {that a} Mediterranean food regimen is plant primarily based, not meat primarily based. It’s basically a complete meals plant primarily based food regimen with a little bit of seafood, poultry, and dairy thrown in. (Right here’s some common steerage from the Cleveland Clinic on serving objectives and serving sizes.)
Why I’m Passionate About The Mediterranean Weight loss program
What attracts me to Mediterranean food regimen cooking is much past the flavors. I’ve discovered this manner of consuming transforms not simply what’s in your plate, however the best way you strategy meals! As an alternative of consuming by restriction or following guidelines, it’s about abundance and having fun with meals in group.
I traveled extensively within the Mediterranean (Greece, Spain, Italy and France) and I’ve realized: it’s not about consuming from a single cultural custom, however cooking with from-scratch, complete meals substances.
To study extra about this manner of consuming and dwelling, I additionally accomplished the Life-style and Wellness Teaching program via Harvard Medical Faculty’s Govt Training division, a certificates course centered on way of life drugs and habits change which inspires consuming utilizing a philosophy just like the Mediterranean food regimen. Right here’s extra about What I Discovered About Wholesome Dwelling from Harvard.
Prime 50 Mediterranean Weight loss program Recipes
Listed here are my prime Mediterranean food regimen recipes that work for lunch or dinner! They function:
- Olive oil: The coronary heart wholesome cooking oil of alternative.
- Beans, lentils, bulgur wheat, quinoa, and rice: Recipes within the Mediterranean food regimen depend on legumes and complete grains as nutritious meals.
- Vegetarian, vegan, seafood, and hen recipes. Mediterranean food regimen recipes are plant-forward in nature. It’s really useful to incorporate seafood and poultry every about 2 instances per week.
Do that Mediterranean Bowl, bursting with colourful veggies! It’s a easy “meal in a bowl” that stars spiced roasted greens, seasoned with an irresistible mixture of cumin, coriander, garlic and a touch of cinnamon. Add to that quinoa or couscous, contemporary cucumber and tomato, and prime all of it off with a creamy lemon tahini sauce.
This tasty rice bowl recipe is a simple wholesome meal prepared in about half-hour! Take pleasure in flavorful turmeric rice, tender Greek hen, crunchy veggies, and a creamy selfmade tzatziki sauce for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
Lentils are frequent in Mediterranean food regimen recipes: they’re loaded with plant-based protein. This soup is right for simple dinners: it is solely 7 substances, plant-based, good for meal prep, and terribly scrumptious. If you happen to’re in search of straightforward, wholesome budget-friendly Mediterranean food regimen meals: this one’s a recreation changer.
The salmon is roasted proper on prime of precise lemon slices and butter, which bakes right into a sauce which you could spoon over the tender fish. Seasoned with somewhat dill and garlic powder, you may broil the highest to get it calmly crisp after baking. It’s so easy and certainly one of our new favourite methods to prepare dinner up this tasty fish!
This falafel bowl makes a satisfying meal, stuffed with vivid Mediterranean flavors! That includes selfmade baked falafel, pickled cucumbers and onions, and crunchy veggies, it’s a scrumptious wholesome lunch or dinner concept.
Right here’s a Mediterranean Weight loss program recipe together with your identify on it! Juicy shrimp sit atop a mattress of fluffy rice flavored with garlic, dill and spinach. Give it a great sprinkling of feta cheese and some spritzes of lemon juice, and it’s really a revelation. We’re all the time in want of a great 30-minute weeknight meal, and this one hits the spot in so some ways.
This Mediterranean hen recipe stars tender hen breasts baked with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon, and feta for a wholesome one-pan dinner. Cooked in simply half-hour!
This scrumptious purple lentil curry is filled with taste and plant primarily based protein, topped with a glowing cilantro chutney that makes it shine! Serve with rice as a hearty plant primarily based Mediterranean food regimen dinner.
Right here’s a Mediterranean food regimen recipe with a complete wow issue: this Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes & Feta! The tender, flaky fish is roofed in a lemon garlic sauce, cozied up with burst cherry tomatoes, Mediterranean seasonings and gooey bits of feta cheese. Every chew is savory with simply the proper pop of brightness. It’s prepared in simply over half-hour and nice for impressing on weeknights or dinner events.
Right here’s a wholesome lunch or dinner concept to boost your routine: Mediterranean tuna salad! This spin provides crispy Mediterranean-style veggies and swaps out the basic mayonnaise for olive oil and vinegar. The flavour is so contemporary and scrumptious, it’s possible you’ll surrender the mayo model altogether. Eat with crusty bread, gluten-free crackers, or make it into lettuce wraps.
This Moroccan stew recipe is certainly one of our prime Mediterranean food regimen recipes we check with individuals who need to eat extra vegetation. Why? It’s extremely flavorful, with a mix of Moroccan spices that’s really irresistible! It’s stuffed with nutrient wealthy greens: candy potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and spinach.
This straightforward sheet pan hen and veggies combines seasoned hen breasts with colourful greens for a whole meal made on one pan! This straightforward technique ensures juicy hen and tender roasted greens with minimal cleanup. The final word weeknight dinner!
These veggie protein bowls are my go-to weeknight dinner that’s nutritious, filling, and fast! With roasted candy potatoes and chickpeas, creamy cottage cheese, and a drizzle of honey mustard sauce, they’re easy and customizable.
This Parmesan crusted salmon is a scrumptious straightforward dinner that’s surprisingly fast to organize. The crispy, flavorful topping completely enhances the tender salmon! This one is all the time a success with household and mates.
This Mediterranean rice bowl is prepared in simply half-hour, filled with colourful greens and vivid flavors! I’m all the time in search of plant-based dinners which can be each wholesome and satisfying. With fluffy turmeric rice, seasoned chickpeas, and creamy tzatziki—it’s a weeknight dinner homerun in my e-book!
After years of constructing meatless meals in my kitchen, these candy potato black bean tacos have change into my favourite plant-based dinner that even my meat-loving mates love! They’re bursting with taste and prepared in simply over half-hour.
Hey and welcome to the perfect fast Mediterranean food regimen recipe concept: the Hummus Bowl! At it’s base, this straightforward idea requires no cooking in any respect: layer a dollop of hummus with crunchy veggies and greens. To make it extra filling, add cooked rice (leftover or from a pre-cooked rice packet). It takes simply 5 minutes to make this Mediterranean-style meal that’s bursting with creamy, tangy, crunchy, contemporary, and savory flavors.
Right here’s a pleasant Italian eggplant dish that makes dinnertime extra particular: Eggplant Rollatini! It’s like a mixture of eggplant Parmesan and lasagna roll ups. Tender strips of eggplant are wrapped round a creamy three-cheese filling, then baked in selfmade tomato sauce and extra cheese.
This chimichurri salmon pairs moist flaky salmon with the tangy, garlicky punch of this herby sauce—these flavors have been made for one another! It’s so fast and straightforward to make broiled, or you may strive it baked or grilled.
Shrimp is a lean protein that is low calorie and excellent for the Mediterranean food regimen. The tender, juicy savory taste is so exceptional, you gained’t be capable of cease taking bites. Right here’s our prime seasoning mix and precisely find out how to make sauteed shrimp in simply 10 minutes.
This straightforward vegetarian tortilla soup recipe comes collectively in simply half-hour however tastes prefer it simmered all day! Filled with black beans, corn, and smoky adobo taste, it’s topped with crispy tortilla strips for the proper weeknight dinner.
This hen and rice soup recipe is a comfortable, straightforward soup everybody will love! It’s our household favourite, with tender shredded hen and fluffy rice that swim in a savory broth infused with smoky paprika.
Right here’s a Meditteranean food regimen recipe that’s supreme for snacks or entertaining: Hummus Dip! This one even doubles as a tasty snack or a light-weight dinner with a couple of different filling appetizers. Unfold hummus on a platter or in a bowl, then prime with cool cucumber, tomatoes, olives, artichokes and feta cheese.
In want of lunch concepts? Do that straightforward veggie wrap recipe! Veggie wraps might be bland and boring, however this one is something however. Fill a tortilla with savory chickpea salad, colourful veggies, and a tasty unfold, and also you’ve acquired a lunch that can make everybody jealous! Right here’s find out how to construct a veggie wrap that’s stuffed with taste.
Right here’s an effective way to make use of it to make a Mediterranean dinner recipe: Pesto Hen! Mix basil pesto with a little bit of cream and it makes a surprising contemporary sauce for juicy hen breasts! It’s a fast trick that makes an on a regular basis dinner into one thing particular, good for entertaining or simply a simple weeknight meal.
The phrase salad doesn’t even actually come near describing the style deal with that’s the conventional French Nicoise salad. Arduous boiled eggs, inexperienced beans, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, tuna, and tangy potatoes sit on crunchy lettuce with a zesty lemon French dressing that makes you need to preserve consuming it for days. It’s filling sufficient to be a fundamental dish, and it’s acquired the perfect carefree vibe.
Right here’s an irresistible Mediterranean food regimen recipe: this Falafel Salad! Make a batch of this straightforward baked falafel, then layer them with crunchy veggies and prime with a creamy, zingy tahini dressing. Or, use bought frozen falafel and even repurpose take-out leftovers! This one is a large hit with our household: and works for weeknights or dinner events.
This conventional Spanish rice dish is definitely straightforward to make at residence: we promise! You do not even want a flowery pan: a big skillet will do. Smoked paprika provides an earthy aptitude to the rice, which is topped with veggies, artichokes and shrimp. It is a gorgeous recipe for entertaining, however straightforward sufficient for a weeknight.
Additionally strive: Simple Vegetarian Paella
This kale soup is certainly one of our favourite Mediterranean recipes, and it is finished in solely half-hour! Hearty Tuscan kale, white beans and tomatoes float in a tangy broth flavored with oregano and fennel. It’s like a mixture of all of your favourite soup recipes in a single bowl: comforting and stuffed with daring Mediterranean-style flavors.
These Mediterranean food regimen couscous bowls recipe is a standard repeat in our dinner recipes repertoire. Why? In simply 25 minutes, you might have a contemporary bowl of scrumptious greens that’s smothered in a tangy lemon tahini sauce. This one is a very tasty approach to eat your veggies. If you would like, substitute couscous for a complete grain like quinoa or brown rice. It will even be tasty with Greek salad dressing.
it’s straightforward to make grilled hen breast that tastes dry and bland? Right here’s find out how to make grilled hen so it comes out juicy and completely seasoned each time!We’ve discovered the trick to an ultra-moist piece of hen that melts in your mouth: and it takes simply 2 minutes to do.
Is pizza a Mediterranean food regimen recipe? When it is this wholesome pizza, it’s! It begins with our Simple Skinny Crust pizza dough. Then it is slathered with our tangy, garlicky Simple Pizza Sauce. Prime that with caramelized peppers and onions, contemporary arugula, and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese. It is SO flavorful and seems with solely ⅓ the energy of a typical supply pizza!
Lentils are certainly one of nature’s wonders: they’re stuffed with protein, shelf steady for years, cheap, and make for a number of the most satisfying filling meals. Do that easy Crimson Lentil Soup! It’s deliciously hearty, that includes fragrant greens, lemon and a touch of smoked paprika.
This hearty tortellini soup has a calmly candy depth that makes you need the bowl to be unending. Doughy pillows of tortellini float in a tangy, tomato broth seasoned with Italian herbs and Parmesan cheese. It’s loaded up with nutrient-dense spinach and tender greens like carrot and fennel, which add nuance and crunch. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese and it’s a complete triumph.
Searching for scrumptious salmon recipes? In relation to taste and ease, this Honey Garlic Salmon recipe delivers. The salmon is pan fried for a brown, seared exterior, then baked within the oven till it’s completely tender. Drench all of it on this sticky honey garlic sauce, a candy savory glaze that provides layers of complexity.
Right here’s a go-to within the quick and straightforward dinner class: shrimp stir fry! It’s fast to place collectively and the umami-packed stir fry sauce is filled with irresistible taste. It’s our favourite Simple Stir Fry Sauce that works with any sort of stir fry. This recipe suits the Mediterranean food regimen by piling on colourful greens with protein-packed seafood.
This white bean shakshuka recipe is a tasty Mediterranean food regimen recipe that works for brunch or dinner! Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a tomato sauce that originates from Center Japanese and Mediterranean areas. This one options white beans and bell peppers, and is sprinkled with feta cheese. It is so tasty, and comes collectively in simply over half-hour.
This Mediterranean veggie sandwich was impressed by our latest journey to Italy. Whereas in Pisa, we went to a candy little sandwich store and had a sandwich like this. The bread is unfold with basil pesto and Kalamata olive unfold, after which it’s crammed with grilled eggplant, juicy ripe tomatoes, and contemporary mozzarella. It’s fairly darn scrumptious, if we do say so ourselves.
Right here’s a basic dish that impresses each time: hen piccata! Tender, golden-brown hen cutlets are bathed in a vibrant lemon-butter sauce with pops of briny capers. Don’t be intimidated by its fancy identify; this hen piccata recipe is surprisingly easy to make at residence!
Searching for straightforward Mediterranean dinner recipes? Strive Shrimp Fra Diavolo! This Italian-style dish stars tender shrimp that swim in a garlicky, spicy tomato sauce. “Fra diavolo” interprets to “brother satan” in Italian, alluding to the extraordinary warmth of this dish. However make it selfmade and you’ll customise the spiciness to your style!
This garbanzo bean salad is the perfect Mediterranean food regimen recipe, and it is so fast and engaging! It’s good for lunches or as a aspect dish, filled with protein and crammed with zingy, herby and contemporary flavors.
There’s one thing concerning the mixture of herbaceous parsley, vivid lemon and crunchy tomatoes and cucumber that makes magic. Conventional tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat, a fast cooking complete grain. However seeing as quinoa is the grain of the second…why not strive it with quinoa? Seems Quinoa Tabbouleh works completely, making a scrumptious gluten free spin on this basic Lebanese and Greek salad.
If you happen to’re in search of a wholesome seafood recipe that matches into the Mediterranean food regimen: right here’s the one! The flaky fish is bursting with savory, smoky taste from the grill. Prime it with candy and tender blistered cherry tomatoes, and it seems merely gorgeous.
There’s nothing that claims Mediterranean food regimen greater than an excellent Greek salad! The mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, purple onion, Kalamata olives, and salty feta is pure perfection.
Do that white bean soup, stuffed with humble substances and large taste! Tender white beans float within the cozy broth with tender potatoes and leafy kale. Lemon zest lends brightness and tarragon brings an herby nuance. It’s made from 100% greens and tastes hearty and satisfying.
Prepared for the proper Mediterranean sauce so as to add life to baked salmon? Do that pesto salmon! Vibrant inexperienced pesto goes hand in hand with tender baked fish to make a surprising dinner. As a result of actually: what isn’t higher with somewhat pesto on prime? The savory, garlicky sauce makes the flaky fish pop: you’ll already be taking your second chew earlier than ending the primary.
This pasta and chickpea soup is filled with huge Mediterranean flavors: intense vibrant tomato, leafy Tuscan kale, and a creamy broth made with Parmesan rind. Swimming in all of it are the chickpeas and pasta of the soup’s title, making it hearty and filling.
Right here’s a top-notch lentil recipe so as to add to your arsenal, and man is it tasty. This contemporary and wholesome lentil salad is Mediterranean-style, blended with contemporary veggies and feta cheese. It’s a tasty means so as to add protein to a vegetarian meal as a aspect dish, or convey to work as a lunch all through the week.
Received a fillet of mahi mahi? Do that straightforward mahi mahi recipe! It’s merely pan-fried with lemon, garlic and herbs till it’s tender and juicy. This well-liked fish makes a splash with easy preparations like this one: it’s acquired a brief ingredient record and is fast to whip up as a tasty fundamental dish. Add a sauce in case you’d like, and expertise the magic of pure, easy mahi mahi.
Bowl meals are well-liked as a result of they’re one of many best methods to show random substances right into a wholesome dinner! grain bowl needs to be well-seasoned, and play up contrasts in shade, texture and taste. This one options Mediterranean greens, quinoa and a zingy tahini sauce.
Right here’s a salad that’s about as pleasant as they arrive: this contemporary and herby Couscous Salad! It’s a really perfect means to make use of Israeli couscous, these delightfully chewy pasta spheres. Throw it along with contemporary dill and mint, garlic, lemon and a pile of greens, then sprinkle with salty feta. Take a chew and it’s irresistibly contemporary and savory: we couldn’t cease consuming it! This deli-style Israeli couscous salad works for lunch or picnics, or as a colourful aspect for fish, hen or the grill.
Scallops have a stupendous, delicate candy taste that’s straightforward to like: and there’s nothing higher than that good seared crispy outdoors. It takes somewhat know find out how to get that golden brown crust with out underneath cooking or overcooking them. However as soon as you already know a couple of secrets and techniques…they’re easy and take solely 5 minutes to prepare dinner.
This baked shrimp is so straightforward and the shrimp come out juicy and completely seasoned with Mediterranean flavors like garlic and herbs. Transfer over, all different shrimp recipes! This one is the proper wholesome, quick and straightforward dinner.
Creamy, savory, crunchy, and zingy: this asparagus risotto is really elegant. Roast up some asparagus with lemon on the identical time that you just’re stirring up a creamy risotto on the stovetop. Then throw the tender vivid inexperienced asparagus into the risotto, proper together with the lemon.
Right here’s a novel grain salad that you just gained’t find a way to withstand: strive Barley Salad! Complete grain barley isn’t typically the star in a salad; usually trendier grains like quinoa and farro rein supreme. However its chewy texture and nutty taste are the proper distinction to crunchy veggies, garlic, herbs, and lemon olive oil dressing.
These chickpea burgers stuffed with complete meals are crispy on the surface and tender on the within, with a touch of nuance from smoked paprika. Type them nonetheless you want: we like to color them with BBQ sauce and prime with shiitake bacon and spicy mayo.
In relation to straightforward and wholesome weeknight meals, fish is right: it cooks shortly and it’s stuffed with protein and omega 3s. So why not strive one other approach to make it style wonderful: this Pan Fried Tilapia! Coat the white fish fillets in seasonings and flour and pan fry them in a little bit of olive oil. The tilapia comes out savory and tender with a light-weight crispy coating: in minutes! Spritz with lemon wedges and it’s the proper straightforward dinner concept with a couple of easy sides.
Right here’s a workhorse Mediterranean food regimen salad that’s contemporary, scrumptious and extremely versatile: this deli-style Quinoa Salad! There are a great deal of methods to make a salad with this fluffy grain and after experimenting for years, we’ve discovered the one. This recipe is delightfully refreshing, a jumble of crunchy, colourful veggies, fluffy quinoa grains, and a zingy Dijon mustard French dressing. It is nice as a lunch or dinner aspect dish!
Strive these go-to Marinated Shrimp Skewers! The flavors are daring, savory, and penetrate the tender, juicy flesh in a means {that a} easy seasoning can’t. Throw collectively a couple of pantry substances, no chopping required. Even higher, this marinade is flexible and works with any cooking technique: grilled, sautéed, baked and extra.
Want mealtime inspiration? Right here’s a simple wholesome Mediterranean food regimen dinner that’s all the time a large hit in our home: Tuna Patties! Also called tuna muffins, these unassuming burgers made from canned tuna would possibly sound humble. However au contraire: they’re so savory on the within and golden crispy on the surface, you gained’t find a way to withstand one other chew! This recipe is spiced with Previous Bay, parsley and Dijon mustard, and it’s a complete deal with.
Why Make These Recipes?
One among our readers is a health care provider who just lately tell us she recommends our recipes to her sufferers. She mentioned:
“I’m an Inner Drugs doctor and I’ve been recommending your cookbook and web site to my sufferers, as I inform them the best way to remain wholesome is to comply with a Mediterranean food regimen. Thanks for persevering with to offer me and my sufferers with straightforward, scrumptious, and wholesome recipes!”
Past Meals: The Mediterranean Life-style
Probably the greatest issues concerning the Mediterranean food regimen is that it’s all concerning the way of life. This consuming philosophy originated primarily based on the longevity of individuals within the Mediterranean, and researchers noticed extra than simply consuming habits. Merely consuming Mediterranean food regimen recipes just isn’t all there’s to it. Right here’s what’s necessary along with meals:
- Keep lively and train often.
- Keep away from smoking.
- Take pleasure in wine sparsely in case you drink alcohol.
- Cut back the quantity of stress in your way of life.
- Actively take part in group: be invested and engaged within the individuals round you.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack Recipes
Searching for one other meal of the day? Strive our Mediterranean food regimen breakfast, lunch, and snack concepts under:
