19 Mediterranean Diet Grain Bowls for Lunch (2024)

FAQs

What are the best grains for the Mediterranean diet? ›

Choose oats, barley, quinoa or brown rice; Bake or roast red skin potatoes or sweet potatoes; Choose whole grain bread, cereal, couscous and pasta; Limit or avoid refined carbohydrates.

Mediterranean Grain Bowl

This bowl has 650 calories, 30 grams of fat (7 grams of which are saturated), 55mg cholesterol, 1340mg sodium, 66 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar and 29 grams of protein.

A: Mayonnaise is processed food that contains inflammatory vegetable fats. So, mayo is not allowed on the Mediterranean diet. You can substitute Mayo with Greek yogurt or avocados to make your sandwich, which will be still tasty, but far healthier.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends the Mediterranean diet to promote health and prevent disease. This diet includes: Replacing butter with healthy fats, such as olive oil. Eating primarily plant-based foods, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts.

Any bread that is made from whole wheat, whole grains, sprouts, and sourdough is recommended while on a Mediterranean diet. You will want to avoid bread made from refined grains, such as white bread if you are following this diet.

The Mediterranean diet is centered around whole grains, such as farro, millet, couscous and brown rice. With this eating style, you'll generally want to limit your intake of refined grains such as white pasta and white bread. When you're following the Mediterranean diet, red wine should be your chosen alcoholic drink.

Seafood, seeds, nuts, legumes and some vegetable oils have healthy fats, including the polyunsaturated kind. Fish also are a key part of the Mediterranean diet. Some healthy choices are: Mackerel.

Whole grains and starchy vegetables: Three to six servings per day (one serving = 1/2 cup cooked vegetables, one slice of bread or 1-ounce dry cereal).

At 1,200 calories you're on track to lose a healthy 1 to 2 pounds per week. If you're looking for a higher calorie level, see this same meal plan at 1,500 and 2,000 calories. And don't miss our seasonal Mediterranean diet meal plans for summer and fall!

Ricotta, mozzarella, fetta and haloumi are all vitamin rich dairy options that fit within the Mediterranean diet. Best of all, you can easily incorporate these into breakfast, lunch or dinner.

What kind of cheese is OK on Mediterranean diet? ›

Moderate portions of cheese are OK to eat while following the Mediterranean diet. Some examples of cheeses that can be eaten are feta, Swiss, ricotta, Parmesan, cotija and Brie, according to Eating Well.

Consider combining whole grains, fruit, yogurt and vegetables. For example, you can have whole grain toast with tomato slices, apple slices dipped in peanut butter and yogurt. Although the Mediterranean diet focuses on reducing dairy, it is allowed on a limited basis.

This is something we have known for years: Don't eat large meals late in the day. Traditionally in Mediterranean countries such as Greece and Spain the main meal is consumed between 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. You can read more about when we eat here: “When Greeks Eat”.

Atop exercise stand the core foods: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, herbs, spices, nuts, and olive oil. The groups recommend eating fish and seafood twice a week and moderate amounts of dairy, eggs, and poultry. Red meat and sweets are consumed just sometimes.

2- Fruits and Vegetables

For their many nutrition benefits—including vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants—and fresh taste, fruits and veggies are very much text-book Mediterranean diet snacks. A little banana is popular snack.