One of the most popular videos people make on Tik Tok and Instagram is a “what I eat in a day” video. Most of these people follow popular food recipes and diets, one of which is the Keto diet, which has remained strongly popular throughout the years. In recent times, people are exploring new recipes and diets, with the Mediterranean diet slowly topping the list. What does a Mediterranean diet even mean, and how can one build a diet like that?
Well, the Mediterranean diet is a diet that was inspired by the traditional food eaten by people in Greece, Italy, and Spain. It’s a diet filled with fresh vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts, and bread. Now that you have an idea of what this diet is a lot about, how to build such a diet? I’ll walk you through a simple routine and how you can maintain it.
Step 1: Have the Right Ingredients for This Dirt
The first step in building a Mediterranean diet is to have all the appropriate ingredients in your kitchen. This means you’ll be needing fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy oils, and whole grains in your kitchen.
- For Vegetables, try getting your hands on tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, spinach, and bell peppers.
- Fruits should include oranges, lemons, grapes, and berries. You can snack on them or serve them as dessert options.
- Olive oil is one versatile ingredient you need to have in your kitchen. This is literally the holy grail of the Mediterranean diet. You can cook, drizzle, and even make a salad dressing out of this one ingredient.
- Grains are usually something like whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, and oats. You don’t need white bread or pasta, they’re not part of the Mediterranean diet.
- Proteins such as fish (salmon, and mackerel), chicken, chickpeas or lentils are usually the best options for a diet like this.
- Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds are nice to have around your kitchen, you can snack on them or add them as toppings in your meal.
Step 2: Build Your Meals
The fun part, of course, is putting together these ingredients to form a meal. One thing about this diet is that you don’t have to eat boring meals, you can make your food plate tasty each time you cook. Let me show you how a typical Mediterranean diet could look like.
Breakfast: You can start your day with a creamy bowl of Greek yogurt topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and a sprinkle of almonds. Do you see how we’ve combined these ingredients from our stash to create a simple, yet yummy breakfast? If you want something heavier, you can try toasting some whole wheat bread, mash up half an avocado, and drizzle that all up with olive oil.
Lunch: For lunch, you can create a big salad bowl with mixed greens, sliced cucumbers, cheery tomatoes, and grilled chicken or you can grill some salmon. You can add a handful of olives and a dressing made of olive oil and lemon juice. Finally, you can finish up with a slice of whole-grain bread, if you like.
Dinner: Dinner can be a meal of grilled fish seasoned with garlic, rosemary, and a little olive oil. You can serve it with roasted vegetables and some quinoa.
Step 3: No Junk Food
If you’re used to snacking on chips, soda, or cookies, it’s time to stop and switch things up. The Mediterranean diet is all about fresh, whole foods. So instead of sugary snacks, substitute it with nuts and carrots.
Step 4: Make it a Lifestyle
It’s not just about what you eat, it’s about how you eat. People who follow this diet take their time with their meals. You don’t need to rush or eat as you go, you have to be really intentional about how and what you eat.
Also, you need to stay active. You don’t necessarily need to hit the gym every day (unless that’s your thing). It could be as simple as going for a walk after dinner or dancing around your room. The point is just to move your body.
Final Thoughts
Most people have the idea that the following diet has to be perfect. If you slip up and eat a burger or pizza, it’s not the end of the world. All you need to do is get back on track with your next meal. The Mediterranean diet might sound complicated at first but over time you can get the hang of it.
