- Recipes
Melissa Harrison Jameson
Melissa Harrison Jameson
updated Feb 23, 2021
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The Mediterranean diet — a plant-based diet that prioritizes whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and unsaturated fats — was recently named the best diet for healthy eating for the third year in a row.
It’s a diet that focuses less on strict rules (no calorie-counting!) and more on broader guidelines that you can customize to your day-to-day habits. For some who adopt it, the Mediterranean diet is less about weight loss, and more about having a blueprint to help make healthy, sustainable food choices.
If you’re curious about trying it — or just looking for more balanced meals to work into your kitchen rotation — we’ve rounded up our most popular Mediterranean diet meal plans below. Each plan includes recipes, useful prep tips, and plenty of delicious inspiration. Try a week-long plan (or several!) or just mix and match recipes as you see fit.
Read more: The Basics of the Mediterranean Diet
1. A Week of Light and Fresh Mediterranean Diet Dinners
These feel-good dinners, including creamy pesto spaghetti squash and marinated chickpea salad bowls, might be inspired by fresh summer produce, but we’re in favor of keeping them in the meal plan lineup all year long.
Get the plan: A Week of Light and Fresh Mediterranean Diet Dinners
2. How I Prep a Week of Easy Mediterranean Diet Meals
This meal plan is a total celebration this of the Mediterranean diet. Carve out about two hours for meal prep on Sunday, and you’ll be rewarded with an entire week of wholesome breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Get the plan: How I Prep a Week of Easy Mediterranean Diet Meals
3. A Week of Versatile Mediterranean Diet Dinners
This fall-inspired menu — which includes sweet potato quinoa bowls and Parmesan chicken with sautéed kale — easily carries over to winter. You can also quickly customize any of the recipes depending on what you’re craving or have on-hand.
Get the plan: A Week of Versatile Mediterranean Diet Dinners
4. How I Prep a Week of Mediterranean Diet Meals for One
This meal plan celebrates both the Mediterranean diet and the solo cook.It will set you up for a week of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that are far from boring and totally feel-good. Plus, the meal prep session only takes about an hour-and-a-half.
Get the plan: How I Prep a Week of Mediterranean Diet Meals for One
5. A Beginner-Friendly Week of Mediterranean Diet Dinners
If you’re just starting out on the Med diet, this meal plan is a great resource. It loops in an elevated (but still easy!) Greek salmon salad, a smart breakfast-for-dinner spinach frittata, and a sheet pan chicken souvlaki that leaves enough for leftovers.
Get the plan: A Starter-Friendly Week of Mediterranean Diet Dinners
6. A Week of Vegetarian Mediterranean Diet Dinners
Whether you’re fully vegetarian or just looking to experiment with more meat-free options, this menu allows you to do that — thanks to highlights like Yotam Ottolenghi’s chickpea sauté with Greek yogurt, and loaded sweet potatoes with black beans and avocado.
Get the plan: A Week of Vegetarian Mediterranean Diet Dinners
7. A Week of Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Dinners
Sometimes the best dinners are the ones that basically make themselves. These hands-off meals — like classic minestrone, and spinach and artichoke chicken — let the slow cooker do all the hard work.
Get the plan: A Week of Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Dinners
8. How to Prep a Week of Mediterranean Meals in 2 Hours
Looking for inspiration beyond dinner? This five-day meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner options — along with a step-by-step prep guide that’ll set you up for the week ahead.
Get the plan: How to Prep a Week of Mediterranean Meals in 2 Hours
9. A Week of Absolutely Easy Mediterranean Diet Dinners
Not only do the recipes in this meal plan meet all the guidelines, but they’re also pretty low effort and all easy to pull off during the week. To guarantee a week of easy cooking, these feel-good dinners come together in a single pot or pan, require minimal hands-on attention, or lean on pantry staples.
Get the plan: A Week of Absolutely Easy Mediterranean Diet Dinners
10. 5 Must-Make Mediterranean Dinners from Suzy Karadsheh of The Mediterranean Dish
Suzy Karadsheh describes herself as “your Mediterranean girl next door.” A native of the Mediterranean coastal city of Port Said, Egypt, the mom of two is a passionate cook who believes in eating with the seasons, cooking with whole foods, and sharing food around the table. She focuses on creating meal plans, like this one, with a balanced mix of meatless meals, wholesome lean proteins, and seafood that all go big on flavor.
Get the plan: 5 Must-Make Mediterranean Dinners from Suzy Karadsheh of The Mediterranean Dish
11. How to Prep a Week of Vegetarian Mediterranean Meals in 2 Hours
And last but not least, if you’re searching for meatless breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas, this make-ahead Mediterranean menu is fully plant-based — and prep takes just a couple hours.
Get the plan: How to Prep a Week of Vegetarian Mediterranean Meals in 2 Hours
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