In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhy This PlanDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7Meal Prep TipsFAQsFoods to Focus OnHealthy Eating Tips
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Why This Plan
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Meal Prep Tips
FAQs
Foods to Focus On
Healthy Eating Tips
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Photo:Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta Egg Bites: Brie Goldman. Beet & Grapefruit Salad:
Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta Egg Bites: Brie Goldman. Beet & Grapefruit Salad:
In this seven-day high-protein, anti-inflammatory,Mediterranean dietmeal plan, we map out a week of meals and snacks tailored to help reduce inflammation. To help reducechronic inflammation, we include dark leafy greens, deeply pigmented vegetables and fruits, and a variety of healthy fats, including salmon, tuna, nuts and seeds. These nutrient-rich foods, in addition to the super-popular Mediterranean diet, can play a role in reducing markers of chronic inflammation, which supports better heart health, immune health, digestion and more.You’ll also find a variety ofprotein-rich foods, including fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, dairy and legumes. With three different calorie levels, this delicious and nutritious meal plan can be adjusted to meet your needs. Let’s get started!
Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
To help promote satiety and support your health, each day provides an average of 111 grams of protein and 36 grams of fiber. As the foundation of our cells,proteinplays a role in every single function of the body, with a particularly vital role in immune health, muscle development and bone density, to name a few. Fiber is an important nutrient that many of us don’t get enough of, with just 5% of Americans reaching their daily fiber intake goal.Fiber has manyhealth benefits—it can help improve heart health, promote good digestion and diverse gut bacteria, reducebody weightand support better blood sugar levels. Each day provides an average of 36 grams of fiber, well above the Daily Value of 28 grams per day.
This 1,800-calorie meal plan has modifications for 1,500 and 2,000 calories to support those with differentcalorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
What Happens to Your Body When You Don’t Eat Enough Fiber
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
Breakfast (361 calories)
A.M. Snack (206 calories)
Lunch (476 calories)
P.M. Snack (170 calories)
Dinner (488 calories)
Evening Snack (95 calories)
Daily Totals:1,796 calories, 85g fat, 102g protein, 171g carbohydrate, 43g fiber, 1,447mg sodium.
Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 1 plum and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to evening snack.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Breakfast (488 calories)
A.M. Snack (307 calories)
Lunch (407 calories)
Dinner (444 calories)
Daily Totals:1,817 calories, 77g fat, 121g protein, 177g carbohydrate, 34g fiber, 1,573mg sodium.
Make it 1,500 calories:OmitStrawberry-Banana Green Smoothieat breakfast.
Make it 2,000 calories:Have 1 servingCucumber-Dill Ricotta Snack Jaras an evening snack.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Dinner (555 calories)
Daily Totals:1,795 calories, 83g fat, 107g protein, 177g carbohydrate, 36g fiber, 1,162mg sodium.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
A.M. Snack (184 calories)
P.M. Snack (62 calories)
Dinner (655 calories)
Daily Totals:1,796 calories, 73g fat, 123g protein, 174g carbohydrate, 36g fiber, 1,761mg sodium.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to P.M. snack.
Lunch (397 calories)
P.M. Snack (191 calories)
Dinner (559 calories)
Meal-Prep Tip: Reserve two servingsPesto Chicken Quinoa Bowlsto have for lunch on Days 6 and 7.
Daily Totals:1,819 calories, 91g fat, 115g protein, 151g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 2,099mg sodium.
Make it 2,000 calories:Have 1 servingCottage Cheese-Berry Bowlas an evening snack.
Jacob Fox
A.M. Snack (193 calories)
Lunch (389 calories)
Dinner (464 calories)
Evening Snack (206 calories)
Daily Totals:1,783 calories, 96g fat, 112g protein, 133g carbohydrate, 34g fiber, 1,215mg sodium.
Make it 1,500 calories:Change P.M. snack to 1 cup blueberries and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 cup low-fat plain kefir to lunch and add 1 medium banana to evening snack.
Dinner (558 calories)
Evening Snack (101 calories)
Daily Totals:1,811 calories, 81g fat, 100g protein, 192g carbohydrate, 39g fiber, 1,769mg sodium.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to evening snack.
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals
Frequently Asked QuestionsDefinitely. Meal plans are meant to be enjoyed. If there’s an option you don’t like, feel free to repeat a different option in this plan or check out more of ourhigh-protein Mediterranean diet dinneroptions for inspiration.Absolutely. If you prefer to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day, go for it! Each breakfast option is between 361 to 488 calories while lunches range from 389 to 476 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though you may want to adjust a snack or two if you’re closely monitoring calories or other nutrients.We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.There’s no singular cause ofchronic inflammation. An unbalanced diet, long-term stress, poor sleep, excess body fat and other lifestyle factors can play a role. External factors, like environmental irritants or allergens may also exacerbate chronic inflammation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely. Meal plans are meant to be enjoyed. If there’s an option you don’t like, feel free to repeat a different option in this plan or check out more of ourhigh-protein Mediterranean diet dinneroptions for inspiration.
Absolutely. If you prefer to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day, go for it! Each breakfast option is between 361 to 488 calories while lunches range from 389 to 476 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though you may want to adjust a snack or two if you’re closely monitoring calories or other nutrients.
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
There’s no singular cause ofchronic inflammation. An unbalanced diet, long-term stress, poor sleep, excess body fat and other lifestyle factors can play a role. External factors, like environmental irritants or allergens may also exacerbate chronic inflammation.
I’m a Dietitian with Syrian Roots—This Is the Mediterranean Diet That I Know and Love
How We Create Meal PlansRegistered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Finicelli M, Di Salle A, Galderisi U, Peluso G.The Mediterranean Diet: An Update of the Clinical Trials.Nutrients. 2022;14(14):2956. doi:10.3390/nu14142956Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P.Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(1):80-85. doi:10.1177/1559827615588079U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.Coniglio S, Shumskaya M, Vassiliou E.Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Their Immunomodulatory Properties.Biology (Basel). 2023;12(2):279. doi:10.3390/biology12020279Ma X, Nan F, Liang H, et al.Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation.Front Immunol. 2022;13:988481. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.988481
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Finicelli M, Di Salle A, Galderisi U, Peluso G.The Mediterranean Diet: An Update of the Clinical Trials.Nutrients. 2022;14(14):2956. doi:10.3390/nu14142956Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P.Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(1):80-85. doi:10.1177/1559827615588079U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.Coniglio S, Shumskaya M, Vassiliou E.Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Their Immunomodulatory Properties.Biology (Basel). 2023;12(2):279. doi:10.3390/biology12020279Ma X, Nan F, Liang H, et al.Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation.Front Immunol. 2022;13:988481. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.988481
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Finicelli M, Di Salle A, Galderisi U, Peluso G.The Mediterranean Diet: An Update of the Clinical Trials.Nutrients. 2022;14(14):2956. doi:10.3390/nu14142956Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P.Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(1):80-85. doi:10.1177/1559827615588079U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.Coniglio S, Shumskaya M, Vassiliou E.Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Their Immunomodulatory Properties.Biology (Basel). 2023;12(2):279. doi:10.3390/biology12020279Ma X, Nan F, Liang H, et al.Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation.Front Immunol. 2022;13:988481. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.988481
Finicelli M, Di Salle A, Galderisi U, Peluso G.The Mediterranean Diet: An Update of the Clinical Trials.Nutrients. 2022;14(14):2956. doi:10.3390/nu14142956
Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P.Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(1):80-85. doi:10.1177/1559827615588079
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
Coniglio S, Shumskaya M, Vassiliou E.Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Their Immunomodulatory Properties.Biology (Basel). 2023;12(2):279. doi:10.3390/biology12020279
Ma X, Nan F, Liang H, et al.Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation.Front Immunol. 2022;13:988481. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.988481
