In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhy This Meal Plan Is Great for YouFrequently Asked QuestionsCan the Mediterranean Diet Help Improve Insulin Resistance?Mediterranean Diet Foods to Focus On:How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Mediterranean Diet Help Improve Insulin Resistance?
Mediterranean Diet Foods to Focus On:
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
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Photo: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
TheMediterranean dietwas once again named the overall best diet in 2023, according toU.S. News & World Report.The report highlighted the diet’s inclusion of a variety of healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil and legumes. One of the biggest pros of the Mediterranean diet is that it doesn’t exclude whole food groups or key nutrients and instead focuses on increasing healthy foods and making positive lifestyle changes, like cooking more meals at home and sharing meals with others.
Flexibility is not the only reason the Mediterranean diet receives high accolades; it also has a ton of health benefits, including improvedheart health, asharper brainand healthierblood sugar levels. Though the Mediterranean diet chatter historically focuses on foods common in countries like Spain, Italy and Greece, the Mediterranean region is much larger than that and spans three continents—Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia—to include 21 countries and two territories. This expansive region lends itself to a variety of diverse flavors, herbs, spices and foods, which means that most people can find flavors they enjoy in this nutritious way of eating. Plus, the focus on food groups allows the principles of the Mediterranean diet to align with any type of cuisine beyond the Mediterranean region as well.
How We Create Meal PlansRegistered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal 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 create EatingWell’s meal 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.
This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 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.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWe 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.
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.
Yes! According to 2020 research published inNutrients, people who follow the Mediterranean diet are less likely to develop insulin resistance and its associated conditions, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Because the Mediterranean diet is so broad, there is not one single nutrient or food that we can point to as the reason for its associated health benefits. Rather, it’s likely that the diet’s highfibercontent—from its inclusion of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes—plays a role. Plus, the diet incorporates foods linked toreducing inflammation, like nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, fish, unsaturated-fat-rich plant oils, herbs, spices, nuts and seeds. Though it doesn’t completely restrict anything, the Mediterranean diet doesn’t include a lot of added sugars or processed and refined grains, which are linked to increased blood sugar levels.And, the diet focuses onhealthy habits around food, such as cooking more meals at home, sharing meals with others and finding overall enjoyment in our food again.
The Mediterranean diet includes a wide variety of nutritious foods, including but not limited to:
Note: Though red meat is historically left off the Mediterranean-diet foods list, people in many Mediterranean countries do consume red meat. Again, no single food should be focused on or explicitly excluded; this healthy diet is more about what we eat as an overall pattern and how we eat. Focusing on homemade meals, food quality, healthy fats and plenty of fruits and vegetables are the core pieces of this lifestyle.
Will Dickey
Breakfast (313 calories)
A.M. Snack (221 calories)
Lunch (384 calories)
P.M. Snack (132 calories)
Dinner (446 calories)
Daily Totals:1,495 calories, 78g fat, 84g protein, 130g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,460mg sodium
Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 1 cup low-fat plain kefir to breakfast, increase to 2 Tbsp. peanut butter at A.M. snack, add 3 Tbsp. sliced almonds to P.M. snack and add 1 servingCucumber, Tomato & Avocado Saladto dinner.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Breakfast (390 calories)
A.M. Snack (140 calories)
Lunch (390 calories)
P.M. Snack (141 calories)
Dinner (435 calories)
Daily Totals:1,496 calories, 77g fat, 81g protein, 134g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 1,863mg sodium
Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 2 hard-boiled large eggs to breakfast, 30 unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack, and 1 medium apple to P.M. snack.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
P.M. Snack (172 calories)
Dinner (392 calories)
Daily Totals:1,484 calories, 82g fat, 83g protein, 120g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,977mg sodium
Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 2 hard-boiled large eggs to breakfast, 30 unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack, and 1 medium banana to P.M. snack.
Breakfast (339 calories)
A.M. Snack (154 calories)
P.M. Snack (95 calories)
Dinner (514 calories)
Daily Totals:1,491 calories, 56g fat, 106g protein, 155g carbohydrate, 38g fiber, 1,405mg sodium
Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 1 medium banana to lunch and 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to P.M. snack, and have ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds for evening snack.
A.M. Snack (172 calories)
P.M. Snack (200 calories)
Dinner (415 calories)
Daily Totals:1,516 calories, 68g fat, 82g protein, 157g carbohydrate, 36g fiber, 1,075mg sodium
Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 3 Tbsp. sliced almonds to breakfast, add 1 plum to A.M. snack, increase to 2 Tbsp. peanut butter at P.M. snack, and add 1 servingGuacamole Chopped Saladto dinner.
Greg DuPree
Lunch (377 calories)
P.M. Snack (227 calories)
Dinner (459 calories)
Daily Totals:1,516 calories, 68g fat, 83g protein, 154g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 1,167mg sodium
Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 1 servingRaspberry-Kefir Power Smoothieto breakfast, add 1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted pistachios in shell to A.M. snack, and substitute 1 medium apple for the plum at lunch.
Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop stylist: Clairen Spollen
A.M. Snack (252 calories)
P.M. Snack (59 calories)
Dinner (449 calories)
Daily Totals:1,476 calories, 54g fat, 97g protein, 156g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 1,544mg sodium
Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 1 servingApple & Peanut Butter Toastto breakfast, increase to 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter at A.M. snack, and add 25 unsalted dry-roasted almonds to P.M. snack.
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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.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
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.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
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.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
