Mediterranean Diet for Weight Loss Recipes

Last updated on November 30th, 2021 at 10:03 am

These are over 40 easy Mediterranean diet recipes you can make in 30 minutes or less! Packed with fresh and easy to find ingredients these recipes are healthy, refreshing, flavorful and super delicious!

If you know me, even a little bit, you know anything that has garlic, basil, olives and tomatoes in it – I'd marry it in a heartbeat.

No surprise there.

"You'd marry anyone and anything that looks at you. You're very pretty, but quite desperate."

Well, today, we're not here to talk about my sad attempts at marrying rich or just marrying to feel like I'm worth it, so I can finally afford a shampoo from Loreal.

We're here to talk about the Mediterranean diet, its benefits, its foods and its recipes. So let's do that!

Mediterranean Diet Benefits

The Mediterranean diet isn't really a "diet". It's a way of eating and living. And it's a really good one. Some pro's of the Mediterranean diet include:

• prevents cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke
• is anti-inflammatory and provides a variety of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins
• prevents cancer
• reduces the risk for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases
• can help you maintain a healthy weight
• good for your mental health – the "diet" is easy to follow and you're not cutting out any major food group!
• you get to keep your friends and family! You won't turn into a dieting robot who avoids people who eat pizza in front of them.

Mediterranean Diet Food List

The reason the Mediterranean diet is really wholesome is that the Mediterranean region is very fertile. A large variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds, nuts naturally grow in the Mediterranean countries.

Hope I'm not offending anyone but compared to what, for example, Germany has to offer in that department – which is potatoes, this plant abundance is what makes the Mediterranean diet so damn healthy and delicious!

Currently, most of us have access to many of the foods that can be found in the Mediterranean. Thanks, globalization!

Here are some Mediterranean diet foods that you can probably find in the store (or your garden!)

• Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, arugula, spinach, broccoli, avocado, greens, potatoes, onion, peppers
• Fruit: lemons, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apples, plums
• Whole grains & legumes: rice, bulgur, chickpeas, beans, lentils, barley, oats
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds
• Protein: poultry, eggs, cheese, yogurt, fish and seafood
• Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, mint, parsley, coriander, saffron, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon
• Healthy Fats: Olive oil, olives, avocado
• Let's not forget: WINE.

Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan

If you decide you want to try the Mediterranean diet, you can easily create your very own meal plan by following these simple "rules":

• Eat fresh, seasonal and cook more! Consume plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Add in some fish, poultry, Greek yogurt, cheese, and (a little bit of) wine!
• Avoid processed and fried foods
• Share with family and friends!
  

Mediterranean Diet Recipe List

To get you started here are 30 quick and easy Mediterranean diet recipes that I have tried and loved! They're not traditional dishes, but they're good dishes. Here's a list of the recipe links (if you don't feel like scrolling) and below you'll find the recipe images to scroll through.

1. Mediterranean Salmon Bowl
2. 5-Minute Mediterranean Bowl
3. Greek Chicken Wrap
4. Mediterranean Chicken Skillet
5. Shrimp and Calamari in Tomato Garlic Sauce
6. Healthy Chickpea, Feta And Chicken Salad
7. Healthy Shredded Chicken and Veg Bowls
8. Mediterranean Salmon Salad
9. Pesto Parmesan Chicken Wraps
10. Crustless Tuna Quiche
11. Quinoa, Feta & Roasted Veg Salad
12. 20-Minute Chickpea Soup Recipe
13. Mediterranean Salmon Wraps
14. Spicy Shrimp and Quinoa
15. Mediterranean Black Bean And Feta Salad
16. Mediterranean Chickpea Wraps
17. Mediterranean Beef and Rice
18. Super Fresh Quinoa Tabbouleh
19. Tomato and Basil Quinoa Risotto
20. Tzatziki
21. Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet
22. The Best Tomato Cucumber Salad
23. 5-Minute Chickpea Bruschetta
24. Greek Meatball Bowls
25. Tuna Chickpea Salad Recipe
26. Hummus
27. Evolved Lentil Wraps
28. Bulgur, Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Skillet
29. Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps
30. Mashed Chickpea Bruschetta
31. Tomato Chickpea Salad
32. Mediterranean Quinoa Skillet
33. Lentil Salad Dip Recipe
34. Easy Pizza Quesadilla
35. Avocado, Tomato and Arugula Salad
36. Paleo Vegan Herby "Cream Cheese" (no cream cheese used!)
37. Tomato, Garlic and Chickpea Salad
38. Red Lentil, Bulgur and Spinach Soup
39. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad With Avocado
40. Grilled Veggie Pita
41. Low-Carb Garlic Squid Recipe

…aaand for those of you who like to scroll, here are the pictures to the recipes:

How To Meal Prep For The Week

If you don't have much time to cook on weekdays, it's a good idea to make some of these recipes ahead. Many of them can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days – just use airtight meal prep containers.

I personally love making ahead my 5-Minute Mediterranean Bowl and the Mediterranean Salmon Bowl. Follow the instructions of the individual recipes, so that your food stays fresh for more than a day!

Also, I have a collection of meal prep Mediterranean recipes that you can find here.

30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Recipes

1. Mediterranean Salmon Bowl

• This is one of my most popular and loved recipes. The ingredients include salmon, garlic, cabbage, basil, hummus, feta cheese.
• Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 580

2. 5-Minute Mediterranean Bowl

• Another super popular and loved recipe on my blog! The ingredients include chickpeas, garlic, quinoa, hummus, and tzatziki.
• Ready in: 5 minutes | Serves: 1 | Calories: 380

3. Greek Chicken Wrap

• Use leftover chicken and make these in no time!
• Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 462

4. Mediterranean Chicken Skillet

• Looks unusual, but tastes incredible!
• Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 352

5. Shrimp and Calamari in Tomato Garlic Sauce

• Quick and easy dinner that you can eat with whole grain rice, pasta or your favorite bread!
• Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 453

6. Healthy Chickpea, Feta And Chicken Salad

• Ingredients: canned chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, chicken, garlic, olives…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 419

7. Healthy Shredded Chicken and Veg Bowls

• Ingredients: chicken, cumin, garlic, cauliflower, zucchini…
• Ready in: 25 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 318

8. Mediterranean Salmon Salad

• Ingredients: cooked salmon, roasted red peppers, feta, arugula…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 1 | Calories: 584

9. Pesto Parmesan Chicken Wraps

• Ingredients: leftover chicken, pesto, Parmesan, spinach, garlic…
• Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 525

10. Crustless Tuna Quiche

• Ingredients: canned tuna, eggs, onion, zucchini…
• Ready in: 25 minutes | Serves: 6 | Calories: 125

11. Quinoa, Feta & Roasted Veg Salad

• Ingredients: cooked quinoa, feta cheese, roasted bell pepper, scallions…
• Ready in: 5 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 314

12. 20-Minute Chickpea Soup Recipe

• Ingredients: canned chickpeas, onion, garlic, spinach…
• Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 298

13. Mediterranean Salmon Wraps

• Ingredients: salmon, arugula, avocado, yogurt, garlic…
• Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 567

14. Spicy Shrimp and Quinoa

• Ingredients: cooked quinoa, shrimp, garlic, tomato, zucchini…
• Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 468

15. Mediterranean Black Bean And Feta Salad

• Ingredients: canned black beans, tomatoes, parsley, olives, scallions…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 245

16. Mediterranean Chickpea Wraps

• Ingredients: canned chickpeas, hummus, garlic, tomato, spinach…
• Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 485

17. Mediterranean Beef and Rice

• One-pan meal that you can enjoy every once in a while with some salad!
• Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 255

18. Super Fresh Quinoa Tabbouleh

• So fresh, and so delicious – this salad is a great side dish with dinner!
• Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 224

19. Tomato and Basil Quinoa Risotto

• Simple, quick and super delicious quinoa recipe with tomatoes, basil, zucchini and mozzarella!
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 1 | Calories: 458

20. Tzatziki (Traditional or Paleo & Vegan)

• Delicious, garlicky and herby sauce that goes with almost every meal!

21. Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet

• Use a can of chickpeas and make this for dinner in no time! It's amazing.
• Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 446

22. The Best Tomato Cucumber Salad

• Ingredients: tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese…
• Ready in: 5 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 189

23. 5-Minute Chickpea Bruschetta

• Ingredients: tomatoes, canned chickpeas, garlic, bread…
• Ready in: 5 minutes | Serves: 1 | Calories: 380

24. Greek Meatball Bowls

• Ingredients: ground beef, mint, basil, bell peppers…
• Ready in: 30-40 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 532

25. Chickpea Tuna Salad Recipe

• Ingredients: canned chickpeas, canned tuna, cucumber, tomato…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 415

26. Hummus

• Ingredients: canned chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 1 | Calories: 470

27. Evolved Lentil Wraps

• Ingredients: lentils, onion, garlic, parsley, cucumber, arugula, onion…
• Ready in: 30-40 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 509

28. Bulgur, Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Skillet

• Ingredients: lentils, bulgur, onion, garlic, mint…
• Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 325

29. Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps

• Ingredients: boneless skinless chicken thighs, mint, crushed red pepper, garlic, hummus, zucchini…
• Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 338

30. Mashed Chickpea Bruschetta

• Ingredients: canned chickpeas, garlic, tomato, scallions, olives…
• Ready in: 5 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 382

31. Tomato Chickpea Salad

• Ingredients: canned chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, sesame seeds, carrot…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 416

32. Mediterranean Quinoa Skillet

• Ingredients: tomatoes, green beans, chickpeas, quinoa…
• Ready in: 30-40 minutes | Serves: 5 | Calories: 451

33. Lentil Salad Dip Recipe

• Ingredients: lentils, feta cheese, basil…
• Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 1 | Calories: 166

34. Easy Pizza Quesadilla (330kcal)

• Ingredients: zucchini, tortilla, mozzarella, garlic…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 1 | Calories: 310

35. Avocado, Tomato and Arugula Salad

• Ingredients: arugula, avocado, tomato, cucumber, lemon juice…
• Ready in: 5 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 300

36. Paleo Vegan Herby "Cream Cheese" (no cream cheese used!)

• Ingredients: sunflower seeds, mint, garlic…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 4

37. Tomato, Garlic and Chickpea Salad

• Ingredients: chickpeas, arugula, tomato, garlic…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 385

38. Red Lentil, Bulgur and Spinach Soup

• Ingredients: spinach, red lentils, bulgur, turmeric…
• Ready in: 30-35 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 290

39. Quinoa Summer Salad With Avocado

• Ingredients: quinoa, avocado, scallions, cucumbers, basil…
• Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2

40. Grilled Veggie Pita

• Ingredients: eggplant, pita bread, bell peppers, hummus…
• Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 4

41. Garlic Squid Recipe (Low-Carb)

• Ingredients: squid, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste…
• Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 1 | Calories: 310

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the chickpea wraps

• 1 cup chickpeas, canned, rinsed and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried mint
• 1 1/2 Tbsp tahini
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup spinach
• hummus (no chili powder)
• 1x tomato cucumber avocado salad
• 4 small tortillas

Instructions

1. For the chickpeas: Put 1 cup of chickpeas (canned, rinsed and drained) in a non-stick pan and cook with 1 Tbsp of olive oil at medium heat. Add 1 garlic clove, the dried mint and the crushed red pepper. Stir until all chickpeas are coated. Then turn the heat off.
2. Tahini Sauce:In a small jar or a bowl mix the tahini with the lemon juice and garlic. Add 1-2 Tbsp of water until you reach the desired texture and creaminess. I used 2 Tbsp of water in this recipe.
3. Arranging the wraps:In the middle of the tortilla add a handful of spinach leaves, 2-3 Tbsp of chickpeas, 2 Tbsp of hummus, 2-3 Tbsp of the tomato-cucumber salad. Finally spread a tbsp of the tahini sauce over everything and wrap.
4. Serve immediately or go for the meal prep option described in the notes.

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 485 Total Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 15g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 490mg Carbohydrates: 66g Fiber: 11g Sugar: 7g Protein: 16g

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I hope you found some recipes you'd like to make, if you do make them – let me know if you have any questions and share your feedback in the comments here, on Pinterest or Instagram by tagging me @beautybitesorg!

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Mediterranean Diet for Weight Loss Recipes

Source: https://www.beautybites.org/mediterranean-diet-recipes/

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