Welcome to your first week of the Mediterranean diet!
This is a very exciting week, and you have a lot of fun and delicious recipes to look forward to.
If you’ve never had quinoa before, you are in for a treat, as it’s used in a couple of recipes this week and it’s one of my favorite grains. At first, it may seem daunting to get all your shopping done, prep for the week ahead, and cook homemade meals every day, but before you know it, you’ll be an expert.
I promise you, each week will get easier, and your confidence level will build.
WEEK ONE MEAL PLAN BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER MON
Quinoa Nuts and Seeds Overnight Porridge* Quinoa and Spinach Salad with Figs and Balsamic Dressing Balsamic-Basted Beef Kebabs with Barley and Spinach Risotto* TUE Leftover Quinoa Nuts and Seeds Overnight Porridge Leftover Balsamic-Basted Beef Kebabs with Barley and Spinach Risotto Tomato and Lentil Soup* WED Low-fat Greek yogurt and berries Green Vegetable Wrap with Basil Pesto Halibut with Wilted Kale and Cherry Tomatoes THU Chia-Pomegranate Smoothie Leftover Tomato and Lentil Soup Citrus-Chicken Vegetable “Risotto”* FRI Low-fat Greek yogurt and berries Leftover Citrus-Chicken Vegetable “Risotto” Simple Bouillabaisse* Sat Golden Oatmeal Pancakes Leftover Simple Bouillabaisse Shaved Cucumber Quinoa Bowl SUN Kalamata Olive and Sweet Pepper Frittata* Grilled Vegetable Open-Faced Sandwich Lemon-Garlic Skillet Chicken* *These dishes will be eaten later in the week as leftovers, so make extra if needed.
WEEK ONE SNACK IDEAS CELERY AND ALMOND BUTTER:
Celery and almond butter are the perfect pair for curbing your appetite. Spread 1 tablespoon of almond butter on a couple stalks of celery.
AVOCADO ON MULTIGRAIN CRACKERS:
Mash 1 peeled and seeded avocado with the juice of ½ lime and salt and pepper to taste. Spread about 1 tablespoon on a few multigrain crackers.
WEEK ONE SHOPPING LIST
Canned and Bottled Items
• Almond milk, vanilla, unsweetened (½ cup)
• Balsamic dressing (½ cup)
• Lentils, red, low-sodium (1 [15-ounce] can)
• Pesto, basil (¼ cup)
• Pomegranate juice (1 cup)
• Stock, chicken, low-sodium (3 cups)
• Stock, fish (4 cups)
• Stock, vegetable, low-sodium (6 cups)
• Tomatoes, diced, low-sodium (2 [28-ounce] cans)
• Tomatoes, sun-dried, oil-packed (½ cup) Dairy and Eggs
• Cheese, cottage, low-fat (8 ounces)
• Cheese, feta (2 ounces)
• Barley, pearled
• Bay leaf
• Black pepper, ground
• Chia seeds
• Cinnamon, ground
• Coriander, ground
•Cumin, ground
• Dates, Medjool
• Honey
• Mustard, Dijon
• Oats, rolled, gluten-free
• Oil, coconut
• Oil, olive
• Pecans
• Pine nuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Quinoa
• Red pepper flakes