Mediterranean diet for weight loss. Menu for the day, week, recipes. Reviews and results

The Mediterranean diet is the only nutritional system that has a phenomenal number of fans who follow its rules not only for losing weight, but for improving the health of the entire body, which ultimately leads to active longevity.

Essence and basic principles

The uniqueness of the diet is that it is not a set of rules, principles and restrictions artificially created by nutritionists that you always want to break.

This is the result of observing the community of a certain region, comparing the morbidity statistics of its population with the rest of the population of the planet, identifying the reasons for its superiority and adapting the traditional diet for the region to other countries.

The term "Mediterranean diet" was first introduced into use in the mid-20th century by the American couple A. and M. Case, who, while researching the dependence of cardiovascular diseases on diet, made an unexpected conclusion.

It turned out that Italy, where nutritionists published their scientific works on heart disease, differs from their home country in that the local population, consuming fairly fatty and high-calorie foods, is not obese, and is less susceptible to diseases of the circulatory system, hypertension and diabetes.

This served as an impetus for new research work in Italy, and then for confirmation of the idea in Japan, Germany, Finland, and Yugoslavia.

The sensational discovery of Ansel and Margaret Case prompted American scientists, concerned about the level of disease and the rapid "obesity" of the nation, to use their research to create a "preventive medicine" program in the 1970s. In essence, these are the systematized foundations of the traditional nature of the diet of the inhabitants of Mediterranean countries.

The popularity of the diet has been very high for half a century, which proves its simplicity and effectiveness, and the UNESCO organization has recognized the cuisine of 12 Mediterranean countries as national cultural heritage. Unlike other diets, the Mediterranean diet has no time limits.

It should become a way of life, turning its adherent in matters of nutrition into a resident of the Mediterranean region. Which is not at all difficult, given the simple principles and the availability of the necessary products in all stores. The Mediterranean diet for weight loss means following certain rules that quickly become a habit.

To do this you need:

• switch to 6 meals a day (3 main and 2 additional, called snacks);
• make seasonal (not greenhouse) vegetables, fruits and berries the basis of the diet;
• focus on fish and seafood in your diet;
• use only olive oil in the kitchen, using it both for cooking and for dressing salads;
• eat dishes made from legumes every day;
• minimize sugar consumption by replacing it with honey;
• drink only dry red wine, refusing other alcohol;
• consume at least 6 tbsp. clean water per day;
• lead an active and mobile lifestyle.

To better understand these simple rules, the so-called "Mediterranean diet pyramid" has been developed. Closer to the base, which occupies the largest volume of the geometric figure, are foods that should be consumed several times daily.

This:

• rice, millet, bulgur, durum wheat pasta, grain bread;
• vegetables and fruits;
• fermented milk products, cheeses;
• nuts, dried fruits.

Further, closer to the top of the pyramid, that is, occupying a significantly smaller volume, there are food products with a consumption limit of 1 to 6 times a week.

This:

• fish dishes;
• poultry meat;
• potato;
• chicken eggs;
• sweet desserts.

At the top of the pyramid is meat. Italians prefer beef and lamb, and almost never eat pork. In countries where the main meat diet is pork, there is no point in deviating from the generally accepted product, you just need to choose lean cuts.

Thus, a visual distribution of priority products allows us to reduce the diet to the following daily diet:

Product name	% of food consumed per day
Cereals and legumes	35
Vegetables, fruits, greens	thirty
Fermented milk products, cheeses, fish, meat	20
Olive oil	10
Sweet desserts	5

An important point: when to eat from the listed products.

The distribution of the diet over time looks like this:

• cereals, cereals, chicken eggs, vegetables, fruits - breakfast;
• fermented milk products, fruits - 2nd breakfast;
• soups, pasta, rice, vegetable salads, meat, fish, fruits - lunch;
• fruit salads, fermented milk products, cheeses – afternoon snack;
• fish, vegetable casseroles, salads, seafood, cheeses, fruits - dinner.

Thus, looking at the list of permitted foods and the distribution of their intake throughout the day, we can conclude that you will not have to starve. Moreover, good red wine is a daily bonus in the Mediterranean diet. Even desserts are allowed - once a week (Italians and French are famous lovers of sweets, but in moderation).

However, in order to start the process of losing weight (namely, this is the goal of switching to dietary nutrition), you need to remember the amount of food you eat. The volume of food consumed in one meal should not exceed 240 ml (visually this is 16 tbsp. L. or 1 tbsp. ).

The Mediterranean diet for weight loss does not produce immediate results. Using a balanced menu, hearty meals and minor restrictions in their lives, adherents of these principles, as a rule, continue to live, observing them further, and after some time they notice improved health, significant weight loss, and the need for a renewed body to actively move.

Contraindications for use

The success of the diet is due to three factors:

• low in animal fats and sugar;
• high content of dietary fiber, fiber;
• high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

Although the Mediterranean fasting diet is a well-balanced eating method, it has contraindications.

This combination is unacceptable for some people:

• People who are highly obese will not be able to get the expected results by changing their diet. In this case, special, radical methods are required to adjust weight.
• Such a food set with a high level of fiber can be harmful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Allergy sufferers who react to seafood or other major components of the Mediterranean diet will have to avoid it.

Main menu for the week

After some time, getting used to the Mediterranean diet and its features will help you create a balanced menu for the day, taking into account the rules, your own preferences and capabilities. Until then, you can use the recommendations of nutritionists.

Days of the week		Main meals (excluding snacks)
	Breakfast	Dinner	Dinner
Monday	Oatmeal with water (or low-fat milk) with fruit; Rough bread with cheese; Green tea	Baked fish (200 g); Side dish of stewed vegetables; 100 ml red wine	Boiled seafood; Vegetable salad
Tuesday	Muesli with yogurt (natural, without additives); Cereal bread with feta cheese; Tea (green or black)	Boiled fish with herbs; Pasta category "A"	Boiled or baked turkey (200 g); Boiled buckwheat; Vegetable tomato salad; 100 ml red wine
Wednesday	Omelet them 2 eggs; Rough bread with cheese; Fruit (1 pc. )	Chicken soup; Vegetable salad	Seafood salad with avocado; 100 ml wine
Thursday	Buckwheat milk porridge; Green tea; Fruit	Pasta with seafood and tomatoes; 100 ml wine	Steamed fish (200 g); Garnish – boiled bulgur; Vegetable salad
Friday	Cottage cheese casserole; Coffee	Cheese soup with shrimp; 2 slices bread croutons; 100 ml wine	Fish cutlets; Vegetable stew; 2 slices hard or semi-hard cheese
Saturday	Muesli with yogurt and dried fruits; Sandwich made from grain bread, cheese and avocado; Green tea	Casserole of zucchini, tomatoes, feta cheese; 100 ml wine	Baked or boiled chicken breast (150 g); Boiled lentils; Vegetable salad
Sunday	Curd casserole with dried fruits; Fruit (1 piece); Coffee	Seafood risotto; Vegetable salad	Boiled or steamed fish (possibly boiled meat (150-200 g); Vegetable stew; 100 ml wine

Mediterranean Diet Recipes

The Mediterranean diet for weight loss is distinguished by a wide selection of dishes for creating a menu.

It is important to remember that:

• Olive oil is used in cooking - a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipids, which can sometimes be replaced with another vegetable oil;

• the consumption of bread is limited, and it should be grain, coarsely ground;
• food must be prepared without the use of store-bought sauces or canned goods that contain E-additives;
• dairy and fermented milk products should be low in fat;
• in dietary nutrition, the consumption of any sea fish is encouraged - herring, mackerel, cod, hake, pike perch, perch; fish should be steamed, grilled, boiled or stewed, avoiding frying;
• White poultry or rabbit meat can be included in the diet 2-3 times a week, red meat (beef, lamb, lean pork) - no more than 2-3 times a month. It must also be boiled or stewed;
• salt is used in small quantities, it is well replaced with lemon juice and spices; sugar is completely excluded, you can use a little honey;
• We must not forget about drinks - any teas, herbal teas, coffee are allowed; simple clean water is required;
• the wine should be red and dry, which helps reduce appetite, normalizes gastric acidity, participates in hematopoiesis, and lowers cholesterol;
• Store-bought sweets with a high content of sugar, fat and palm oil are excluded from the diet.

Summer salad (with chicken)

A hearty and easily digestible salad has an unusual, spicy-fruity taste, thanks to the combination of its ingredients.

Composition of ingredients

Compound:

• boiled chicken breast – 150 g;
• fresh peaches – 2-3 pcs. ;
• canned pineapples – 50 g;
• celery stalks – 2-3 pcs. ;
• any lettuce leaves – 150 g.

For dressing you need low-fat natural yogurt without additives (1/2 cup), mint, cinnamon, lemon zest.

Step-by-step cooking process

Summer salad is prepared in 3 stages:

1. The process should begin by preparing the base of the salad: you need to cut chicken breast, peaches, pineapples and celery into small cubes. It is better to tear the lettuce leaves with your hands.
2. To prepare the dressing, place yogurt in a separate bowl, add cinnamon, lemon zest, and chopped mint leaves.
3. Next, you need to add the dressing to the salad base and mix gently.

What can I add?

The salad will remain tasty, healthy and consistent with the rules of the Mediterranean diet if:

• use turkey meat instead of chicken;
• peaches can be replaced with nectarines, and pineapples with orange pulp.

This type of salad will remain a healthy, low-calorie and satisfying dish.

How to serve a dish

Summer salad is easy to prepare in any season by buying some imported peaches or oranges. It is good for dinner with a glass of dry red wine. The dish can be decorated with lettuce leaves and pieces of fruit left aside.

Salad with Basmati rice

The Mediterranean diet for weight loss is known for its cereal salads, in which you can combine poultry, fish or vegetables with grains to get varied in taste, but satisfying and healthy dishes.

One of these salads is below.

Composition of ingredients

Compound:

• basmati rice – 1 tbsp;
• feta cheese – 60 g;
• sun-dried tomatoes – 2 pcs. ;
• peanuts - 2 tbsp. l. ;
• mint;
• olive oil;
• spices;
• water (for 200 g of rice - 250 ml of water).

Step-by-step cooking process

Basmati salad is prepared in 6 steps:

1. Basmati rice must be washed and then soaked for 15 minutes. in lukewarm water, which will help the grains to more fully reveal their taste and aromatic properties.
2. Then you should continue cooking in the same water, after boiling, reduce the heating temperature. After boiling the cereal for 20 minutes, set the pan aside and let the grains stand in the hot pan for another 15 minutes. Only after this can the rice be stirred with a fork.
3. At this time, the sun-dried tomatoes should be poured with hot water and kept in it for 10 minutes, then dried with a paper towel and cut.
4. Roast the nuts and chop them and feta cheese.
5. Add tomatoes, cheese and nuts to the cooled rice - this is the basis of the salad.
6. Add chopped mint, spices and season with olive oil.

What can I add?

You can use other nuts in this dish - pine or walnuts, which is quite suitable for the Mediterranean diet.

How to serve a dish

The dish can be served for lunch or dinner, garnished with a sprig of mint.

Cheese cream soup with seafood

The Mediterranean diet allows for the consumption of large quantities of fatty foods such as cheeses.

They appear on the table almost every day, served as appetizers, at the end of a meal with dessert, or when preparing a hot meal.

Composition of ingredients

Compound:

• hard or semi-hard cheese – 200 g;
• processed cheese – 100 g;
• shrimp – 150 g;
• mussel meat – 100 g;
• cream (20%) – 200 ml;
• chicken egg (yolk) – 1 pc. ;
• carrots – 1 pc. ;
• onions – 1 pc. ;
• wheat flour – 1 tbsp. l. ;
• wine vinegar - 1 tbsp. l. ;
• olive oil – 1 tbsp. l.

Step-by-step cooking process

Cream cheese soup is prepared in 5 steps:

1. To prepare the broth, you need to boil the shrimp and mussels, peel them, filter 200 ml of liquid and pour into a saucepan for preparing the soup.
2. The peeled and chopped onion should be fried in a small amount of olive oil until transparent and, adding pieces of carrots, should be kept on the fire a little more.
3. Place the cream in a saucepan with the broth, bring to a boil and, putting it on low heat, add the grated cheeses. The broth should be stirred constantly until the cheeses are completely melted.
4. The next step is to collect the stirred egg yolk, overcooked vegetables and flour diluted in a small amount of water in a saucepan. While stirring the soup, bring it to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes.
5. It is necessary to "punch" the contents of the pan with a blender, achieving the desired consistency using the remaining broth.

What can I add?

To enhance the taste, you can use the broth left after cooking boiled fish.

How to serve a dish

Soup is served during lunch. The contents of the plate are sprinkled with herbs.

Zucchini with feta cheese

Vegetables cooked in the oven are a great option for a dish that is healthy and takes up little time in the kitchen.

One option is Zucchini with feta cheese.

Composition of ingredients

Compound:

• zucchini (small) – 4 pcs. ;
• feta cheese – 200 g;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• olive oil – 1 tbsp. l. ;
• mint;
• spices;
• pine nuts.

Step-by-step cooking process

Zucchini with cheese is prepared in 4 steps:

1. To prepare the zucchini for baking, you need to wash them; Peel old fruits from skin, leave young ones with skin; cut lengthwise into two parts and remove the pulp.
2. Next, fry the chopped pulp in olive oil with garlic, passed through a garlic press.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to this mixture: chopped feta cheese and mint, nuts and spices. Mix everything carefully.
4. Fill the zucchini "boats" with the prepared filling and place in the oven at 220°C for 30 minutes.

What can I add?

You can also cook zucchini and eggplant, and use semi-hard cheese instead of feta cheese.

How to serve a dish

The dish goes well either on its own or with a side dish of boiled brown rice. Or you can use it yourself as stewed vegetables for chicken breast or turkey. Zucchini will look beautiful with parsley.

Fish baked with cheese

Fish is a frequently consumed food in the Mediterranean diet. During the period of weight loss, it should be eaten boiled or stewed.

By changing the type of fish, you can change the calorie content and taste of the dish, while maintaining its health benefits.

Composition of ingredients

Compound:

• fish fillet – 200 g;
• low-fat kefir – 50 ml;
• semi-hard cheese – 70 g;
• olive oil – 1 tbsp. l. ;
• lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l. ;
• dill.

Step-by-step cooking process

Fish with cheese is prepared in 4 steps:

1. The baking tray must be greased with oil and fish pieces placed on it.
2. The dressing is prepared like this: you need to combine kefir, juice, herbs and mix everything. The mixture should be carefully poured onto the fish portions.
3. Grated cheese should be sprinkled on top of each piece.
4. Products should be kept in an oven preheated to 180°C for 15 minutes.

What can I add?

You can add chopped bell pepper to the mixture or place a tomato slice on top of the fish.

How to serve a dish

The fish can be decorated with herbs and thin lemon leaves.

Pasta with peas

The Mediterranean diet includes among the foods allowed for consumption, pasta (pasta), a favorite not only in Italy.

There is no certainty that by eating them you can achieve significant weight loss, but nutritionists believe that category "A" pasta, made from durum wheat, does not lead to weight gain.

Composition of ingredients

Compound:

• pasta category "A" – 200 g;
• semi-hard cheese – 200 g;
• green peas – 0. 5 tbsp;
• bell pepper – 1 pc. ;
• olive oil;
• lemon juice.

Green peas can be used fresh frozen, this is much better than canned.

Step-by-step cooking process

Pasta with peas is prepared in 3 steps:

1. The pasta must be boiled until al dente; the cooking time is always indicated on the package.
2. Next, boil the green peas until half cooked and fry them in olive oil with finely chopped bell pepper.
3. You need to combine hot pasta with peas, pepper, grated cheese and add lemon juice to taste instead of salt.

What can I add?

Boiled pasta can be combined with many foods and sauces, resulting in dishes of different tastes and satiety.

How to serve a dish

Before serving, you can add arugula leaves to the dish.

Oat muffins with almonds

Sometimes you can treat yourself to homemade desserts.

In this case, the composition of the ingredients will certainly be known and there will be confidence in the absence of preservatives and harmful additives.

Composition of ingredients

Compound:

• oatmeal – 4 tbsp. l. ;
• chicken egg – 2 pcs. ;
• powdered milk – 4 tbsp. l. ;
• baking powder – 20 g;
• almonds – 10 g.

Step-by-step cooking process

Oatmeal muffins are prepared in 4 steps:

1. To prepare the dough, you need to mix the "dry" ingredients: cereal, milk, baking powder, chopped nuts.
2. The eggs must be beaten and carefully combined with the "dry" mixture.
3. The resulting dough should be placed in silicone molds, which do not need to be greased with oil.
4. The muffins should be placed in an oven preheated to 200°C and baked for 15 minutes.

What can I add?

Any chopped nuts, dried fruits or fresh fruits are suitable as an additive to the oat-milk mixture.

How to serve a dish

Dessert can be served garnished with a mint leaf or fresh berries. For more pleasure, you can brew tea or herbal infusion.

When to expect an effect

People who switch to a Mediterranean diet note that, without much effort or discomfort, they begin to notice positive changes in their health and figure after about 3-4 months. Gradual, at first almost imperceptible, weight loss, reaching an average of 3 kg by six months.

Becoming fans of tasty and healthy food, people stop focusing on their kilograms, and after 2-3 years 10-15 kg disappear unnoticed. Having reached the optimal weight, the body independently comes to an equilibrium state.

The Mediterranean diet is not a change in diet for quick weight loss with lightning-fast weight restoration upon completion of the course. This is a change in lifestyle, attitude towards the world around you, towards yourself, towards your body and body, giving them the attention they deserve.