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

The Mediterranean diet is the only nutritional system that has an incredible number of fans who follow its rules not only to lose weight, but to improve the health of the whole body, which ultimately leads to active longevity.

The 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 population of the rest of the planet, identifying the reasons for its superiority and adapting the traditional diet for that region to other countries.

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

It turns out that Italy, where nutritionists published their scientific work on heart disease, differs from their country of origin because the local population, consume relatively fatty and high-calorie foods, are not obese, and are less prone to diseases of the circulatory system. , hypertension and diabetes.

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

Ansel and Margaret Case's sensational discovery prompted American scientists, concerned about the nation's rapid rate of disease and "obesity, " to use their research to create a program of "preventive medicine" in the 1970s. Basically, this is the systematic basis of the traditional nature of the diet of the people of the 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 limit.

It was supposed to be a way of life, making its adherents in matters of nutrition the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region. Which is not difficult at all, given the simple principle 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, use it for cooking and for cooking salads;
• eat a meal made from legumes every day;
• minimize sugar consumption by replacing it with honey;
• drink only dry red wine, reject other alcohol;
• eat at least 6 tablespoons. clean water every day;
• lead an active and mobile lifestyle.

To better understand this simple rule, the so-called "Mediterranean diet pyramid" was developed. Closer to the base, which occupies the largest number of geometric figures, are foods that should be eaten several times a day.

this:

• rice, cereal, bulgur, durum wheat pasta, whole grain bread;
• vegetables and fruits;
• fermented milk products, cheese;
• nuts, dried fruits.

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

this:

• fish dishes;
• chicken meat;
• potatoes;
• egg;
• sweet dessert.

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 a lean cut.

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

Product name	% of food taken daily
Cereals and legumes	35
Vegetables, fruits, vegetables	thirty
Fermented milk products, cheese, fish, meat	20
Olive oil	10
Sweet dessert	5

Important point: when to eat from the products listed.

The distribution of diet over time looks like this:

• cereals, cereals, chicken eggs, vegetables, fruits - breakfast;
• fermented milk products, fruits - 2nd breakfast;
• soup, pasta, rice, vegetable salad, meat, fish, fruit - lunch;
• fruit salad, fermented milk products, cheese – afternoon snack;
• fish, vegetable casserole, salad, seafood, cheese, fruit - dinner.

Therefore, looking at the list of permitted foods and the distribution of their intake throughout the day, we can conclude that you do not need to starve. Also, good red wine is a daily bonus in the Mediterranean diet. Even dessert is allowed - once a week (Italy and France are famous lovers of sweets, but in moderation).

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

The Mediterranean diet for weight loss does not produce immediate results. Using a balanced menu, tasty food and small restrictions in their lives, adherents of this principle, as a rule, continue to live, observe it further, and after some time they see an improvement in health, a significant loss of weight, and the need to renew. body to move actively.

Contraindications for use

The success of the diet is due to three factors:

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

Although the Mediterranean fasting diet is a balanced nutritional method, it has contraindications.

This combination is unacceptable for some people:

• People who are very obese will not get the expected results by changing their diet. In this case, special and radical methods are needed to adjust the body weight.
• Such a set of foods with high levels of fiber can harm the gastrointestinal tract.
• Allergy sufferers who react to seafood or other key components of the Mediterranean diet should avoid it.

The main menu for this week

After some time, familiarizing yourself with the Mediterranean diet and its features will help you create a balanced menu for the day, taking into account your own rules, preferences and capabilities. Until then, you can use the nutritionist's recommendations.

Day of the week		Main meal (not including snacks)
	Breakfast	dinner	dinner
Monday	Oatmeal with water (or low-fat milk) with fruit; Crusty bread with cheese; Green tea	Grilled fish (200 g); A side dish of boiled vegetables; 100 ml of red wine	Boiled seafood; Vegetable salad
Tuesday	Muesli with yogurt (natural, without additives); Whole grain 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 of red wine
Wednesday	Their omelet is 2 eggs; Crusty bread with cheese; Fruits (1 pc. )	Chicken soup; Vegetable salad	Seafood salad with avocado; 100 ml of wine
Thursday	buckwheat milk porridge; green tea; fruits	Pasta with seafood and tomatoes; 100 ml of wine	Steamed fish (200 g); Garnish - boiled bulgur; Vegetable salad
Friday	Cottage cheese casserole; Coffee	Cheese soup with shrimp; 2 slices of crouton bread; 100 ml of wine	Cuts of fish; Boil vegetables; 2 slices of hard or semi-hard cheese
Saturday	Muesli with yogurt and dried fruits; Sandwiches made of whole grain bread, cheese and avocado; Green tea	Zucchini casserole, tomato, feta cheese; 100 ml of 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 (perhaps boiled meat (150-200 g); Boil vegetables; 100 ml of wine

Mediterranean Diet Recipes

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

It is important to remember that:

• Olive oil is used in cooking - a source of unsaturated fatty acids and lipids, which can sometimes be replaced by other vegetable oils;

• the use of bread is limited, and it must be grain, coarsely ground;
• food must be prepared without using store-bought sauces or canned goods containing E-additives;
• dairy and fermented milk products should be low fat;
• in dietary nutrition, the use of any sea fish is encouraged - herring, mackerel, cod, hake, pike perch, perch; fish should be steamed, baked, boiled or boiled, avoid frying;
• White chicken 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 replaced with lemon juice and spices; sugar is completely excluded, you can use a little honey;
• We must not forget drinks - any tea, herbal tea, coffee is allowed; easy clean water is needed;
• wine should be red and dry, which helps reduce appetite, normalize gastric acidity, participate in hematopoiesis, and lower cholesterol;
• Store-bought sweets with high sugar, fat and palm oil content are excluded from the diet.

Summer salad (with chicken)

A tasty and easy-to-digest salad has an incredible spicy fruit flavor, thanks to the combination of ingredients.

Material composition

Compound:

• boiled chicken breast - 150 g;
• fresh peaches - 2-3 pcs. ;
• canned pineapple - 50 g;
• celery sticks - 2-3 pcs. ;
• any lettuce - 150 g.

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

Step by step cooking process

Summer salad is prepared in 3 stages:

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

What can I add?

Salads 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 filling dish.

How to serve a meal

A summer salad is easy to prepare in any season by buying some imported peaches or oranges. It's great for dinner with a glass of dry red wine. The dish can be decorated with salad leaves and pieces of fruit left behind.

Salad with Basmati rice

The Mediterranean diet for weight loss is famous for its grain salads, where you can combine chicken, fish or vegetables with grains to get a variety of flavors, but a satisfying and healthy meal.

One of these salads is below.

Material composition

Compound:

• basmati rice - 1 tablespoon;
• feta cheese - 60 g;
• sun dried tomatoes - 2 pcs. ;
• peanuts - 2 tablespoons. 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 warm water, which will help the grain to reveal its flavor and aromatic properties more fully.
2. Then you need to continue cooking in the same water, after boiling, reduce the heating temperature. After boiling the grains 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, 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 beans and chops and feta cheese.
5. Add tomatoes, cheese and beans to the cooled rice - this is the base 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 walnut, which are quite suitable for the Mediterranean diet.

How to serve a meal

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

Cream cheese soup with seafood

The Mediterranean diet allows the consumption of fatty foods in large quantities such as cheese.

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

Material composition

Compound:

• hard or semi-hard cheese - 200 g;
• processed cheese - 100 g;
• shrimp - 150 g;
• clam meat - 100 g;
• cream (20%) - 200 ml;
• chicken egg (yellow) - 1 pc. ;
• carrot - 1 pc. ;
• onion - 1 pc. ;
• wheat flour - 1 tablespoon. l. ;
• wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon. l. ;
• olive oil - 1 tbsp. l.

Step by step cooking process

Cream cheese soup is prepared in 5 steps:

1. To prepare the soup, you need to boil the shrimp and clams, peel them, filter 200 ml of the liquid and pour it into the pot to prepare the soup.
2. Peeled and chopped onions should be fried in a little olive oil until transparent and, adding carrot pieces, should be kept on the fire a little longer.
3. Put the cream in a saucepan with the soup, let it boil and, put it on a low heat, add the grated cheese. The sauce should be constantly stirred until the cheese melts completely.
4. The next step is to collect the scrambled egg yolks, overcooked vegetables and flour dissolved in a little water in a pot. While stirring the soup, let it 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 gravy.

What can I add?

To improve the taste, you can use the gravy left after cooking boiled fish.

How to serve a meal

Soup is served at 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 healthy meal that takes little time in the kitchen.

One option is Zucchini with feta cheese.

Material composition

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 it; Peel the old fruits from the skin, leave the young ones with the skin; cut lengthwise into two parts and remove the pulp.
2. Next, fry the minced pulp in olive oil with garlic, through a garlic press.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to this mixture: feta cheese and chopped mint, nuts and spices. Mix everything thoroughly.
4. Fill the zucchini "boat" 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.

How to serve a meal

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

Baked fish with cheese

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

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

Material composition

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 the 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.
3. Grated cheese should be sprinkled on top of each portion.
4. The product should be kept in an oven heated to 180°C for 15 minutes.

What can I add?

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

How to serve a meal

Fish can be garnished with herbs and lime leaves.

Pasta with beans

The Mediterranean diet includes among the foods allowed to be eaten, pasta (pasta), a favorite not only in Italy.

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

Material composition

Compound:

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

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

Step by step cooking process

Pasta with peas is prepared in 3 steps:

1. Pasta must be boiled until al dente; cooking time is always indicated on the package.
2. Next, boil green beans until half cooked and fry in olive oil with finely chopped bell pepper.
3. You need to combine hot pasta with beans, 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 with different flavors and fillings.

How to serve a meal

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

Oatmeal muffins with almonds

Sometimes you can treat yourself to a homemade dessert.

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

Material composition

Compound:

• oatmeal - 4 tablespoons. l. ;
• chicken eggs - 2 pcs. ;
• powdered milk - 4 tablespoons. l. ;
• baking powder - 20 g;
• almonds - 10 g.

Step by step cooking process

Oat 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. Eggs must be beaten and combined thoroughly with the "dry" mixture.
3. The resulting dough should be placed in a silicone mold, which does not need to be greased with oil.
4. Muffins should be placed in an oven heated to 200°C and baked for 15 minutes.

What can I add?

Any chopped nuts, dried fruit or fresh fruit is suitable as an addition to the oat milk mixture.

How to serve a meal

Dessert can be served with a garnish of mint leaves or fresh berries. For more fun, you can brew tea or herbal infusion.

When to expect results

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

Being fans of delicious and healthy food, people stop focusing on their kilograms, and after 2-3 years 10-15 kg disappear without realizing it. After reaching the optimal weight, the body independently reaches a state of equilibrium.

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