Popsugar Health & Fitness Mediterranean Diet Mediterranean Diet Recipes 30+ Recipes to Jump-Start Your Mediterranean Diet Journey 5 February 2019 by Hedy Phillips Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar The Mediterranean diet has already been dubbed the best diet of 2019, so it's time to get familiar with it and get going on it. Not only is it good for your gut, but it's incredibly easy to follow and will help you meet your weight loss and health goals. This diet doesn't force you to cut a bunch of stuff out of your day but instead focuses on eating clean and fresh. Your meal plates should typically have have half a plate of veggies or fruit, a quarter of protein, and a quarter of whole grains. And don't forget your healthy fats! You need those too. And while this diet has a lot of lean, healthy proteins and not much dairy, you can still have minimal servings of cheese, red meat, and wine, though probably no more than once a week. For some recipe ideas to get you going on this diet, we pulled together more than 30 options that are great pieces to each meal. Most of them require other portions, whether it's the meat or the grains, to make a complete meal, but once you get a hang of what all you need for a meal to come together, you'll have no trouble following along! Kale Caesar Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Leta Shy This caesar salad can be topped with your protein of choice and served with a grain like couscous for balance. Get the recipe: kale caesar salad 1 / 24 Tomato Lentil Soup Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jaime Young Serve this delicious soup with a side salad that has lots of veggies and is topped with lean chicken and olive oil and vinegar. Get the recipe: tomato lentil soup 2 / 24 Banana Steel-Cut Oatmeal Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar Give your morning a fruity wakeup call with this yummy slow-cooker oatmeal. Get the recipe: banana steel-cut oatmeal 3 / 24 Farro Kale Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr This hearty salad goes well with a nice cut of lean chicken and a cup of fruit. Get the recipe: farro kale salad 4 / 24 Baked Salmon Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry Throw everything onto a sheet pan to cook this dish and serve it with a side of couscous or brown rice. Get the recipe: baked salmon 5 / 24 Chicken Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr Top a slice of whole wheat bread with this delicious chicken salad for a satisfying lunch. Get the recipe: chicken salad 6 / 24 Yoghurt-Filled Cantaloupe Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr For a refreshing breakfast, try this yoghurt-filled cantaloupe with a slice of whole wheat toast. Get the recipe: yoghurt-filled cantaloupe 7 / 24 Pesto Pasta Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Katie Sweeney Throw some grilled chicken or tofu on top of this pasta salad for a complete meal. Get the recipe: pesto pasta salad 8 / 24 Asian Chicken Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr Drizzle this salad with some olive oil and serve with a side of grains. Get the recipe: Asian chicken salad 9 / 24 Burrito Bowl Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr Build this burrito bowl starting with brown rice and top it with avocado. Get the recipe: burrito bowl 10 / 24 Cod With Asparagus Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Camilla Salem The juice from this dish will soak right into whatever grains you serve it with to create a comforting meal on a cold day. Get the recipe: cod with asparagus 11 / 24 Spiced Carrot Soup Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry Have a slice of whole wheat toast with this soup to soak up all the tahini goodness. Get the recipe: spiced carrot soup 12 / 24 Warm Artichoke and Mushroom Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Camilla Salem Serve this salad with some lean chicken and wild rice. Get the recipe: warm artichoke and mushroom salad 13 / 24 Thai Beef Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr Throw some avocado on top of this protein-packed salad and you're all set. Get the recipe: Thai beef salad 14 / 24 Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr Add some tofu or chicken to this salad for a balanced meal. Get the recipe: Mediterranean quinoa salad 15 / 24 Bento Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts This salad has everything you need except a grain, but we recommend brown rice. Get the recipe: bento salad 16 / 24 Quinoa Cabbage Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Leta Shy You can either toss some chicken into this salad or serve it on the side. Get the recipe: quinoa cabbage salad 17 / 24 Kale Sesame Chicken Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Leta Shy A slide of whole wheat bread to help you get these greens onto your fork is the perfect addition to this salad. Get the recipe: kale sesame chicken salad 18 / 24 Sesame Ginger Kale Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Leta Shy This salad just needs a dash of protein to be your entire meal! Get the recipe: sesame ginger kale salad 19 / 24 Flat Belly Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar To keep this salad super healthy, add some grilled chicken on top and just a touch of wild rice. Get the recipe: flat belly salad 20 / 24 Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry Whatever protein and grain you're in the mood for will pair perfectly well with this bright, summery salad. Get the recipe: watermelon, feta, and arugula salad 21 / 24 Chickpea Avocado Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar Serve this on whole wheat bread or an English muffin and have some scrambled eggs on the side for a filling breakfast. Get the recipe: chickpea avocado salad 22 / 24 Cucumber, Black Bean, Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar Try crumbling hard boiled eggs over this salad and serving it over a bed of brown rice. Get the recipe: cucumber, black bean, corn, tomato, and avocado salad 23 / 24 Watermelon Salad Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar This refreshing salad can be served with a grain of your choice. Get the recipe: watermelon salad 24 / 24 Mediterranean DietRecipesDiet TipsHealthy RecipesHealthy LivingWeight Loss