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 adhere to its rules not only for losing weight, but also for improving the health of the entire organism, 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, determining the reasons for its superiority and adapting the traditional diet of the region to other countries.

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

It turned out that Italy, where nutritionists published their scientific works on heart disease, differs from their native country in that the local population, which consumes quite a lot of fatty and high-calorie food, is not obese and is less susceptible to diseases of the circulatory system. , hypertension and diabetes.

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

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

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

To do this you need:

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

In order to better understand these simple rules, the so-called "pyramid of the Mediterranean diet" was developed. Closer to the base, which occupies the largest volume of the geometric figure, there are foods that should be consumed several times a day.

This:

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

Further, closer to the top of the pyramid, i. e. 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, it makes no sense to deviate from the generally accepted product, you just need to choose lean cuts.

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

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

Important thing: when to eat from the mentioned products.

The distribution of nutrition over time looks like this:

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

Thus, looking at the list of permitted foods and the schedule of their intake during 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 known lovers of sweets, but in moderate quantities).

However, in order to start the process of losing weight (that is, the goal of switching to a diet), you need to remember the amount of food you eat. The amount of food consumed in one meal should not exceed 240 ml (visually it is 16 spoons. L. or 1 tbsp. ).

The Mediterranean diet for weight loss does not give immediate results. Using a balanced menu, abundant meals and less restrictions in life, supporters of these principles, as a rule, continue to live, following them further, and after some time notice an improvement in health, significant weight loss and the need for a new body to move actively.

Contraindications for use

The success of the diet is due to three factors:

• little animal fat and sugar;
• high content of dietary fiber, fibers;
• rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

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

This combination is unacceptable for some people:

• People who are very obese will not be able to achieve the expected results by changing their diet. In this case, special, radical methods for weight adjustment are needed.
• Such a set of foods with a high level of fiber can be harmful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Allergy sufferers who react to seafood or other main components of the Mediterranean diet will need to avoid it.

The main menu for the week

After some time, getting used to the Mediterranean diet and its characteristics will help you create a balanced menu for the day, taking into account the rules, your own preferences and possibilities. Until then, you can use the nutritionist's recommendations.

Days of the week		Main meals (except snacks)
	Breakfast	Dinner	Dinner
Monday	Oatmeal with water (or low-fat milk) with fruit; Coarse bread with cheese; Green tea	Baked fish (200 g); Side dish of stewed vegetables; 100 ml of 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; Category "A" pasta	Chicken or roasted turkey (200 g); Boiled buckwheat; Vegetable tomato salad; 100 ml of red wine
Wednesday	Omelet them 2 eggs; Coarse bread with cheese; Fruit (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	Fish cutlets; Vegetable stew; 2 slices of hard or semi-hard cheese
Saturday	Muesli with yogurt and dried fruit; Wheat bread, cheese and avocado sandwich; Green tea	Zucchini, tomato, feta cheese casserole; 100 ml of wine	Baked or boiled chicken breast (150 g); Cooked lentils; Vegetable salad
Sunday	Curd casserole with dried fruit; Fruit (1 piece); Coffee	Risotto with seafood; Vegetable salad	Boiled or steamed fish (possibly boiled meat (150-200 g); Vegetable stew; 100 ml of wine

Mediterranean Diet Recipes

The Mediterranean diet for weight loss is characterized by a wide variety 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 by other vegetable oil;

• consumption of bread is limited, and it should be grainy, coarsely ground;
• the food must be prepared without the use of store-bought sauces or preserves containing E-additives;
• milk and fermented milk products should be low in fat;
• in the dietary diet, the consumption of any sea fish is encouraged - herring, mackerel, cod, hake, pikeperch, perch; fish should be steamed, grilled, boiled or stewed, avoiding frying;
• White meat of poultry or rabbit 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 by 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 needed;
• wine should be red and dry, which reduces appetite, normalizes stomach acidity, participates in hematopoiesis and lowers cholesterol;
• Sweets from the store with a high content of sugar, fat and palm oil are excluded from the diet.

Summer salad (with chicken)

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

Composition of ingredients

connection:

• boiled chicken breast - 150 g;
• fresh peaches – 2-3 pcs. ;
• canned pineapple - 50 g;
• stalks of celery - 2-3 pcs. ;
• any leaf of green salad - 150 g.

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

Step by step cooking process

Summer salad is prepared in 3 stages:

1. The process should begin by preparing the base for the salad: chicken breast, peaches, pineapple and celery cut into small cubes. Lettuce leaves are better to tear with your hands.
2. To prepare the dressing, put yogurt in a separate container, add cinnamon, lemon zest and chopped mint leaves.
3. Then you have to add the dressing to the salad base and mix gently.

What can I add?

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

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

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

How to serve a dish

A 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 leftover pieces of fruit.

Salad with basmati rice

The Mediterranean diet for weight loss is famous for its grain salads, where you can combine poultry, fish or vegetables with grains to get a variety of tasty, yet satisfying and healthy meals.

One of these salads is below.

Composition of ingredients

connection:

• basmati rice - 1 spoon;
• feta cheese - 60 g;
• dried tomatoes - 2 pcs. ;
• peanuts - 2 spoons. 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 the grains have cooked for 20 minutes, set the bowl aside and let the grains sit in the hot pot for another 15 minutes. Only then can the rice be stirred with a fork.
3. During this time, the dried tomatoes should be covered with hot water and kept in it for 10 minutes, then dried with a paper towel and cut.
4. Roast the walnuts and chop them and the feta cheese.
5. Add tomatoes, cheese and walnuts 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 also 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.

Cream cheese soup with seafood

The Mediterranean diet allows the consumption of large amounts of fatty foods 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 meal.

Composition of ingredients

connection:

• 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. ;
• carrot - 1 pc. ;
• onion - 1 pc. ;
• wheat flour - 1 spoon. l. ;
• wine vinegar - 1 spoon. l. ;
• olive oil – 1 spoon. l.

Step by step cooking process

Cream cheese soup is prepared in 5 steps:

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

What can I add?

To improve the taste, you can use the broth that remains 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 baked in the oven are a great option for a meal that is healthy and takes little time in the kitchen.

One option is zucchini with feta cheese.

Composition of ingredients

connection:

• Zucchini (small) – 4 pcs. ;
• feta cheese - 200 g;
• garlic - 1 clove;
• olive oil – 1 spoon. 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 must wash them; Peel the old fruits from the skin, leave the young ones with the skin; cut lengthwise in two and remove the pulp.
2. Then, in olive oil, fry the chopped pulp 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 put 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 on its own or with a side dish of cooked brown rice. Or you can use it on its own as a sautéed vegetable for chicken breast or turkey. Zucchini will look nice with parsley.

Baked fish with cheese

Fish is a frequently consumed food item in the Mediterranean diet. During 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

connection:

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

Step by step cooking process

Fish with cheese is prepared in 4 steps:

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

What can I add?

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

How to serve a dish

You can decorate the fish with herbs and thin slices of lemon.

Pasta with peas

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

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

connection:

• category "A" pasta – 200 g;
• semi-hard cheese - 200 g;
• green peas - 0. 5 tablespoons;
• paprika - 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 cooked until al dente, the cooking time is always indicated on the package.
2. Then boil the green peas until half and fry them in olive oil with finely chopped paprika.
3. Hot pasta should be combined with peas, pepper, grated cheese and instead of salt add lemon juice to taste.

What can I add?

Cooked pasta can be combined with many foods and sauces, resulting in dishes of different taste and saturation.

How to serve a dish

You can add rocket leaves to the dish before serving.

Oatmeal muffins with almonds

Sometimes you can treat yourself to homemade desserts.

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

Composition of ingredients

connection:

• oatmeal - 4 tablespoons. l. ;
• chicken egg - 2 pcs. ;
• milk powder - 4 spoons. 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: cereals, milk, baking powder, chopped nuts.
2. The eggs must be beaten and carefully combined with the "dry" mixture.
3. Place the resulting dough in silicone molds, which do not need to be greased with oil.
4. Put the muffins in an oven heated to 200°C and bake for 15 minutes.

What can I add?

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

How to serve a dish

The dessert can be served garnished with a mint leaf or fresh berries. For greater pleasure, you can make tea or herbal infusion.

When to expect the effect

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

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

The Mediterranean diet is not a change in the way of eating for rapid weight loss with lightning weight regain after the end 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.