How to nail the world's healthiest diet - breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Mediterranean diet is touted as one of the healthiest in the world, with a myriad of associated benefits like heart health, brain health and reduced risk of diabetes and cancer. It’s not one of the latest and greatest fad diets – rather, it’s a way of life that’s stood the test of time and has a significant body of scientific literature supporting it.

But before you go eating a whole pizza every night accompanied by glass upon glass of red wine, think again. The traditional Mediterranean diet isn’t the typical fare you’d find at your local Italian chain. Instead, it’s largely plant-based, featuring lots of vegetables (in particular, leafy greens, onion and garlic). What’s more, the Med diet is rather high in fat (the good kind) thanks to the generous use of olive oil, nuts and seeds.

In contrast to most popular diets, the Mediterranean diet is only moderate in protein, with most protein coming from legumes, wholegrains and some fish, as meat is only eaten occasionally.

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In terms of dairy, milk isn’t too common, either – rather, yoghurt and small portions of cheese take precedence.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, it could prove challenging. That’s because sweets are considered only a treat for special occasions (read: not shoved in your mouth at your desk each afternoon).

What pleases many, however, is that red wine is allowed – but only in small quantities over a meal in the company of others.

Lastly, I should mention a resounding feature of the Mediterranean lifestyle: physical activity. The people of the Mediterranean region were often on the move and did a lot of physical work – which is a stark contrast to most of our nine to five desk jobs!

It’s easy to see that such a diet can offer a raft of perks to our nutrition and overall health. So, without further ado, listen up for your Med-diet meal plan. Here, I’ve taken some of the principals of the Mediterranean diet and come up with easy meal ideas for a whole week.

Breakfast

Baked beans cooked with onion, garlic and plenty of herbs, spices and olive oil

Wholegrain toast with fresh tomato, spinach and avocado, drizzled in olive oil

Vegetable omelette cooked in olive oil with wholegrain bread

Yoghurt topped with fresh fruit, nuts and seeds

Lunch

Chickpea salad with plenty of fresh, seasonal vegetables, drizzled in olive oil

Chicken and couscous salad with plenty of fresh, seasonal vegetables, drizzled in olive oil

Salmon or tuna sandwiches with tahini and vegetables on wholegrain bread

Tomato-based soup with quinoa, beans and silverbeet

Dinner

BBQ prawn salad with greens, cooked in olive oil

Baked white fish parcels with lemon and olive oil and a large leafy green salad

Vegetarian casserole with eggplant, zucchini, capsicum and wholegrain pasta

Mediterranean lentil and potato stew

Grilled salmon with white bean and watercress salad

Brown rice and lentil stuffed capsicums

Mediterranean chicken bake with fresh herbs, lemon, garlic and olive oil and a large leafy green salad

Snacks

Fresh fruit

Nuts and seeds

Yoghurt

Roasted chickpeas

And there you have it! Plenty of meal ideas to help you nail the Mediterranean diet.

Melissa Meier is a Sydney-based Accredited Practising Dietitian. You can follow her @honest_nutrition.

While we're on the topic, study reveals the Mediterranean diet could slow the progression of psoriasis. Plus, this cooking staple is scientifically proven to boost your sexual performance.

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