We’ve looked at lots and lots of different diet plans, and when going through the reviews customers give for them, one thing keeps popping up: many customers are confused about how exactly to go about following a diet. Sounds strange, right? Especially considering that these are reviews posted about books that are supposed to be teaching you about a particular diet or group of diets. Yet at the end of these guides, people somehow still end up confused. When it comes to the Mediterranean Diet, in particular, you’ll find people who want to follow it, but are having a hard to figuring out how.
That’s where The Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep comes in. It’s not just another guide about how great the Mediterranean Diet is – it’s a recipe book and meal preparation guide that tells you what foods to buy, how to prepare them, and a full 21-day plan featuring an incredible array of delicious dishes.
The book was written by Brandon Hearn, an author of health and diet books that span a variety of subjects. Covering topics from keto to Indian food, Hearn has a stable of simple, easy-to-follow diet guides and meal plans that can help even beginner cooks master delicious meals that are geared toward different food needs, including plant-based diets and intermittent fasting.
To read more about what’s in The Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep and why it’s one of the better diet books around, read on.
The Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep Ingredients
The Mediterranean Diet has been around for almost a century, beginning in a study undertaken by American dietitians to figure out which diets are the most “heart-healthy.” At the time, Americans had high rates of heart disease, and doctors wanted to know if there was something about diet that could affect our heart health.
After learning about the low rates of heart disease among the peoples of Spain, Italy, and Greece, they undertook a survey of the types of ingredients used in their cooking. The result is the Mediterranean Diet. In Hearn’s book, he outlines the basics and uses them as a jump-off point for healthy meals.
Here’s some of the “ingredients” in this diet:
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Lean meats and plenty of seafood. This is one of the cornerstones of the Mediterranean Diet. By avoiding fatty steaks and pork rinds and focusing instead on lean animal proteins like chicken, fish, and shrimp, you’ll be getting a tasty source of whole food nutrition without the high calorie or fat content of red meats. Properly seasoned, they can be even more delicious than beef!
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Olive oil is king. One of the biggest parts of this diet is a focus on cooking with olive oil. Olive oil is lower in saturated fat and is free of cholesterol, compared to butter (which has more of both). It’s also key to the delicious flavors of Greek, Italian, Lebanese cooking, and more, since olives have been common in the Mediterranean for millenia.
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Eat your yogurt. Mediterranean cultures are known for their love of yogurt, and it’s no wonder why. Not only is it versatile (can be used in both savory dishes and in sweet dishes) but it’s high in protein and contains probiotic cultures, which can help your digestive tract.
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Don’t forget legumes! Beans and lentils are low-fat, nutrient-rich sources of protein that go in a variety of meals and complement a large quantity of flavors. After all, what would Mediterranean cuisine be without falafel?
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Eat whole grains. The Mediterranean Diet promotes eating grains, but not the nutrient-lacking white stuff you’ll find on the bottom shelf. Go for whole grain pastas and breads, and you’ll be eating like a Mediterranean in no time.
How Does The Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep Work?
Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep is a great jumping off point for anyone looking to get into the diet, and that’s because it lays out everything you need for it. The guide starts off by listing the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, and then goes into the ingredients and groceries you should be putting on your list. For added convenience, the ingredients are things you can find at any local grocery store – no specialty items necessary.
It then goes into a full-fledged meal prep guide that gives you 21 days of meals – including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks – that you can start working on as soon as you’re ready. By packing so many different, varied meals into the guide, it ensures that not only will you be an expert in cooking lots of delicious classic dishes by the end of it, but that you won’t get bored in the meantime.
The meals range from traditional Italian and Greek dishes to Arab, Turkish, Southern French, and Israeli cuisine.
How Safe Is The Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep, And How Does It Taste?
Contrary to what most might think, not all diet plans – even ones espoused by famous celebrities – are all that safe. Some recommend drastically-low caloric intake, and others insist on cutting out significant sources of nutrients.
The Mediterranean Diet, on the other hand, is perhaps the safest diet on the planet. And we’re not joking: the American Heart Association, Nutrition Today, the USDA, and more organizations and journals have all pronounced the Mediterranean Diet to be good for heart health and overall wellness. That’s because not only does it promote nutrient-dense foods, it includes all food groups for well-rounded nutrition.
Pros and Cons of The Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep
Here’s our breakdown the advantages and disadvantages of this guide.
PRO: Good information, solid science, a varied meal plan of over 100+ recipes, meals organized for convenient reference.
CON: Some lax copy editing, some meals are fairly low-calorie and may be difficult for some to adhere to.
Bottom Line: Is The Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep Worth a Try?
Of all the diets out there, one of the most applauded and honored is the Mediterranean Diet, not only because it’s delicious and healthy, but because it comes with a host of health benefits including improved heart health, energy, and weight loss. Mediterranean Diet Meal Prep puts the diet into perspective and gives you an easy-to-follow guide, so that you’re not stuck wondering where to start. ‘
All in all, we recommend it.