The Green Mediterranean Diet is a healthy and sustainable approach to eating that can provide a number of health benefits.
It follows a similar eating pattern to a traditional Mediterranean diet, but with more emphasis on eating plant-based foods and completely eliminating red and processed meat.
This article will cover the basics of following a Green Mediterranean diet and have a sample 7 day plan to follow.
What is the Green Mediterranean Diet?
The Green Mediterranean Diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, emphasizing high intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, along with moderate consumption of fish, dairy and poultry.
However, the Green Mediterranean diet goes even further. It focuses on totally eliminating red and processed meats and having higher quantities of plant-based proteins. It also encourages certain foods like walnuts, duckweed and green tea.
It is also high in healthy fats, particularly olive oil, which is the primary cooking agent. This, along with other healthy fats from foods like nuts and seeds, helps reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease.
The traditional Mediterranean Diet isn’t a fad diet and is considered a sustainable way of eating that should be maintained long-term.
What’s Included in the Green Mediterranean Diet?
- Fruits and vegetables: Particularly leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and others.
- Whole grains: Brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread for example.
- Beans and legumes: Such as chickpeas, lentils, and beans.
- Nuts and seeds: Like almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds.
- Healthy fats: Particularly olive oil
- Dairy and fish: In moderate amounts, with particular emphasis on fatty fish like salmon and sardines.
Specific items included in the Green Mediterranean Diet are:
- Duckweed: This is an ingredient you wouldn’t eat on a traditional diet and is tough to find too. It is used as a high-protein plant shake that can partially replace some meat. Duckweed is recommended because it is a plant-based source of B12 vitamin, which red meat in particular contains a lot of. However, B12 can also be found in foods like dairy, eggs, fish and other meat and therefore, isn’t that essential for a healthy, balanced diet.
- Walnuts: These are recommended within a traditional Mediterranean Diet, but are emphasized even more within a Green Mediterranean Diet. This is likely because walnuts are a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids. Since the diet encourages less animal protein from fish (but still allowed), walnuts can help replace a likely reduction in omega-3 fats.
- Green Tea: Most research finds that green tea has a stronger antioxidant profile than black tea and although they both contain caffeine, black tea usually has more. Therefore, it can be viewed as a better alternative for someone who likes to drink hot beverages.
Green Mediterranean Diet vs Traditional Mediterranean Diet
Although they are very similar, there are a couple of differences between the two:
- Green Mediterranean Diet completely eliminates red and processed meat from the diet: The traditional Mediterranean diet is less restrictive in this sense, since it does allow an occasional, small amount of this type of meat. For example, you may occasionally eat some lean beef mince, lamb or pork (normally a few servings per month). Although processed foods are discouraged on the traditional Mediterranean diet as well, you will see some recipes using processed meats such as chorizo.
- Green Mediterranean Diet encourages even more consumption of plant-based foods: Although there isn’t a specific increase given vs a traditional Mediterranean Diet, plant-based foods are encouraged even more so. The plant-based foods eaten on both are generally the same, but since the Green Mediterranean Diet encourages the reduction of animal proteins as well (such as poultry and fish), this allows for extra plant-based proteins (such as beans, legumes and nuts).
- The Green Mediterranean Diet encourages certain foods: These include walnuts, green tea and duckweed. Walnuts are encouraged to be eaten anyway and green tea is allowed on the traditional diet. Duckweed isn’t a traditional food eaten and is quite hard to find in most supermarkets, so isn’t something that isn’t usually eaten. However, it isn’t a food that would be restricted on a Mediterranean diet since it is a good plant-based protein, which is generally encouraged within the diet.
Benefits of the Green Mediterranean Diet
Since it is relatively new, there aren’t a lot of studies that specifically like the Green Mediterranean Diet. However, the ones that are available look promising and maybe even better than a traditional diet:
- 2022 study published in BMC Medicine: a Green Mediterranean Diet reduced more visceral fat than a traditional Mediterranean Diet (14% vs 7%)
- 2021 study published in BMJ: a Green Mediterranean Diet may amplify the benefits of a Mediterranean diet related to cardiometabolic effects, such as reducing waist circumference, reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol and reducing diastolic blood pressure.
- 2022 study in AJCN: a Green Mediterranean Diet protected against age-related brain atrophy better due to its high polyphenol content.
7 Day Green Mediterranean Diet Plan
7 Day Sample Menu
In the meal plan are recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Cannellini Bean Salad | Squash and Lentil Salad |
| Tuesday | Tomato and Watermelon Salad | Edgy Veggie Wraps | Spicy Tomato Baked Eggs |
| Wednesday | Blueberry Oats Bowl | Carrot, Orange and Avocado Salad | Salmon with Potatoes and Corn Salad |
| Thursday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Mixed Bean Salad | Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup |
| Friday | Tomato and Watermelon Salad | Panzanella Salad | Med Chicken, Quinoa and Greek Salad |
| Saturday | Blueberry Oats Bowl | Quinoa and Stir Fried Veg | Grilled Vegetables with Bean Mash |
| Sunday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Moroccan Chickpea Soup | Spicy Mediterranean Beet Salad |
Snacks are recommended between meal times. Some good snacks include:
- A handful of nuts or seeds
- A piece of fruit
- Carrots or baby carrots
- Berries or grapes
Day 1: Monday
Breakfast: Banana Yogurt Pots
Nutrition
- Calories – 236
- Protein – 14g
- Carbs – 32g
- Fat – 7g
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 225g /⅞ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 bananas, sliced into chunks
- 15g / 2 tbsp walnuts, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Place some of the yogurt into the bottom of a glass. Add a layer of banana, then yogurt and repeat. Once the glass is full, scatter with the nuts.
Lunch: Cannellini Bean Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 302
- Protein – 20g
- Carbs – 54g
- Fat – 0g
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 600g / 3 cups cannellini beans
- 70g / ⅜ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- small bunch basil, torn
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the beans and mix with the tomatoes, onion and vinegar. Season, then add basil just before serving.
Dinner: Squash and Lentil Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 409
- Protein – 17g
- Carbs – 58g
- Fat – 14g
Prep time + cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 500g / 2 ½ cups butternut squash, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp basil leaves
- ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp mustard
- 400g / 1 cup can lentils
- ½ red onion sliced
- 50g / 1 ⅔ cups spinach
- 75g / ½ cup cherry tomatoes,
- halved
- 20g / ⅕ cup feta cheese
- 1 tbsp mixed seeds, optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. On a baking tray, place butternut squash, olive oil, garlic clove, basil & seasoning. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender.
- Mix together vinegar, ½ tbsp olive oil, wholegrain mustard and 1-2 tbsp water. Drain the water from the puy lentils and add the red onion, spinach and tomatoes.
- Divide the lentils between plates. Top with the butternut squash, then crumble over feta cheese and sprinkle the mixed seeds.
Day 2: Tuesday
Breakfast: Tomato and Watermelon Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 177
- Protein – 5g
- Carbs – 13g
- Fat – 13g
Prep time + cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
- 120g / ⅝ cups tomatoes, chopped
- ½ watermelon, cut into chunks
- 50g / ⅔ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- For the dressing, Mix the oil, vinegar, chilli flakes and mint and then season.
- Put the tomatoes and watermelon into a bowl. Pour over the dressing, add the feta, then serve.
Lunch: Edgy Veggie Wraps
Nutrition
- Calories – 310
- Protein – 11g
- Carbs – 39g
- Fat – 11g
Prep time + cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 100g / ½ cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 6 Kalamata olives
- 2 large wholemeal tortilla wraps
- 50g / ¼ cups feta cheese
- 2 tbsp hummus
Instructions
- Chop the tomatoes, cut the cucumber into sticks, split the olives and remove the stones.
- Heat the tortillas.
- Spread the houmous over the wrap. Put the vegetable mix in the middle and roll up.
Dinner: Spicy Tomato Baked Eggs
Nutrition
- Calories – 417
- Protein – 19g
- Carbs – 45g
- Fat – 17g
Prep time + cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 red onions, chopped
- 1 red chilli, deseeded & chopped
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- small bunch coriander, stalks and leaves chopped separately
- 800g can / 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 4 eggs
- brown bread, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan with a lid, then cook the onions, chilli, garlic and coriander stalks for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, then simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Using the back of a large spoon, make 4 dips in the sauce, then crack an egg into each one. Put a lid on the pan, then cook over a low heat for 6-8 mins, until the eggs are done to your liking. Scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with bread.