Perfect for summer, here is the Mediterranean diet: lose weight but with taste!

The Mediterranean weight loss diet consists of adopting a healthy and balanced diet: let’s find out everything from food to the weekly menu!

You have certainly heard of it, but perhaps you do not know in detail all the advantages of this fantastic diet conceived by the American biologist Ancel Keys : we are talking about the Mediterranean diet, a diet that is based precisely on the foods of the Mediterranean countries, and which has also been named UNESCO heritage in 2010!

It is a weight loss diet, but not only: the recipes of the Mediterranean cuisine are tasty, varied and interesting , so much so that one could speak of a real lifestyle. Let’s find out how it works.

How the Mediterranean diet works

Before going into detail, let’s see some general rules of this diet:

– The diet is varied , and as we will see, it involves the consumption of many different foods, tending to avoid saturated fats, sugars and alcohol. Even salt, if possible, should be replaced with spices.
In addition to food, it is very important to drink 2 at least two liters of water a day.
-The firings are fundamental: to be preferred that the steamed or boiled and cooked food to the plate, so as to use the least possible condiments.
-In addition, it would be good to add constant physical activity to the diet

The food pyramid of the Mediterranean diet

To understand better how it works and what are the foods that are part of this diet, the best way is to analyze the Mediterranean food pyramid.

As can be deduced from the image, the foods are really many and varied, and they range from seasonal fruit and vegetables to fish, whole grains and more. The most interesting trait that emerges from the pyramid is that we are not in front of one of those radical diets , but rather, in this we find the right balance between proteins, vegetable fats and carbohydrates .

Going into more detail, in the first two steps of the pyramid we find the foods that must be consumed every day, and therefore fruit, vegetables, bread, rice and pasta, as well as milk and its derivatives and extra virgin olive oil.

The third and fourth steps are populated with foods to be eaten in more moderation, and therefore here are fish , meat (especially white meats) and eggs.

Going up we find sausages, saturated fats, fried, sweets and sugars, which are rarely consumed , if not avoided.

Mediterranean diet: complete weekly menu

Based on the pyramid just analyzed, this diet provides that you can eat oil, milk and dairy products every day, twice a week white meat and once red meat . Legumes and fish can be eaten for three days, while eggs should be eaten up to a maximum of 6/7.

Let’s now see an example of a weekly Mediterranean diet and a hypothetical menu to follow. If you want to have an effective personalized menu , also in view of following a slimming diet, we advise you in any case to contact a nutritionist !

Monday

Breakfast : a jar of yogurt or 2 rusks with jam, tea or coffee.
Snack: 1 seasonal fruit
Lunch : white meat, salad, 40 g of wholemeal bread
Snack: 1 seasonal fruit
Dinner : 100 g of bresaola, raw vegetables, 30 g of whole wheat bread

Tuesday

Breakfast : a jar of yogurt or 2 rusks with jam, tea or coffee
Snack : juice
Lunch : 70 g of wholemeal pasta with seasonal vegetables
Snack: 1 seasonal fruit
Dinner : baked fish with vegetables, 30 g of wholemeal bread

Wednesday

Breakfast : a jar of yogurt or 2 rusks with jam, tea or coffee.
Snack : 1 seasonal fruit
Lunch: 50 g of brown rice, cooked mixed vegetables, 30 g of whole wheat bread
Snack : dried fruit
Dinner : white meat (roasted chicken), seasonal vegetables, 20 g of whole wheat bread

Thursday

Breakfast : skim milk with whole grains, tea or coffee.
Snack : dried fruit
Lunch : 2 boiled eggs, 200 g of salad, 40 g of whole wheat bread
Snack : 1 seasonal fruit
Dinner: grilled fish, cooked seasonal vegetables, 20 g of whole wheat bread

Friday

Breakfast : a jar of yogurt or 2 rusks with jam, tea or coffee.
Snack: 1 seasonal fruit
Lunch : 150 g of turkey breast, salad with tomatoes, 40 g of whole wheat bread
Snack: 1 seasonal fruit
Dinner: 150 g of fresh cheese, raw seasonal vegetables,

Saturday

Breakfast : a jar of yogurt or 2 rusks with jam, tea or coffee.
Snack : 1 seasonal fruit
Lunch : 3 boiled eggs in a salad, 40 g of wholemeal bread, 1 banana
Snack 1 seasonal fruit
Dinner : 80 g of tomato pasta

Sunday

Breakfast : skim milk with whole grains, tea or coffee.
Snack: 1 seasonal fruit
Lunch: free
Snack: fruit salad
Dinner: fresh cheese (150 g), seasonal vegetables, 40 g of whole wheat bread