In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to stray from a healthy diet, often succumbing to cravings for processed and sugary foods. These choices can negatively impact our health, both internally and externally. The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is to find foods that are both delicious and nutritious, reducing the temptation to indulge in unhealthy options.
Embracing the Whole Foods Diet
A whole foods diet emphasizes minimally processed foods, focusing on fresh produce, whole grains, healthy proteins, and fats. This approach helps to keep you energized and feeling good about what you're putting into your body.
Understanding Food Processing
It's important to recognize that most foods undergo some level of processing. For example, bagged spinach or roasted nuts are minimally processed, but they are generally safe as long as they contain only one ingredient. The whole foods diet allows for lightly processed foods occasionally. However, heavily processed foods tend to lose nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals.
The Importance of Meal Planning and Preparation
This diet requires more meal planning and preparation than you may be used to. Batch cooking can be incredibly helpful, allowing you to mix and match different ingredients. If you don't have time to cook, freshly delivered meals that can be refrigerated for several days are a convenient option.
Gradual Transition and Fiber Intake
As with any dietary change, it's best to transition gradually. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains means a higher fiber intake. If your body isn't accustomed to this, you may experience some discomfort initially.
Read also: Satisfy Your Cravings with Whole Foods
Long-Term Lifestyle, Not a Short-Term Fix
While a 7-day meal plan can be a great starting point, it's essential to understand that this is not a short-term fix. A whole foods diet is a guideline for a healthy lifestyle, and these foods should be consumed daily to ensure you're getting the necessary vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
The Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
A seven-day meal plan can help you incorporate foods with anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is an immune response to illness or injury. While it's protective in the short term, long-term inflammation can harm your health, potentially leading to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.
Consulting a Healthcare Professional
Before starting any new diet, it's crucial to consult with a doctor or healthcare professional to ensure it's right for you.
Sample 7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Plan
Here is a sample 7-day anti-inflammatory diet meal plan with recipe links included, to try out this week.
Breakfast: superfood kefir bowls with blueberries and coconut
Read also: Whole Foods Breakfast Options
Lunch: sweet potato avocado “toast”
Dinner: salmon zucchini skewers with cucumber dill sauce
Snack: strawberry “granola” snack bowl
Breakfast: overnight oats with cherries
Lunch: add shrimp and avocado to a lettuce wrap along with fresh herbs of your choice and lemon juice
Read also: Plant-Based Diet Guide
Dinner: cauliflower pizza bake
Snack: turmeric latte and a handful of nuts
Breakfast: raspberry sherbet chia pudding
Lunch: coconut basil chicken bowl
Dinner: quick chicken stir-fry with broccoli and bok choy
Snack: sliced pears and Gouda cheese
Breakfast: plum, almond, and yogurt parfait
Lunch: Cobb egg Salad
Dinner: fish tacos with red cabbage slaw
Snack: matcha latte and nut butter on whole grain toast
Breakfast: acai, cherry, and kale smoothie
Lunch: whole wheat pasta salad with chicken (substitute fresh spinach for lettuce)
Dinner: grilled steak with roasted butternut squash and a side salad
Snack: bottled kefir and a pomegranate
Breakfast: egg scramble with everything bagel seasoning
Lunch: hummus, turkey breast, and veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread
Dinner: autumn-inspired chicken thighs with apples and root veggies
Snack: hibiscus tea and seed crackers with nut butter
Breakfast: warm fruit salad with almond and chocolate
Lunch: avocado, tomato, and corn chickpea salad
Dinner: almond-crusted trout with shaved Brussels sprout salad
Snack: lacto-fermented pickles and fresh fruit
Anti-Inflammatory Cooking Tips
- Add Spices and Seasonings: Herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, rosemary, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper are great for both flavor and potential anti-inflammatory properties.
- Cook with Garlic and Onion: These vegetables are rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds and can be easily incorporated into many recipes.
- Make Your Own Dressings and Marinades: Using combinations of oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices, you can create flavorful dressings and marinades that are full of anti-inflammatory compounds.
- Keep it Simple: Choose a protein source like salmon or chickpeas and combine it with a vegetable and a grain.
Foods to Include and Avoid
An anti-inflammatory diet should include fruits and vegetables, healthy protein sources, and healthy fats and oils. Coffee or tea, fermented foods, and minimally processed whole grains can also be beneficial. On the other hand, try to avoid highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined seed oils like soybean and corn oil.
Recipes and Meal Ideas
Here are some recipes and meal ideas to help you get started with a whole foods diet:
Breakfast
- Add oats and milk to a sealable container, place in the fridge overnight, and top with berries and maple syrup the next morning.
- Steel-cut oats with fresh berries and ground flaxseed.
- Whole-grain toast with nut butter and a nutritious smoothie.
- Greek yogurt topped with fruit and walnuts.
- Egg white omelet with fresh, seasonal veggies.
Lunch
- Cook quinoa and eggs, add half of quinoa and one egg to a sealable lunch container, and top with julienned carrot, sliced cucumber, and tomatoes. Add lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper to a sealable jar and shake to combine. Add dressing to the lunch bowl minutes before eating.
- Tinned fish (such as canned salmon) flaked and mixed with capers, lemons, and fennel, served on 100% whole grain or sourdough bread.
- Homemade hummus with sliced cucumbers and carrots or spread on whole-grain bread or flatbread crackers.
- Roasted Mediterranean shrimp bowl with chickpea-based rice.
- Greek salad (cherry tomatoes, red onions, crumbed feta) rolled into a whole-wheat wrap.
- Leftover salmon from dinner over baby arugula, along with cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of homemade Italian vinaigrette.
Dinner
- Season chicken thighs with spices, sea salt, and pepper. Peel and thinly slice sweet potato. Preheat a large pan over medium heat, then brown chicken and sweet potato in a little oil for 5 minutes per side, then add a splash of water to the pan to deglaze it.
- Creamy Chicken and Zoodle Spaghetti (combine spiralized zucchini and spaghetti).
- Air Fryer Salmon and Swiss Chard.
- 5-Ingredient Creamy Kale Pasta with cooked chicken breasts or canned white beans.
- Sweet potato & cauliflower lentil bowl.
- Vegan chickpea curry jacket potatoes.
- Chicken with crushed harissa chickpeas.
- Mushroom brunch (mushrooms, eggs, kale, and garlic).
- Moroccan chickpea, squash & cavolo nero stew.
- Creamy spinach & mushroom penne.
- Roast chicken with sweet potato gremolata salad.
- Chicken, sweet potato & pea curry.
- Burrito bowl with chipotle black beans.
- Moroccan chicken.
- Prosciutto, kale & butter bean stew.
- Miso salmon with ginger noodles.
- Spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal.
- Easy chicken & chickpea tagine.
- Greek-style roast fish.
- Indian sweet potato & dhal pies.
- Cauliflower & green bean curry.
Snacks
- Homemade hummus with fresh crudité.
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.
- Dill Dip with blanched green beans, sliced raw radishes, or carrot sticks.
- A handful of nuts and seeds (low salt or no salt added).
- Fresh fruit, ideally local and in-season.
- Nonfat Greek yogurt and a small piece of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao).
- Whole-grain crackers with hummus.
- Raw veggies with a nonfat Greek yogurt dip.
- Peanut butter & date oat pots.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is a way of eating that emphasizes plant-based foods and healthy fats, focusing on overall eating patterns rather than strict formulas or calculations.
Key Components of the Mediterranean Diet
- Lots of vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, and nuts.
- A good amount of whole grains, like whole-wheat bread and brown rice.
- Plenty of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) as a source of healthy fat.
- A good amount of fish, especially fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- A moderate amount of natural cheese and yogurt.
- Little or no red meat, choosing poultry, fish, or beans instead of red meat.
- Little or no sweets, sugary drinks, or butter.
- A moderate amount of wine with meals (but if you don’t already drink, don’t start).
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
- Lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease, including a heart attack or stroke.
- Supporting a body weight that’s healthy for you.
- Supporting healthy blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
- Lowering your risk of metabolic syndrome.
- Supporting a healthy balance of gut microbiota in your digestive system.
- Lowering your risk for certain types of cancer.
- Slowing the decline of brain function as you age.
- Helping you live longer.
How the Mediterranean Diet Works
- Limits saturated fat and trans fat.
- Encourages healthy unsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids.
- Limits sodium.
- Limits refined carbohydrates, including sugar.
- Favors foods high in fiber and antioxidants.
Mediterranean Diet Food List
The Mediterranean Diet encourages you to eat plenty of some foods (like whole grains and vegetables) while limiting others. Here are some examples of foods to eat often with the Mediterranean Diet.
Mediterranean Diet Serving Goals and Sizes
A fridge and pantry full of nutritious foods are great for starters. But where do you go from there? How much of each food do you need? It’s always best to talk to a dietitian to get advice tailored to your needs as you get started. The chart below offers some general guidance on serving goals and serving sizes, according to the type of food.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables: Fruit: 3 servings per day; Veggies: At least 3 servings per day. Fruit: ½ cup to 1 cup; Veggies: ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Have at least 1 serving of veggies at each meal; Choose fruit as a snack.
- Whole grains and starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, and corn): 3 to 6 servings per day. ½ cup cooked grains, pasta, or cereal; 1 slice of bread; 1 cup dry cereal. Choose oats, barley, quinoa, or brown rice; Bake or roast red skin potatoes or sweet potatoes; Choose whole grain bread, cereal, couscous, and pasta; Limit or avoid refined carbohydrates.
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO): 1 to 4 servings per day. 1 tablespoon. Use instead of vegetable oil and animal fats (butter, sour cream, mayo); Drizzle on salads, cooked veggies, or pasta; Use as dip for bread.
- Legumes (beans and lentils): 3 servings per week. ½ cup. Add to salads, soups, and pasta dishes; Try hummus or bean dip with raw veggies; Opt for a veggie or bean burger.
- Fish: 3 servings per week. 3 to 4 ounces. Choose fish rich in omega-3s, like salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, and mackerel.
- Nuts: At least 3 servings per week. ¼ cup nuts or 2 tablespoons nut butter. Ideally, choose walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts; Add to cereal, salad, and yogurt; Choose raw, unsalted, and dry roasted varieties; Eat alone or with dried fruit as a snack.
- Poultry: No more than once daily (fewer may be better). 3 ounces. Choose white meat instead of dark meat; Eat in place of red meat; Choose skinless poultry or remove the skin before cooking; Bake, broil, or grill it.
- Dairy: No more than once daily (fewer may be better). 1 cup milk or yogurt; 1 ½ ounces natural cheese. Choose naturally low-fat cheese; Choose fat-free or 1% milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese; Avoid whole-fat milk, cream, and cream-based sauces and dressings.
- Eggs: Up to 1 yolk per day. 1 egg (yolk + white). Limit egg yolks; No limit on egg whites; If you have high cholesterol, have no more than 4 yolks per week.
- Red meat (beef, pork, veal, and lamb): None, or no more than 1 serving per week. 3 ounces. Limit to lean cuts, such as tenderloin, sirloin, and flank steak.
- Wine (optional): 1 serving per day (females); 2 servings per day (males). 1 glass (3 ½ ounces). If you don’t drink, the American Heart Association cautions you not to start drinking; Talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol in moderation.
- Baked goods and desserts: Avoid commercially prepared baked goods and desserts; Limit homemade goods to no more than 3 servings per week. Varies by type. Instead, choose fruit and nonfat yogurt; Bake using liquid oil instead of solid fats; whole grain flour instead of bleached or enriched flour; egg whites instead of whole eggs.
Creating a Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan
It’s important to consult with a primary care physician (PCP) or dietitian before making drastic changes to your diet or trying any new eating plan. They’ll make sure your intended plan is best for you based on your individual needs. They may also share meal plans and recipes for you to try at home.
In general, when thinking about meals, you’ll want to collect some go-to options and recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. The more variety, the better. You don’t want to get stuck in a rut or feel like you’re restricted in which foods you can or should eat. Luckily, there’s plenty of room for changing things up with the Mediterranean Diet.
Foods to Limit on the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet doesn’t set hard and fast rules for what you’re allowed or not allowed. Rather, it encourages you to eat more of certain foods and limit others.