Mediterranean Diet 5-Day Meal Plan Featuring Walnuts

There are so many great benefits to having a simple, easy-to-follow meal plan. You can shop for your groceries in bulk which means saving money as well as making sure that you’re reducing your food waste. No more buying a whole jar of something, just to use a spoonful in one recipe.

It also reduces the amount of thinking you need to do. In the lead up to your wedding, there are so many small, little things to think about and make decisions on. What place settings do you want? Where will Uncle Jack be seated? Does everyone eat fish? The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time thinking about what you’re going to eat. Most likely it’ll be the last thing on your mind.

There is a risk that if you don’t have a plan, you’ll end up snacking on whatever is nearby. Making a plan, ordering in some groceries and having your fridge stocked with healthy options means you’re more likely to fuel yourself with good food. You’ll also fill up on non-starchy veggies and protein, leaving little room for sweets and snacks.

Mediterranean Diet 5-Day Meal Plan Featuring Walnuts

So why walnuts? If you look closely at a walnut, you’ll notice it sort of looks like a mini-brain. This is nature's way of telling us what they’re good for! Studies have shown that eating walnuts can improve our brain function and help fight off the age-related decline in mental functions. How great is that? It’s thought that this is due to their high antioxidant content but it could also be related to the omega-3s stored in these little bundles of goodness.

What else are they good for? Your heart! To get technical, they’re shown to reduce heart disease because they lower your bad cholesterol (that’s LDL), reduce inflammation and improve the function of your blood vessels. Again, being so high in good fats and antioxidants means you can’t go past these little bundles of health.

They’re about 65% fat and 15% protein which make them a great addition to our meals without increasing our carbohydrate intake. Instead, it means that these little treats are energy-dense. You won’t need to eat a mountain of them to get the required amount of calories from them. But those high levels of fat and protein mean that they’ll leave you feeling fuller for longer.

GROCERIES

Walnuts, 1 3.75-cup bag
Eggs, 2 dozen
Canned roasted tomatoes, 2 15-oz cans
Tomatoes, 10 medium
Cucumbers, 5 medium cucumbers
Feta cheese crumbles, 2 6-oz tubs
Dark chocolate, 5 280-calorie bars
Spinach greens, 5 4-cup bags
Canned salmon, 1 15-oz can
Avocados, 3

BREAKFAST SHAKSHUKA

2 eggs
½ cup canned, roasted tomatoes
1 small tomato, chopped
1/8 cup chopped walnuts
1/8 cup feta cheese
Seasonings: salt, pepper, basil, oregano to taste

Instructions: Spray pan with olive oil spray. Add tomatoes. Crack eggs into pan. Cook on medium heat covered, for ~8 minutes. Top with feta and walnuts.

Cost: $1.47

Calories: 350; Carbohydrates: 14gm; Protein: 19gm; Fat: 22gm

MEDITERRANEAN LUNCH BOX

2 hard boiled eggs
¼ cup walnuts
1 cucumbers, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
½ bar dark chocolate
Seasonings: salt, pepper, basil, oregano to taste

Instructions for Israeli salad: mix tomato & cucumber; top with seasoning to taste

Cost: $2.27

Calories: 525; Carbohydrates: 72gm; Protein: 24gm; Fat: 27gm

DINNER GREENS & SALMON PATTY

Greens

4 cups spinach greens
1/8 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/8 cup walnuts
½ avocado (for on the side)

Directions: spray pan with olive oil spray; sauté greens on medium heat for ~4 minutes until desired consistency. Top with walnuts and feta.

Salmon patties – makes 5 servings

1 can salmon
1 egg
1/3 cup crushed walnuts

Directions: drain salmon in can. Mix salmon and egg in large bowl. Create 5 patties. Press patties on both sides into crushed walnuts until coated. Spray pan with olive oil spray. Cook patties on medium heat in a covered pan, ~7 minutes on each side.

Cost: $3.69

Calories: 450; Carbohydrates: 13gm; Protein: 27gm; Fat: 33gm

This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are my own.