‘I lost half a stone on the Mediterranean diet – now I swear by 20-minute meal’

The Mediterranean diet has been making waves recently, so I decided to give it a go. The diet, which is based on the eating habits of Mediterranean countries in the mid-20th century, encourages the reduction of refined sugars and an increase in plant-based foods.

This means more vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil. To my surprise, I lost half a stone in just one week.

Along with some dietary changes, I also discovered some standout meals. It wasn’t just hummus, which I had avoided for over a decade, but a quick and simple meal that really impressed me.

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The trend of 20-minute meals has become popular worldwide, with everyone looking for a quick dinner solution. I particularly enjoyed a quick and easy prawn and harissa spaghetti recipe from Good Food.

The recipe only requires seven ingredients, which speeds up preparation time, and contains 500 calories. This makes it ideal for those busy days when you’re trying to grab something to eat on the go or when the thought of cooking a fresh meal seems too daunting, reports Wales Online.

Despite forgetting one ingredient during my week-long Mediterranean diet experiment, the dish was still delicious. I simply substituted peppers to bulk up the meal.

So, how do you make this tasty, quick, and easy dish? Scroll down to find out…

Ingredients

Long-stem broccoli

Spaghetti – I used wholemeal

Garlic clove

Olive oil

Cherry tomatoes

King prawns

Harissa paste

Method

1. Bring a slightly salted pan of water to a boil before adding the broccoli.

Boil until tender before draining and setting aside. Cook the spaghetti as the packet suggests. And then drain, leaving aside around a ladle worth of cooking water.

2. Heat the oil in the pan. Add the garlic before frying for around two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard. Leaving the garlic-infused olive oil in the pan.

3. Add the tomatoes and fry until they begin to soften and become juicy. Stir through the prawns until they start to turn pink before adding in the harissa paste and lemon zest, stirring it through as well.

4. Add in the spaghetti and water, tossing it through to coat the harissa prawns. Stir through the broccoli before seasoning to taste.

The full recipe can be found on BBC Good Food here.

How I found the Mediterranean diet

When I first decided to follow the Mediterranean diet for a week, I found picking a meal plan to be a huge help. The big thing I noticed off the bat was the lack of fizzy drinks, which was a particular blow as someone who enjoys cracking open a can of pop while working.

And to bridge the gap between meals, it included more snacks such as nuts and fruits. Pre-preparing meals was also a boost, sorting a grab-as-you go breakfast and a lunch that could be pulled out of the fridge while working.

I decided to start my day with overnight oats and for lunch, I chose a “super food salad” – a mix of grains like quinoa, kale, lettuce, beans, and sliced chicken for that protein kick. This strategy helped me avoid the daily dilemma of what to have for lunch.

To my surprise, I lost 3.4kg (7.5lb) by the end of the week. Although it’s common to see a significant drop when you first overhaul your diet, this was more than I anticipated, especially since I believed my diet was fairly healthy to begin with.

There were some valuable lessons from my week too. Preparing breakfast in advance made mornings smoother, while opting for a wholesome, natural snack curbed my craving for “ultra-processed” soft drinks.

Having lunch ready also eliminated the temptation to “pop to the shop” for a pre-packaged sandwich when there was “nothing in”. .

What a typical Mediterranean diet week looked like

Breakfast – Cinnamon roll overnight oats with walnuts and blackberries – 453 cal

Morning snack – pear and an easy peeler – 104 calories

Lunch – chicken super food salad – 546 calories

Dinner – Roasted salmon and vegetables – 422 calories

Total calories – 1,525

The foods to buy on a Mediterranean diet

There were definitely some staple ingredients whatever diet plan, website, or book I read about the Mediterranean diet. These included

• Olive oil
• Fish
• Beans and pulses
• Nuts – walnuts were a hit!
• Grains – I stuck to mostly quinoa but a good number of recipes out there used cous cous too!
• Herbs and spices – for that flavour kick
• Healthy fats – avocado, olives etc

What the NHS says about the Mediterranean diet

The NHS advises maintaining a balanced diet for those aiming to shed some pounds, which includes consuming five portions of fruits and vegetables daily. The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics also highlights the numerous advantages of adhering to a Mediterranean diet. These include:

• Weight loss – plants are naturally lower in calories and high in fibre, which helps you feel fuller for longer
• Reduced risk of having a heart attack or stroke – replacing saturated fat, found mostly in meat and dairy, with healthier fats in nuts and olive oil, lowers your cholesterol levels. This is good for your heart and blood vessels
• Diabetes – eating a diet rich in plants can help prevent type 2diabetes. For people with diabetes (type 1, type 2 and gestational), it can help lower blood glucose levels and may allow them to reduce their medication
• Reduced blood pressure
• Lower risk of developing certain cancers – bowel, breast, prostate, stomach, bladder, head and neck, lung and pancreatic cancer
• Lower risk of developing dementia
• Better balance of good gut bacteria, which can lead to better digestion
• Improved mood and mental health
• Environmentally friendly – Mediterranean diets have a lower impact on the environment due to lower greenhouse emissions, and less land and water use

Source: bing.com