How to Cook Healthy Mediterranean Meals for the Whole Family
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY TERMS OF USE POLICY FOR MORE INFO.
Cooking healthy, family-friendly Mediterranean meals is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A healthy meal not only provides the necessary nutrients required for good health but also helps in maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and improving overall well-being. However, cooking healthy meals for the whole family can be a challenge. In this blog, we will discuss some tips and tricks on how to cook healthy Mediterranean meals for the whole family.
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + A Free Shopping List
Don’t forget to pin it!
How You Can Drastically Improve Your Health By Following the Mediterranean Diet
In 2018, I was struggling to make healthy food choices and experienced constant joint pain, brain fog, blood sugar highs and lows, and extreme fatigue every day. These were symptoms that had become a part of my every day and was something that I thought I would always have to live with.
However, I knew there had to be a way for me to feel better, so I started doing research on evidence-based ways of eating that supported long-term health. As one of the healthiest diets in the world, the Mediterranean diet showed up repeatedly in my searches. In 2020, I decided to make the shift toward eating a more Mediterranean-based diet to support my health.
I started applying what I learned by following a Mediterranean-based diet and immediately saw great results!
After implementing a Mediterranean-based diet, I quickly noticed my energy levels drastically improve, I was sleeping SO much better each night, and my skin had become clear and glowing (yay for no more “adult acne!”) and I did all of this in a healthy, balanced way. I was so ecstatic about my results that I put together all my recipes that I had used and developed at this time and started sharing them with others with the hopes that they would feel just as amazing as I was feeling.
Eating a Mediterranean diet restored my physical and mental health.
My goal for you is to experience these same incredible benefits. My 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan is the exact plan I used to improve my health and eat intuitively.
How to Cook Healthy Mediterranean Meals for the Whole Family
Plan Your Meals in Advance
Planning your meals in advance is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you cook healthy meals. You can plan your meals for the week in advance and make a grocery list accordingly. This will help you buy only the ingredients that you need and prevent food waste. Moreover, planning your meals will also help you avoid last-minute unhealthy meal choices.
If you are looking for a Mediterranean meal plan that comes with pre-constructed grocery lists, our Mediterranean Diet Mastery Ecourse offers just that. Through the course, you can download a complete 4-week meal plan as a PDF that includes each week’s shopping list.
Additionally, our 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan offers a lower-carb Mediterranean meal plan with over 80 simple, budget-friendly recipes (grocery lists not included).
Include a Variety of Food Groups
A healthy meal should include a variety of food groups, such as whole grains, lean protein, fruits, and vegetables. It's important to include these food groups in your meals to ensure that your family gets all the necessary nutrients for good health.
Not sure where to get started? Try some of our favorite well-grounded recipes from Beyond the Brambleberry:
Strawberry & Greek Yogurt Parfait
Sweet Potato & Red Onion Breakfast Skillet
Roasted Butternut Squash, Turkey, and Massaged Kale Salad
Use Healthy Cooking Methods
The way you cook your food can also impact its nutritional value. When preparing Mediterranean diet-based meals, try to use healthy cooking methods such as grilling, baking, roasting, or steaming. Avoid deep-frying and using excessive amounts of oil or butter (everything in moderation!). Using an air fryer is a great option if you are trying to reduce your intake of unhealthy fats, and an Instant Pot and slow cooker help you to easily prepare healthy meals with limited effort.
To learn how to roast vegetables, check out my blog post How to Perfectly Roast Vegetables for the Mediterranean Diet.
Learn how to perfectly roast a whole chicken here.
Use Fresh Ingredients
Fresh ingredients are not only more flavorful but are also more nutritious. Try to use fresh fruits and vegetables in your meals instead of canned or frozen options when possible. When certain fruits and vegetables are not in season, I recommend buying them frozen as they are generally harvested and frozen when they’ve reached their peak nutritional value.
Try these recipes using fresh ingredients:
Massaged Kale, Pomegranate & Sunflower Seed Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
Reduce the Use of Salt and Sugar
Too much salt and sugar in your diet can be harmful to the health of you and your family and can contribute to the development of high blood pressure, diabetes, and more. Try to reduce your family’s salt and sugar intake by using fresh herbs and spices instead of salt and adding natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or monk fruit powder to your meals instead of white sugar.
The following recipes are healthier versions of traditional desserts through the use of more natural sweeteners.
Healthy Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Secretly Healthy Black Bean Brownies
You may also be interested in our zero sugar challenge which is perfect if you are looking to balance blood sugar levels, support healthy eating habits, or practice more mindful eating habits.
Involve Your Family in Preparing Healthy Meals
Cooking together can be a fun and engaging activity for the whole family. It can also help children develop healthy eating habits from an early age. Involve your family in meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking to encourage healthy eating habits.
Use Healthy Fats in Recipes
Fats are an essential part of a healthy diet, but it's important to choose healthy fats over unhealthy ones. Healthy fats for cooking include olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil. It’s best to avoid saturated and trans fats as much as possible.
Don't Skip Breakfast, and Prepare Healthy (High Protein) Breakfasts
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and skipping it can lead to overeating and more dramatic blood sugar fluctuations later in the day. Make sure to include a healthy, high-protein breakfast in your family's meal plan to ensure you start each day off right. I’ve included a few of my favorites below.
Favorite Breakfasts from Beyond the Brambleberry:
Make Healthy Food and Ingredient Swaps
You can make small changes to your favorite recipes to make them healthier. Below are additional healthy food swabs to try:
Regular pasta: replace with whole grain pasta, gluten-free pasta, spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles
Pizza: make your own pizza with a cauliflower crust or flatbread topped with fresh vegetables and cheese
White sugar: replace with honey, maple syrup, or monk fruit powder
Milk chocolate: replace with dark chocolate (greater than 75%)
Sour cream: replace with whole Greek Yogurt
Chips: replace with dry roasted pistachios or dry roasted edamame
Store-bought salad dressing: replace with homemade dressing
Try this healthy pasta recipe for your next family-friendly meal: Cauliflower Pasta with Lemon, Herbs & Romano Cheese
Cooking healthy meals for the whole family does not have to be an impossible task. With proper planning, healthy cooking methods, fresh ingredients, and involving your family in the process, you can easily prepare healthy and delicious Mediterranean meals that your family will love.
Start Eating Healthy with the Mediterranean Diet
If the Mediterranean diet is very different from how you have been eating, I HIGHLY recommend you follow a meal plan that has already been designed to help you be successful and quickly see results. The 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan I created includes everything you need to get started on the Mediterranean diet. It includes over 80 easy and delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that you can simply follow along to and enjoy all the delicious flavors that come with the Mediterranean diet.
Once I learned how to eat a balanced Mediterranean diet, I quickly saw great results! By understanding what my body needed each day, I was able to set myself up for success and have maintained this healthy lifestyle for almost 3 years.
I want this for you too! If you are ready to fully benefit from the Mediterranean diet, I urge you to get started with my 30-day meal plan now while it’s the lowest price it will ever be! Click here to get started.
Choosing the right foods makes all the difference in how you feel. Even if you’re not yet ready to go all in, I have something that will help you make a step towards eating healthy and reaping the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet. Download my Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes ebook by using the form below to get instant access to this valuable resource. I have also included a Mediterranean Diet Shopping List to help you get started.
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + A Free Shopping List
I have also put together a resource library containing my top recommended books, kitchen must-haves, supplements to support your health, and more! Click here to check it out!
Related Posts:
Discover More Delicious Recipes
Connect with me on Instagram
