Earlier this week a new study determined that following the Mediterranean diet can cut risk of heart disease by 30 percent. Why are we not surprised? The diet is touted for promoting heart-healthy fats, found in olive oil and nuts. Once we heard the news we started scouring local dietitians’ blogs for some tasty Mediterranean diet-friendly recipes and really liked what we found.
Greek-Style Pizza
Robyn Webb, the author of You Won’t Believe It’s Salt-Free!, has a Greek-style pizza recipe that includes feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, and black olives. Total cooking time: 19 minutes!
Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Sauce
Dietitian Danielle Omar recently featured this recipe on her blog. Eggplant is a favorite in both Greek and Italian cuisines. The really good news is that the red pepper sauce tastes equally as delicious on top of heart-healthy salmon.
Almond-Encrusted Tilapia
The Mediterranean diet is rich in nuts and olive oil and moderate in fish. Conveniently, Anne Mauney’s almond-encrusted tilapia recipe includes all three ingredients.
Mediterranean White Beans With Garlic and Basil
Katherine Tallmadge’s recipe uses cannellini beans, olive oil, tomatoes, and fresh basil to create this heart-healthy soup. You’ll end up with plenty of extra servings to enjoy throughout the week.
Lemon Basil Vegetable and Chickpea Salad
Heather Calcote’s colorful chickpea salad makes for a tasty lunch and will definitely up your veggie intake—it packs salad greens, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, red onion, and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.
BONUS: Tabbouleh With Chickpeas and Vegetables
We featured dietitian Katherine Tallmadge’s twist on tabbouleh way back in July, and we’re looking forward to making it again. One serving is about 300 calories, and contains all the ingredients for a main dish: protein, fiber, fruits, vegetables, and more.
You Might Also Like:
10-Minute Pita and Pepper Pizza |
Slow Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup |
Michelle Obama-Approved Healthy Recipes |
Are you a local registered dietitian or nutrition expert with a healthy recipe? Share it with us at wellbeing@washingtonian.com and it could be featured on Well+Being!
