| Meal Plan at a Glance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast/ A.M. Snack | Lunch/ P.M. Snack | Dinner/ Evening Snack |
| Mango-blueberry smoothie | Marinated chickpea salad/ Yogurt & banana | High-protein black bean salad/ Dates & nut butter |
| Apple-pomegranate overnight oats/ Avocado toast | High-protein black bean salad/ Mixed nuts | Pesto pasta with tomatoes/ Chocolate-strawberry nice cream |
| Apple-pomegranate overnight oats/ Avocado toast | Vegan grain bowl/ Hummus & cucumbers | Chicken & chickpea skillet/ Chocolate-strawberry nice cream |
| Apple-pomegranate overnight oats/ Mixed nuts | Vegan grain bowl/ Dates & nut butter | Poblano chicken fajitas/ Chocolate-strawberry nice cream |
| Apple-pomegranate overnight oats/ Yogurt & berries | Vegan grain bowl/ Hummus & cucumbers | Slow cooker white bean stew/ Chocolate-strawberry nice cream |
| Blueberry & peanut butter chia pudding/ Mixed nuts | Slow cooker white bean stew | Salmon with orzo & broccoli/ Yogurt & berries |
| Blueberry & peanut butter chia pudding | White bean salad with feta/ Hummus & cucumbers | Halibut with quinoa & Brussels sprouts/ Dates & nut butter |
Day 1
Photographer: Brittney Cottrell, Food stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop stylist: Keoshia McGhee.
Breakfast (387 Calories)
Lunch (373 Calories)
Afternoon Snack (238 Calories)
- 1 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 medium banana
Dinner (595 Calories)
Evening Snack (229 Calories)
- 2 pitted medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Daily totals: 1,822 calories, 65 g fat, 75 g protein, 258 g carbohydrates, 51 g fiber, 1,535 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit evening snack and pita from lunch.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted mixed nuts for morning snack.
Day 2
Photographer: Brittney Cottrell, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong.
Breakfast (343 Calories)
Morning Snack (230 Calories)
Lunch (595 Calories)
Afternoon Snack (199 Calories)
- ¼ cup unsalted mixed nuts
Dinner (342 Calories)
Evening Snack (128 Calories)
Daily totals: 1,836 calories, 70 g fat, 68 g protein, 264 g carbohydrates, 60 g fiber, 1,786 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit afternoon and evening snacks.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons of walnuts to breakfast and 1 medium banana to afternoon snack.
Day 3
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
Breakfast (343 Calories)
Morning Snack (230 Calories)
Lunch (486 Calories)
Afternoon Snack (164 Calories)
- ¼ cup hummus
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
Dinner (426 Calories)
Evening Snack (128 Calories)
Daily totals: 1,777 calories, 60 g fat, 84 g protein, 256 g carbohydrates, 55 g fiber, 2,048 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit afternoon snack and banana from lunch.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons of walnuts to breakfast and 1 tablespoon peanut butter to lunch (with banana).
Day 4
Breakfast (343 Calories)
Morning Snack (199 Calories)
- ¼ cup unsalted mixed nuts
Lunch (381 Calories)
Afternoon Snack (229 Calories)
- 2 pitted medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Dinner (500 Calories)
Evening Snack (128 Calories)
Daily totals: 1,780 calories, 79 g fat, 72 g protein, 222 g carbohydrates, 43 g fiber, 1,223 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning snack and peanut butter from afternoon snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons of walnuts to breakfast and 1 medium banana to morning snack.
Day 5
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
Breakfast (343 Calories)
Morning Snack (186 Calories)
- 1 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup strawberries
Lunch (486 Calories)
Afternoon Snack (164 Calories)
- ¼ cup hummus
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
Dinner (526 Calories)
Evening Snack (128 Calories)
Daily totals: 1,832 calories, 49 g fat, 98 g protein, 271 g carbohydrates, 55 g fiber, 1,713 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning and afternoon snacks.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons of walnuts to breakfast and 1 tablespoon peanut butter to lunch (with banana).
Day 6
Jacob Fox
Breakfast (478 Calories)
Morning Snack (199 Calories)
- ¼ cup unsalted mixed nuts
Lunch (526 Calories)
Dinner (425 Calories)
Evening Snack (186 Calories)
- 1 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup strawberries
Daily totals: 1,813 calories, 70 g fat, 128 g protein, 179 g carbohydrates, 48 g fiber, 1,713 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit evening snack and pita from lunch.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 medium banana with 1 tablespoon peanut butter for afternoon snack.
Day 7
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Breakfast (478 Calories)
Morning Snack (105 Calories)
Lunch (416 Calories)
Afternoon Snack (164 Calories)
- ¼ cup hummus
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
Dinner (406 Calories)
Evening Snack (229 Calories)
- 2 pitted medjool dates
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Daily totals: 1,798 calories, 82 g fat, 83 g protein, 206 g carbohydrates, 48 g fiber, 1,439 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning and afternoon snacks.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted mixed nuts to morning snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is it OK to mix and match meals if there’s one I don’t like?Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as inspiration. It doesn’t need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check the calories, fiber, protein and sodium to align with the parameters of this plan and be within our sodium limits. If you’re making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, fiber, protein and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these delicious recipes for healthy cholesterol.
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Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?Definitely, it’s fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. The breakfasts range from 343 to 478 calories while the lunches span 373 to 595 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you’re closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two.
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Why is there not a 1,200 calorie modification?We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
How the Mediterranean Diet Benefits Cholesterol
The Mediterranean diet centers around lean proteins like beans, nuts and fish that are low in saturated fat—the kind of fat that can raise LDL cholesterol if consumed in excess. It’s also rich in plant foods like fruits, veggies, legumes and whole grains that are naturally high in antioxidants and fiber—nutrients that help prevent your digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol.
The best part is that the Mediterranean Diet is quite easy to follow since it isn’t overly restrictive, making it one of the most popular and sustainable diets out there. Nothing is fully off limits on this diet, but saturated fats, added sugars and refined grains are consumed in moderation for further heart health benefits.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
