ThePrep: 25-Minute Mediterranean Diet Dinners for Summer

With all the fresh summer fruits and veggies, there's no easier time to lean into the principles of the Mediterranean diet, which research touts as one of the healthiest ways to eat. The delicious dinners in this week's plan feature plenty of veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins, packaged up in recipes that are ready in 25 minutes or less.

Your Meal Plan

The principles of the Mediterranean diet can be applied to any cuisine, not just to those traditional in the Mediterranean region, which is why you'll see everything from Monday's Easy Eggplant Stir-Fry to Friday's Grilled Chicken Tacos with Slaw & Lime Crema. I love that Monday's Easy Eggplant Stir-Fry has the added bonus of being ready in just 15 minutes. I'll pair this dinner with a package of pre-cooked brown rice to add a healthy whole grain and cut down on total prep time. If you're looking to add a little extra protein, top it with a fried egg.

Tuesday's Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas & Feta begs to be enjoyed al fresco. This healthy dinner pairs juicy chicken with a medley of chickpeas and veggies tossed in an herby vinaigrette. There's also feta cheese and olives, which add a nice briny bite. This is one of those meals that works well as a casual dinner but also feels special enough to serve for friends and family. A few more delicious dinners carry you through to Friday, which is my favorite night of the week for obvious reasons (hello weekend!), but also because it's often when we make tacos in my house. The Grilled Chicken Tacos with Slaw & Lime Crema is on deck for this week. If you're not feeling chicken, swap in grilled shrimp or fish to change things up.

Sunday: Skillet Lemon-Garlic Salmon with Quinoa Salad with Feta, Olives & Tomatoes

Monday: Easy Eggplant Stir-Fry with cooked brown rice

Tuesday: Grilled Chicken & Mixed Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas & Feta

Wednesday: Greek-Inspired Burgers with Herb-Feta Sauce

Thursday: Spinach Ravioli with Artichokes & Olives

Friday: Grilled Chicken Tacos with Slaw & Lime Crema

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Meal-Prep Lunch

I usually take leftovers for lunch, but we've been making such tasty dinners lately that there's often not much left over! Or, my husband snags them for his lunch before I can get to them. This easy recipe for Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad is a great lunch recipe for the summer months. Heartier spinach holds up better than more delicate lettuce in the fridge all week, and waiting to add your strawberries and dressing until you're ready to eat helps keep the greens from wilting.

Get the Recipe: Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad

Treat Yourself:

To this take on the classic Italian Aperol spritz, we add tangy grapefruit juice for an extra kick of citrus. It's a refreshing drink to sip during the warm summer months, and you bet I'll be making myself one to enjoy this weekend. Saluti!

Get the Recipe: Grapefruit Aperol Spritz

I hope you all have a happy week, and if you have any questions or requests for future newsletters, please let me know by emailing ThePrep@eatingwell.com!