How to enjoy eggs on the Mediterranean Diet. People new to the Mediterranean Diet often ask, “Can I have eggs on the Mediterranean Diet?” The simple answer is yes, but there is more to know. This article will share how often you can eat eggs, when you can eat them. Most importantly you will have 10 recipes to best incorporate eggs on the Mediterranean Diet.
Oldways is the expert on the very popular Mediterranean Diet and once again, the Mediterranean Diet is ranked #1 for the healthiest diet. What is wonderful about the Mediterranean Diet is that it is a diet of abundance not denial. The Mediterranean Diet focuses on what you CAN eat rather than what you cannot.
Eggs on the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
Eggs are part of the Mediterranean Diet. See them there at the top of the Oldways Mediterranean Diet Pyramid? They are good for you foods that are meant to be enjoyed once in awhile. My Sweetheart is all about eggs. Prior to us dating, he only ate breakfast if it included a big three-egg omelette. Otherwise, he skipped it. Today, on the Mediterranean Diet, we enjoy several healthy Mediterranean Diet eggless breakfasts. Mark still loves eggs, they are his favorite. That is why I find ways to incorporate eggs into his breakfast, with delicious foods from the lower levels of the pyramid. Adding plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains to your breakfast is a great technique to reduce the number of eggs in your diet without going without. Olive Sunshine has several Mediterranean Diet egg recipes.
Strategies to Balancing Eggs on the Mediterranean Diet
- Plan breakfast in advance ensuring that you have 3-4 days a week with out eggs. This will ensure the days you do eat eggs are guilt free!
- When choosing a breakfast with eggs, be sure to add plenty of vegetables, grains and even seafood or fish! This will allow you to have fewer eggs per meal and still feel satisfied.
- Make sure your eggy breakfasts are Mediterranean Diet friendly. This includes using healthy extra virgin olive oil to cook the eggs. If you are using cheese, it is a sprinkle for taste rather than a main ingredient. When selecting cheese be sure to choose a quality cheese. Cheese from sheep and goats milk are often produced more traditionally and are better for you.
- Remeber that the Mediterranean Diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, herbs and grains. When planning your meals remember that food on the top of the pyramid are to be selected less frequently. If you are having poultry for dinner you may not want eggs for breakfast.
- Eggs for breakfast is more of an American thing. When you travel to Europe, it is actually desribed as an English breakfast. It is not that Europeans do not eat eggs, but they may be eaten for other meals. Feel free to enjoy one of your favorite egg meals for dinner! It is a great way to enjoy eggs but to ensure you are not overdoing animal based food in your diet.
- Choose egg recipes that incorporate the Mediterranean Diet way of eating! Olive Sunshine has plenty of them to get you started!
The 10 Best Egg Recipes for the Mediterranean Diet
Recipe #1. Crustless Sweet Potato Quiche
Crustless Sweet Potato Quiche is tasty, light and full of delicious vegetables. The best part, if you are going to make one it is just as easy to make two! Make one for today and then freeze one for later. We usually have it on the weekend and then I bring leftover quiche to the office and heat it in the microwave. Feel free to experiment with the veggies. I added sautéed red onion to this one when I was out of spinach.
Why this works?
Each serving is 1 whole egg and .33 egg white! Spinach, sweet potato and mushrooms make it perfect for the Mediterranean Diet!
