mediterranean-snack-recipes

The Mediterranean diet lifestyle is one of the healthiest diets in the world. Here are five recipes of healthy yet unbelievably delicious Mediterranean diet snacks that are very easy to follow!

The ingredients are easily accessible and the procedures are quite straightforward. You don’t need to be a culinary expert to whip up these delectable snacks!

Marinated feta cheese and olives

Feta cheese and olives marinated with garlic, lemon, and rosemary are amazing together with warm crusty bread slices or flatbread crackers.

Ingredients:

  • warm crusty bread such as baguette, sliced (or you can use flatbread-style crackers)
  • black pepper, freshly ground
  • pinch of crushed red peppers
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced finely
  • freshly squeezed lemon juice of 1 lemon
  • freshly grated rind of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese, diced (use reduced-fat if possible)
  • 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Makes: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 73 per 2-tablespoon serving

Procedures:

  1. Peel the garlic cloves and mince finely. Set aside.
  2. Grate the rind of 1 lemon. Set aside.
  3. Slice the same lemon in half and squeeze out the lemon juice. Set aside.
  4. Slice the feta cheese into cubes. Set aside.
  5. Drain the Kalamata olives. Chop in half. Set aside.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the freshly ground black pepper, crushed red peppers, chopped rosemary leaves, minced garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well.
  7. Add in the diced feta cheese and the halved pitted Kalamata olives. Stir well until fully combined. Let the flavors infuse for at least five minutes.
  8. Serve with the slices of warm crusty bread of flatbread-style crackers.
  9. You can prepare this ahead of time and refrigerate, covered, for up to 24 hours.
  10. Enjoy!

Olives and tomatoes with cheese picnic meal

Tangy cheese, salty olives, and sweet tomatoes will make any simple afternoon wonderful! The best news is that you can prepare this snack in just ten minutes or less!

Ingredients:

  • 6 olives
  • 1/4 ounce (7 in grams) aged cheese, cut into thin slices
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 loaf whole wheat crusty bread

Makes: 2 servings
Calories:100.5 calories per serving

Procedures:

  1. Slice the olives in half. Set aside.
  2. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Set aside.
  3. Cut the crusty bread into bite-size pieces.
  4. Slice the aged cheese thinly.
  5. Combine the sliced olives, sliced tomatoes, sliced aged cheese, and bite-sized bread pieces in a portable container.
  6. Serve immediately and enjoy during snack time!

Paprika hard-boiled eggs

Paprika makes old-fashioned hardboiled eggs very exciting!

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 hardboiled eggs, sliced in half

Makes: 8 servings
Calories: 88 per serving

Procedures:

  1. Slice the hardboiled eggs in half
  2. Dip each half lightly in extra virgin olive oil.
  3. Sprinkle with a bit of paprika powder and kosher salt.
  4. Serve immediately.
  5. Enjoy during snack time!

Lemon cream with berries

Combining reduced-fat cream cheese with Greek yogurt will create a topping that is heavenly and delectable. Top it with berries of your choice and you’re good to go!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh berries of your choice (Raspberries or blueberries are recommended. You can also use mixed berries)
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon rind
  • 1 teaspoon organic honey
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or low-fat/non-fat vanilla yogurt
  • 4 ounces (113 in grams) reduced-fat cream cheese

Makes: 4 servings

Calories: 156 per serving

Procedures:

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, break the cream cheese apart using a fork.
  2. Add in the organic honey and the Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt and beat everything together using a handheld electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Stir in the freshly grated lemon rind.
  3. Prepare 4 wine glasses or dessert dishes, and add a bit of lemon cream cheese mixture on each. Top with a layer of berries. Then, add another layer of lemon cream cheese mixture. Keep layering alternately until everything has been used up. Serve immediately.
  4. You can cover the lemon cream cheese mixture and store it in the refrigerator for up to eight hours if you are not serving it immediately.
  5. Enjoy!

Fruit couscous salad

Couscous is a classic whole wheat dish usually served with meat, but is great with fruit salad too!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons toasted chopped almonds
  • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup chopped nectarine
  • 2 cups 100% whole-wheat couscous, cooked
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Makes: 4 servings
Calories: 259 per serving

Procedures:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, ground black pepper, table salt, shallots, orange juice, and extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Add in the cooked couscous and stir well.
  3. Add in the chopped toasted almonds, raspberries, blueberries, and the chopped nectarines. Toss gently until well combined.
  4. Serve immediately.
  5. Enjoy!

Health benefits

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Mediterranean diet lifestyle is one of the healthiest diets in the world.

In fact, it is one of the most researched and extensively acclaimed diets as proven by a substantial amount of scientific studies conducted over the past sixty years.

Here are just some of the amazing health benefits offered by this way of eating:

It has been proven by numerous studies that abiding by the Mediterranean diet results in the following:

  • A higher quality of life, which includes improved mental and physical health.
  • Improved symptoms of sleep apnea.
  • Lower risk for some types of cancer.
  • Improvement in bone and teeth health.
  • Prevention of Parkinson’s disease.
  • Slower decline of brain health due to aging, thus lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Lower chances of developing depression and similar illnesses in older age.
  • Inflammation is reduced and the flowing levels of anti-oxidants are increased.
  • Lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
  • Better management of blood sugar levels in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
  • Lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
  • Lower risk of developing heart diseases.

One additional bonus is weight loss! The Mediterranean diet may assist in a person shedding off those extra pounds because of the following:

  • The portion sizes of certain food types are limited.
  • The meals are savored and enjoyed and not consumed hastily.
  • Physical exercise is encouraged.

Give these recipes a try, you will love them!

Frequently asked questions about the Mediterranean diet

An overview of the Mediterranean diet

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