7-Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan for a Healthy Gut, Created by a Dietitian (2024)

Over the past years, the U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Mediterranean diet as the best overall diet. Additionally, in 2024, the Mediterranean diet took the top spot for the best diet for bone and joint health, the best family-friendly diet, the easiest diet to follow, the best heart-healthy diet and the best diet for healthy eating.

The tenets of the Mediterranean diet are simple: eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fatty fish and whole grains while eating less saturated fat and added sugar. Research shows that following this diet reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Having a healthy gut microbiome also has many of these same benefits. Data has shown that in addition to helping with constipation and digestion, good gut bacteria may help improve mood, sleep and heart health.

Furthermore, both a healthy microbiome and the Mediterranean diet are associated with helping maintain a healthy weight.

To help you increase your good gut bacteria and get the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, we created this seven-day meal plan filled with foods that follow both diets. Additionally, we set this meal plan at 1,500 calories, a level that most will lose weight, but adjustments for 1,200 and 2,000 calories are also listed if you require more or fewer calories. Feel free to modify it to your calorie needs.

Foods to Focus On

Contrary to what you might believe, you don’t need to eat the Mediterranean region’s traditional foods when following the Mediterranean diet. Foods within these groups can fit this diet.

Mediterranean-Diet Foods:

• Herbs and spices
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Healthy fats, such as olive oil or avocado oil
• Nuts, including natural nut butters
• Seeds (chia, pumpkin, flax and more)
• Fish
• Eggs
• Meat
• Poultry
• Legumes (chickpeas, pinto beans, lentils and more)
• Dairy, including cheese, yogurt and kefir
• Whole grains (bulgur, farro, fonio, freekeh, couscous, rice and more)

Gut-Healthy Foods:

Probiotics are foods that contain healthy gut bacteria, while prebiotics are foods that feed good gut bacteria. These foods are naturally high in each but are not limited to only these lists.

Probiotic-Rich Foods:

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Miso
• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Tempeh
• Kombucha

Prebiotic-Rich Foods:

• Garlic
• Leeks, especially the green part
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Bananas
• Seaweed
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Dandelion greens
• Soybeans
• Mushrooms
• Oats

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

1. Bake Banana Protein Muffins to have for breakfast on Days 2 and 3, and for snack Day 4.
2. On the evening of Day 3, prepare two servings of Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal for breakfast on Days 4 and 5.
3. Make Everything Bagel Crispy Chickpeas for snack on Days 6 and 7.

Day 1

Breakfast (249 calories)

• 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie

A.M. Snack (211 calories)

• 3/4 cup blueberries
• 3 tablespoons roasted, unsalted cashews

Lunch (439 calories)

• 1 serving

P.M. Snack (163 calories)

• 2 tablespoons hummus
• 1 cup sliced cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons walnut halves

Dinner (429 calories)

• 1 serving

Meal-Prep Tip: Save a serving of the for lunch tomorrow.

Daily Totals: 1,491 calories, 67 g protein, 168 g carbohydrates, 29 g fiber, 70 g fat, 1,397 mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Omit cashews at A.M. snack and hummus and walnuts at P.M. snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 hard-boiled eggs to breakfast, increase to 1 cup blueberries and 1/3 cup cashews at morning snack, increase to ¼ cup hummus and ¼ cup walnuts at afternoon snack, add 2 servings Creamy Dill Yogurt Sauce to dinner.

Day 2

Breakfast (254 calories)

• 1 serving Banana Protein Muffins
• 1 orange

A.M. Snack (208 calories)

• 1 serving

Lunch (429 calories)

• 1 serving leftover

P.M. Snack (101 calories)

• 1 medium pear

Dinner (504 calories)

• 1 serving

Meal-Prep Tip: Save a serving of the for lunch tomorrow.

Daily Totals: 1,496 calories, 81 g protein, 177 g carbohydrates, 27 g fiber, 58 g fat, 1,533 mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Omit orange at breakfast, swap A.M. snack for 1 cup air-popped popcorn, and reduce to ½ pear at P.M. snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 hard-boiled eggs to breakfast, add ¼ cup slivered almonds to A.M. snack, and add 2 ounces low-fat cheddar to P.M. snack.

Day 3

Breakfast (373 calories)

• 2 servings Banana Protein Muffins
• 1 cup plain kefir
• 2 clementines

A.M. Snack (173 calories)

• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 ounce low-fat cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons shelled pistachios

Lunch (353 calories)

• 1 serving Cucumber-Chicken Green Goddess Wrap

P.M. Snack (200 calories)

• 1 cup edamame in pods

Dinner (408 calories)

• 1 serving
• 1 slice (-oz.) whole-wheat baguette
• 1 cup steamed broccoli with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Daily Totals: 1,506 calories, 84 g protein, 164 g carbohydrates, 41 g fiber, 64 g fat, 1,916 mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Omit clementines and reduce to ½ cup kefir at breakfast, reduce to ½ cup edamame at P.M. snack, and omit baguette at dinner.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 scrambled eggs to breakfast, increase to 1 ½ cups raspberries at A.M. snack, add 2 servings Creamy Dill Yogurt Sauce to lunch, increase to 2 cups edamame at P.M. snack, and increase to 2 slices baguette at dinner.

Day 4

Breakfast (291 calories)

• 1 serving Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal

A.M. Snack (176 calories)

• 1 medium apple
• 2 tablespoons walnut halves

Lunch (430 calories)

• 1 serving

P.M. Snack (193 calories)

• 1 Banana Protein Muffin

Dinner (411 calories)

• 1 serving
• 3 ounces cooked chicken

Meal-Prep Tip: Save a serving of the for lunch tomorrow.

Daily Totals: 1,501 calories, 80 g protein, 162 g carbohydrates, 26 g fiber, 63 g fat, 1,394 mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Reduce to 1 tablespoon walnuts at A.M. snack, omit chicken at dinner and swap P.M. snack for 1 small banana.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons peanut butter to breakfast, increase to ¼ cup walnuts at A.M. snack, add 1 ounce dark chocolate to P.M. snack, and increase to 4 ounces chicken at dinner.

Day 5

Breakfast (291 calories)

• 1 serving Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal

A.M. Snack (210 calories)

• 1 medium banana
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch (368 calories)

• 1 serving
• 4 ounces canned tuna

P.M. Snack (206 calories)

• ¼ cup roasted, unsalted almonds

Dinner (414 calories)

• 1 serving

Daily Totals: 1,489 calories, 86 g protein, 147 g carbohydrates, 24 g fiber, 67 g fat, 1,580 mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Omit peanut butter at A.M. snack and swap P.M. snack for ½ small pear.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons peanut butter to breakfast, add ½ whole-wheat pita to lunch, increase to 5 tablespoons almonds at P.M. snack, and add 1 ounce dark chocolate to dinner.

Day 6

Breakfast (311 calories)

• 1 serving
• ½ whole-wheat English muffin

A.M. Snack (301 calories)

• 1 large pear
• 22 roasted, unsalted almonds

Lunch (333 calories)

• 1 serving

P.M. Snack (220 calories)

• 1 serving Everything-Bagel Crispy Chickpeas

Dinner (330 calories)

• 1 serving
• ½ whole-wheat pita

Daily Totals: 1,494 calories, 63 g protein, 168 g carbohydrates, 24 g fiber, 68 g fat, 2,384 mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Omit English muffin at breakfast, almonds at A.M. snack, and reduce to ¼ pita at dinner.

Make it 2,000 calories: Increase to 1 whole English muffin at breakfast, add 1/2 cup kimchi and 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts to lunch, increase to 2 servings chickpeas at P.M. snack and 1 whole pita at dinner.

Day 7

Breakfast (296 calories)

• 1 serving

A.M. Snack (121 calories)

• 3/4 cup plain low-fat kefir
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon honey

Lunch (488 calories)

1 serving

P.M. Snack (220 calories)

• 1 serving Everything-Bagel Crispy Chickpeas

Dinner (383 calories)

• 1 serving Easy Miso-Chicken Ramen

Daily Totals: 1,508 calories, 77 g protein, 141 g carbohydrates, 25 g fiber, 66 g fat, 2,473 mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Omit honey and chia seeds from A.M. snack and reduce to ¼ cup kefir and swap P.M. snack for 1/2 cup air-popped popcorn.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 large banana to breakfast, increase to 1 cup kefir, 2 teaspoons chia seeds and 2 teaspoons honey at A.M. snack, increase to 2 servings chickpeas at P.M. snack and add 1 hard-boiled egg to dinner.