Advanced Mediterranean Diet

Greek salad with canned salmon

This recipe makes three large servings. Adjust it to make more or fewer servings. Fish is a prominent component of the Mediterranean diet so I like to have fish as my protein with this Greek Salad. Cold-water fatty fish, with their high omega-3 fatty acid content, may be the most healthful.

Spinach and kale have more vital nutrients than Romaine lettuce, so feel free to increase the spinach/kale and reduce the Romaine amounts. But I wouldn’t go more than 50:50 the first time you make this.

Ingredients:

2-3 oz fresh spinach or kale, chopped

10 oz romaine lettuce, chopped

2 large tomatoes (12 oz), chopped

1 can pitted black olives, drained (6 oz after draining) or pitted kalamata olives

1/2 red onion (2 oz prepped), diced or sliced

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 large (11 oz) cucumber, peeled (or not) and chopped

For the dressing:

6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried oregano

juice of 1/2 lemon (1 Tbsp)

1.5 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Salt and pepper to taste

Extra lemon juice on fish or salad, to taste

Choose your protein:

• 21-24  oz canned cooked salmon or fresh cooked salmon (baked, roasted, or pan-fried but not breaded)
• or 15 oz canned albacore tuna (packed in water, drained)
•          or 20 0z other fish of your choice (not breaded)
• or 12 oz cooked steak
• or 21-24 oz boiled shrimp
• or 18 oz chicken breast (boneless, roasted or baked or pan-fried but not breaded)

Instructions:

Rinse lettuce? In a very large bowel, place the lettuce, spinach or kale, cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, olives, and cheese.

Then make your dressing. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and sugar. Poor the dressing over the salad then toss thoroughly.

The serving size is one third of all this. You should have about 12 cups of salad, so a serving is four cups. Divide your protein of choice into thirds and serve 1/3 in chunks on top of the salad or on the side. Salt and pepper to taste.

If you’re having fish as your protein, you can squirt some lemon juice on it for extra zing.

If you’re preparing this ahead of mealtime, chop and combine all the salad vegetables, then add the dressing and cheese just before serving.

Number of servings: 3 (4 cups of salad per serving)

Nutrient analysis per serving with 7-8 oz canned salmon (Fitday.com):

Calories: 840

Calories from fat: 61%

Calories from carbohydrate: 11%

Calories from protein: 28%

Fiber: 9 g

Protein grams: 56

Prominent features (over 50% of RDA): Vitamin D, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin, calcium, copper, iron, niacin phosphorus, riboflavin, selenium.

Not pictured: olive oil vinaigrette I dressed it with

Ingredients:

8 oz Romaine lettuce (4 cups chopped)

2 oz cooked ham (we like Boar’s Head Black Forest), strips or diced

2 oz cooked turkey (both our ham and turkey were deli-style, as for sandwiches), strips or diced

1 oz American cheese

1 oz mozzarella cheese

1/2 oz red onion, diced (optional)

4.5 oz tomato, diced, quartered, or chunked

8  (1 oz) black olives

1 hard-boiled egg, sliced or quartered

3 Tbsp salad dressing

I like a simple olive oil vinaigrette, either home-made or Newman’s Own. Nutrient analysis below assumes a traditional vinaigrette (3:1 ratio of olive oil to vinegar), which will typically have about 200 calories per two tablespoons, nearly all from the oil. Many commercial salad dressings have fewer calories due to water, which is sometimes listed as the first ingredient. For instance, Wishbone Balsamic Vinaigrette, which we like, has only 60 cals per two Tbsp; water is the first ingredient, vinegar next, then vegetable oil. The popular Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing has 140 cals per two Tbsp. Interestingly, Newman’s Own Olive Oil Vinaigrette does not require refrigeration after opening, unlike most other commercial dressings.

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Simple. Lay out your chopped lettuce on a large plate, then start topping with the other ingredients as artfully as you wish. Salad dressing is last.

Servings: 1

Nutrient Analysis (Fitday.com):

925 calories

Cals from fat: 67%

Cals from carbohydrate: 8%

Cals from protein: 25%

Protein grams: 55

Fiber: 7 g

Digestible carbs: 12 g

Alternatives: Instead of 8 oz Romaine lettuce, use only 4 oz Romaine plus 4 oz of either fresh spinach or kale. More micronutrients that way. Substitute your favorite cheeses ounce for ounce.

Steve Parker, M.D.