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Bean and lentil salad recipes are so versatile! With a light, delicious dressing (like this one!) to pull together all the flavors, you can use pretty much whatever veggies and beans you happen to have on hand. You can make the whole salad out of just vegetables if you are eating it as a side dish alongside a protein-source. If this bean and lentil salad is your main course, it’s great to have some legumes in the salad for protein. We love to use canned lentils and beans for added convenience, but you absolutely use precooked beans or lentils. If you use canned legumes, make sure to rinse them well to remove any added salt. We also recommend that you buy low sodium canned beans.

Bean and lentil salad is great eaten over a green leafy salad. It’s also yummy scooped up with crackers or a spoon. Some people love it stuffed into a pita or a tortilla. Our favorite is to eat it in lettuce cups. The choice is really up to you!

This Dressing

Many bean salads, especially the American-favorite three-bean salad, use chili powder and cumin in the dressing. While that makes for a great Southwest flavor, sometimes I just don’t want that kind of heavy flavor. The dressing on this bean and lentil salad is super light and zesty, with the use of vinegar, garlic, and lime juice. It’s also full of good-for-you ingredients. Two of these ingredients are olive oil and apple cider vinegar (in addition to all those beans and vegetables, of course).

Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of dressing if you prefer more or less dressing on your bean salads.

Is Olive Oil good for you?

Even though ten years ago fat had a bad rap, research has pretty much dispelled this myth. The right kind of fat is incredibly healthy for you! We love this article that goes into many of the benefits of the types of unsaturated fats found in olive oil. One reason that the Mediterranean Diet has been called the Healthiest Diet (for three years in a row!) is because of the focus on olive oil. Extensive research has shown that an olive oil-rich Mediterranean Diet can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease (as much as 30 percent!)

Is apple cider vinegar good for you?

Vinegar would be a good addition to many diets. It brings tons of flavor to foods without many calories or added salt. It is made by fermenting sugar from apples, which turns into acetic acid. This acetic acid is one of the main active ingredients in vinegar, and what makes it taste sour. This is also probably what provides the benefits. While more research is needed, some of the possible health benefits include: killing harmful bacteria, providing antioxidants, and managing sugar levels and diabetes.

Try some more!

Do you love salads? Check out our Soups and Salads page for more delicious recipes. For vegetarian meals, look at our Vegetarian recipes or our Vegetarian Meal Plans, which provide a calendar of recipes for 21 full days. Any time you make our recipes, we would love to see them! Use #medimove on Instagram to show us what you create!

Learn more — https://www.themedimove.com

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This pesto pasta is one of my family’s favorite recipes. I’ll bet that if you give you give a try, you will love it also! (It’s so easy and customizable, that it’s hard to even call it a “recipe”!)

I adore that it is:

Super easy and quick

Made mainly from pantry and freezer staples

Nutritious, with tons of veggies and protein

My kids enjoy that it is:

Fun! Those mozzarella balls are a crowd pleaser

Yummy to eat (pesto for the win!)

That’s pretty much all you need to impress kids!

Feel free to make this recipe your own by swapping in your family’s favorite veggies and pasta. Sometimes we eat this meal twice in one week. As long as the veggies and pasta are different, it feels like a brand new meal! 100% bean, lentil, or whole-wheat pasta is better for you than white pasta. (More about healthy grains here.) With all the other ingredients, your family may not even be able to tell the difference between the standard white pasta and your healthier variety.

(Quick side note: If your family doesn’t currently love whole wheat or bean pasta, here’s an idea for you. Try mixing while pasta with whole wheat 70% to 30% for a while. As your family gets used to it, you can start to increase the amount of whole wheat pasta until it’s 100%. Another option is to serve the pasta with lots of hearty, flavorful sauce– like the pesto here or a hearty tomato sauce– so that the pasta itself isn’t as noticeable.)

Do you love cooking with pantry staples? If so, we recommend you check out our post here on meals that can be cooked primarily from pantry and freezer staples. It’s perfect for when you haven’t been shopping in a while– or for cleaning out the pantry.

Let us know. How does your family like pasta??

Learn more @https://www.themedimove.com

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Looking for a fresh, delicious lunch or light dinner option? Look no further than this Citrus beet salad! With a zippy homemade salad dressing, plenty of healthy fats from the cheese and walnuts, and tons of fiber from the lettuce and beets, this salad is a real winner.

If you have never cooked fresh beets before, there are a few different ways that you can tackle this.

Roast them. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut fresh beets in half and lay them on a baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil. Roast for about an hour, or until you can easily cut through the middle part of the beet. Allow to cool completely and then peel and slice. Beets are very messy and can turn everything they touch pink! To slice, use gloves or forks to avoid turning your hands pink!

Boil them. Boil a large pot of water over medium heat. Pop in the beets and cook in boiling water for about 40 minutes. Drain the water. Allow the beets to cool. Then peel and slice. Again, beets are very messy and can turn everything they touch pink! To slice, use gloves or forks to avoid turning your hands pink!

Alternatively, you can use a can or container of pre-cooked beets. Make sure that there’s no added sugar. We also always recommend rinsing any canned foods to rinse off any excess salt.

Learn more — https://www.themedimove.com

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Wondering what ingredient and meal swaps will help you be healthier and feel more amazing? read on!

You Can Get Healthier One Swap at a Time!

Overhauling your diet all at once can be a beneficial way for some of us to jump right into Mediterranean Living: like ripping off a band-aid! It’s challenging for a few days or weeks, but once the new habits stick, your whole way of eating has changed– for the better. For others of us, easing into the lifestyle with lots of smaller changes can be a manageable way to move towards healthier living.

For people who want to start getting healthier without a complete overhaul, making simple food swaps can be an excellent way. This is also a great way to ease your family or partner in a new way of eating without causing panic.

Think about meals that you, your family, or the other people you routinely eat with, currently enjoy on a frequent basis. Now, trying making substitutions for the less healthy items. Take a look at our list below and pick a few to try. By making some of these easy swaps, you are taking steps to make your diet healthier. It may take some thought at first, but after a while, these types of switches will become automatic. As your new routines become habit, you can add in some additional swaps… and so on!

Let us know in the comments which ones you’ve tried.

Ingredient Swaps to try TODAY!

Trade out:

1. White Rice 2. Red Meat (beef) 3. Canned soup 4. Mayonnaise and Ranch dressing 5. Butter 6. Soda or Coke 7. Ketchup or BBQ sauce 8. Fruit Juice 9. Applesauce with added sugar 10. Peanut butter with sugar

Instead, enjoy:

1. Brown rice or Quinoa 2. Chicken, lentils, beans, or veggies 3. Homemade broth 4. Mashed avocado and hummus 5. Olive oil 6. Sparkling water or water with lemon 7. Salsa or low-sodium hot sauce 8. Whole fruit 9. Applesauce with apples & water only 10. Peanut butter made from 100% peanuts

Now, try some MEAL swaps!

Instead of:

1. Hotdog on white bun

2. Pork stir fry with white rice

3. Lunch meat sandwich with mayo on white bread

4. Beef stew

5. Spaghetti with meatballs

6. Beef tacos

7. Steak on the grill

8. PBJ: peanut butter and jelly on slices of white bread

9. Fried chicken nuggets with a side of french fries

10. Salad with bacon, croutons, and ranch dressing

11. General Tso’s Chicken

12. Frozen pepperoni pizza or a delivery meat pizza

Try this:

1.Veggie burger on whole wheat

2. Stir-fried veggies or shrimp over brown rice

3. Veggies and hummus on whole grain or whole wheat

4. Minestrone or veggie stew

5. Lentil or whole wheat pasta with veggies

6. Broiled or baked fish tacos

7. Salmon and veggie skewers on the grill

8. PBJ: 100% peanuts peanut butter with sliced (or mashed) berries on whole wheat

9. Baked chicken cut into strips, with crispy baked zucchini “fries” or roasted carrots

10. Salad with chopped veggies & fruit, nuts or seeds, dressed with olive oil & vinegar

11. Sauteed chicken & veggies

12. Make your own, using whole wheat or cauliflower crust. Top with pineapple!

What Meal Swaps Do You Love?

We’d love to hear about how you are starting or continuing a Mediterranean Lifestyle! Are you making lots of changes all at once or a few at a time? What has been your favorite food swap? Tell us in the comments

Learn more — https://www.themedimove.com

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This Hot Spiced Red Wine Recipe

This festive, heart-healthy, hot spiced wine recipe will be a winner, whether you are relaxing at home or entertain friends and family! It’s an absolute crowd-pleaser. We love to sit on our back porch and sip on it during cold winter evenings. You will feel warm from the inside out! Bonus: your house will smell amazing while it’s cooking!

Authentic German Beverages

I lived in Germany for several years after college. My downstairs neighbor was a very friendly Grandmother who we all affectionately called “Oma”. As a foreigner in a new place, I was so pleased when she invited me over one Saturday to teach me how to cook authentic German cuisine. It became the start of something wonderful. Every other Saturday, Oma and I would rendezvous in her kitchen so that I could learn the art of German language and German dishes. This authentic Gluhwein recipe was one of the many German delicacies that we cooked together. It’s something that I make several times every winter.

Gluhwein is a traditional German delight. During Christmas time, which the Germans take very seriously, you will find mugs of gluhwein all over the enjoyable little Christmas markets that spring up all over Germany in the wintertime. Sipping on this fragrant beverage while it’s cold outside will warm you from the inside out.

Easy to Make, Easy to Drink

One thing I love about this hot spiced wine recipe is how absurdly easy it is. With a gathering of friends or family (dare we say, a holiday party?), I want to serve something special. But I don’t want to be in the kitchen, or at the bar, all night making drinks. I want to be enjoying the party! This festive beverage is like a grown-up punch, crafted just for wintertime.

Take a bottle of inexpensive red. If the bottle is really inexpensive (as in, doesn’t taste all that great), you will find yourself adding a bit more honey to compensate. Any variety of red will work, although we don’t recommend anything super sweet. Add to it, a little orange juice and a little honey. Collect the spices.

Ideally, you would allow the pot to sit over very low heat for 20 minutes or more to allow all the flavors to blend. Stir occasionally and do NOT allow the pot to boil! Always taste before you serve, as different wines will need varying amounts of OJ and honey. The final wine should be flagrantly spiced, just a touch sweet, and served warm to make you cozy.

Need a dish to go along with that beverage? Give this a try.

Tell us in the comments what you love to drink when it’s cold outside!

Learn more @https://www.themedimove.com

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Kale Pomegranate Salad for the Holidays

Does your family normally serve a salad alongside a big holiday meal? When I was a child, we sometimes had a salad at Thanksgiving but it was a pretty forgettable one. I remember iceberg lettuce with croutons, and I remember mostly ignoring it.

As an adult, I’ve learned that I love a fresh salad alongside a big meal. This pomegranate kale salad is what I normally serve, because I love it and because it always gets rave reviews. The pops of fresh pomegranate, combined with sweet pears, creamy cheese, and crunchy pecans, come together with the delightful maple dressing. Having a bit of freshness alongside sweet potato casserole, roasted sprouts, pumpkin soup, and turkey is great for brightening the palate. And let’s be honest… it just tastes delicious.

Healthy foods

While this salad is great alongside heavier meals, it’s perfect on its own too. It’s full of winter foods that are easy to find at your local grocery store. Kale, pomegranates, and pears are in season in winter, which generally means they will be cheaper and contain more health benefits. Did you know that the USDA recognizes December as National Pear Month? Yet another excuse to enjoy this delicious dish!

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Kale is full of antioxidants that are responsible for everything from helping you age more slowly to reducing your risk of cancer. Just a cup of raw kale (like the kale in this salad) contains 2 grams of protein (tell that to Popeye!). It’s also full of over 600% of your daily intake of vitamin K, 200% of Vitamin A, calcium, iron, fiber, and so much more. The average American hardly eats any kale, and that’s a shame. See how yummy it can be with this awesome winter salad!

Make it a Main

If you want to turn this salad into a main dish, I would recommend adding some protein on top. Roasted salmon would be incredible. Quinoa would be great, too, mixed right into the salad with a little bit in each bite. (You can check out our citrus kale quinoa salad here.)

Note: How to Seed A Pomegranate

The easiest way is, of course, to buy them pre-seeded. But if you want them super fresh (and cheaper), here’s how to do it yourself. We’ve tried a few different ways, and we like this method from Bon Appetit best: cut the pomegranate in half through the equator (NOT top to bottom). Hold a half over a bowl of water, cut side down. Using a wooden spoon, smack the back of the skin repeatedly. The seeds will fall out and the white membrane will float to the surface of the water. You can collect them with a slotted spoon.

Learn more — https://www.themedimove.com

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Savory, Creamy Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Is it pumpkin time yet?! I must admit that fall is my favorite time of year. The fall leaves are beautiful, the sweatshirt weather is lovely, but the food is the best. Applesauce, chia tea, and — my personal favorite– pumpkin everything! This creamy pumpkin soup recipe was created for those of you who, like me, love pumpkin.

This creamy pumpkin soup recipe retains some of the flavors of pumpkin pie (with the addition of pumpkin pie spice) but is not sweet at all, letting the pumpkin really shine through. For those who like it sweet, a little maple syrup drizzled on top is heavenly. I love it spicy, dressed up just like the picture. A big bowl of creamy, dreamy Pumpkin soup is perfect next to a green salad as a main course. It’s also lovely in a cup next to or before your favorite meal.

For the Kiddos

My kids like soup, but not all do. Toddlers often enjoy soup because the consistency is similar to pureed baby food. My favorite way to entice kids to eat soup is by providing them with a bunch of different toppings. That way, they can dress up their meal any way they please. It’s fun for adults, too. We often use topping to make smiley faces.

If you feel like putting in extra work, cutting cheese or veggies into tiny shapes to sit on top makes the soup look like a fun work of art. (I love these little cutters from Amazon. The fish cutter makes an appearance everywhere.) But don’t feel obligated. The heavenly smell of this soup cooking will probably be enough to make kids want to take a bite.

Let us know below. Do you love pumpkin? Or do you prefer other fall flavors– like apple and brussel sprouts?

Learn more — https://www.themedimove.com

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Quick and no cook meals for busy days!

We’ve all had those crazy days when you come home starving and just don’t have the time, energy, or both to spend 30 minutes in the kitchen cooking. Some weeks, it feels like every day is like that.

This post is for any of you who are having that kind of week (month, year…)

These are some of our favorite, no-fuss meals for whenever you are tempted to order take-out or microwave chicken nuggets.

For nutritious, easy meals, focus on the Mediterranean Diet principles: whole foods, lots of veggies, low sugar, and some healthy protein.

Let us know your favorite no cook meals and light cook meals in the comments below!

No cooking required for these healthy meals:

These meals really don’t require recipes. We invite you to throw them together with whatever you have in the pantry and fridge. But, we’ve included links for similar recipes if you feel more comfortable cooking with one.

Hummus and veggie wrap (no cook): Slather a wrap with clean-ingredient, store-bought hummus and add in any veggies you have in the fridge (lettuce or greens, tomatoes, chopped peppers, and chopped cucumbers are all great options). Add in canned beans for extra fiber. If the hummus is not flavorful enough, you can drizzle with a little salad dressing. Then roll up and dig in!

A big old salad with some protein (no cook): Choose a base (lettuce, raw spinach, leafy kale, etc) and add any veggies that you have on top. You can add a little fruit for variety (sliced oranges or raisins are nice with greens). Then make sure you have some type of protein so you have a complete meal: canned beans, store-bought hummus, low-fat cheese, canned tuna or chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or left-over chicken or fish are all great options. Add a squeeze of lime juice or a little salad dressing.

Mediterranean Bowl (no cook): If you have left-over grains (brown rice, quinoa, etc), you can throw them in a bowl and top with whatever veggies you have in the fridge or freezer. You could also use a can of beans as the base. Top with some salad dressing, sauce, or salsa, and dig in. (Find this recipe in our free Recipe Book Download.)

Tex-Mex Tuna or Chicken Plate (no cook): Pop open a can of tuna or chicken (chicken is more traditional). Drain it and mix it with some jarred, no-sugar-added salsa. Add a side of steamed frozen veggies and canned beans (drained and rinsed). Heat in the microwave.

Some light cooking for these Quick and Easy dishes:

Breakfast for dinner (quick cook): Scramble up some eggs, add a side of fruit or a side salad (or some steamed frozen veggies), and/or some toast. You can add jarred salsa or hot sauce to your eggs for variety. Oatmeal is also a delicious, filling meal in the evening as well as the morning. Add some protein in the form of nuts or chia seeds and go easy on the sweetener. Fruit, especially thawed frozen berries, are a great way to naturally sweeten without added sugar.

Pasta the Mediterranean way (quick cook): A box of whole-grain, all-lentil, or garbanzo (chick-pea) pasta can make a great meal with a jar of no-sugar tomato sauce. The trick is to add a ton of veggies! Steam up some frozen broccoli or cauliflower and fill your bowl with half pasta and half veggies. Dump the sauce on top. If you prefer to have a recipe, check out this one using pesto.

English Muffin Pizza (quick cook): Cut a whole wheat or Ezekiel English muffin into two halves. Top with crushed tomatoes (either tomatoes that you crush up, or a can of crushed tomatoes drained slightly). Add lots of toppings– preferably veggies like chopped peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, etc. Add a little crumbled feta on top. Cook for a few minutes in a hot oven. You can find a recipe for this meal in our FREE Recipe Book Download.

Let us know some of your favorite meals when you are pressed for time or just don’t want to cook!

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Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

This healthy sweet potato casserole is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish! It’s sweetened only with crushed pineapple and omits butter, marshmallows, and some of the other less healthy additives. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and of course — Mediterranean diet approved!

It’s Thanksgiving Already!

I am always surprised when Thanksgiving pops up every year! Looking at a calendar, there’s plenty of time between Halloween and Thanksgiving. But in the life of my family, it feels a bit like I’ve blinked and it’s almost here! I am so looking forward to all the delicious fall flavors, and even more so — spending time with loved ones (even if it’s just my immediate family this year!)

This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole ranks up there as one of the things I look forward to most at Thanksgiving. The dish is sweet without any refined sugar (thanks to the pineapple), smooth and rich, and full of those fall flavors that we just love. It smells amazing when baking as well, on account of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.

I usually find myself making this dish at least a few times between Halloween and Christmas. My family loves to eat it for breakfast during the week (it’s perfect alongside some savory eggs.) One cozy scoop for an excellent morning. Since it’s free of butter and refined sugar, it’s perfect any time of day! Since it’s also dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian, everybody at your holiday table (or breakfast table!) can enjoy a plate.

You will be happy to note that this dish is super easy to make. Since cooking sweet potatoes takes a while, it’s not a quick recipe. But much of the time is hands-off (like boiling the potatoes and cooking the casserole). The blender helps with the parts in the middle. Top the dish with the pecans, and it’s ready for the oven.

Make This Casserole Ahead of Time

This dish can be made ahead of time since it holds up well in the fridge. If you make it a day ahead, simply undercook it just slightly (then cool, cover tightly with saran wrap, and pop in the fridge). On the day off, put it back in the oven at 250 degrees F to get it nice and bubbly. If the pecans start to brown too much, cover the casserole with aluminum foil.

Another make-ahead option is to boil and peel the potatoes the day before. Then assemble and bake on the day off the party. Now you are freed up to make these delicious brussel sprouts or this kale pomegranate salad.

Recipe Notes

As written, this recipe contains no refined sugar. It’s delicious just as written! However, if you’d like a bit more sweetness, you can drizzle pure maple syrup or honey on top of the casserole as you add on the pecans.

Now, tell us! What will you be eating for Thanksgiving this year?

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