January Mediterranean Diet Dinners Meal Plan (January 1)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Let’s begin 2024 with this January Mediterranean Diet Dinners meal plan and keep our healthy goals intact! Perfect for chilly winter days with delicious but easy-to-make meals, including soups, skillet dishes, bowl foods, and seafood.

6 Tips for Following the Mediterranean Diet in the Winter

The Mediterranean Diet is a simple-to-follow, intuitive lifestyle that always makes sense. The winter months are not excluded. In fact, it’s one of my favorite seasons to enjoy this way of eating. I came across some helpful ideas on following the Mediterranean Diet during the winter. I’ve summarized these tips below.

1. Go with the Season

As the seasons change, so should our diet.

2. Beans are Your Friend

Beans are an important part of the Greek-Mediterranean Diet. Think soups, like Greek Lentil Soup, or stews like White Bean Stew with Swiss Chard, or chili like Vegetarian Chili. Beans are often also cooked together with fish.

3. Cruciferous Vegetables the Greek Way

A popular Greek winter dish is cauliflower cooked with tomato paste and olive oil, or roasted cauliflower. Broccoli is also delicious roasted with pine nuts and olive oil.

4. Go Green(s)

Greens, also known as Horta, are often consumed in the winter. There are different varieties available in all seasons. Find what is available in your area, lightly boil them, add a splash of lemon juice, olive oil and enjoy them with a chunk of feta and bread.

Traditionally, vegetables are also cooked together with rice in dishes like spinach-rice or leek-rice or even cabbage-rice. The vegetables and rice are cooked together and served with olive oil and lemon (and feta).

5. Frozen Vegetables and Canned Tomatoes

During the winter, frozen vegetables and stewed tomatoes or tomato paste play an important role in the Mediterranean Diet. Tomato paste, in particular, is a common part of the Mediterranean diet. Studies have shown that frozen vegetables maintain their nutritional value as they are frozen shortly after harvest.

6. Fruit

Sliced apples, sections of oranges, and mandarins are typical fruit selections on the Greek table in the winter months. You can also opt for some dried fruit, such as dried figs, apricots, and prunes (dried plums).

For more food ideas, see Winter Mediterranean Diet Dinners for recipes to make during the cold months.

January Mediterranean Diet Dinners Menu

Monday’s dinner is New Year’s Day. We’re serving a traditional soup, often served in the South, but fits the Mediterranean Diet perfectly!

Tuesday’s dinner is an easy chicken sheet pan meal filled with Mediterranean flavor. Serve with your favorite grain if you wish!

Wednesday’s dinner is a favorite bowl food with roasted cauliflower, which is a typical vegetable consumed during the winter months in Greece. Add a salad to round out the meal.

Thursday’s dinner is a grilled or roasted seafood meal with a delicious sauce you won’t want to miss. Add roasted potatoes, greens, or your favorite grain.

Friday’s dinner is a skillet meal with greens that’s easy to make and perfect for a Mediterranean-inspired Friday meal.