mediterranean diet: healthy menu meal plan #65

following the guidelines for a little something sweet

Time to fess up. I have a sweet tooth and sometimes a juicy piece of fresh fruit doesn’t cut it.

A square of salted dark chocolate almost always provides a quick fix. Even a smear of homemade jam on my morning toast takes care of it too.

But there are those occasional days (psst… it’s 2-3 times a month if you’re following the Mediterranean diet) when I’m looking for a special treat. And this week is one of those times.

So let’s talk about how desserts fit into a healthy diet day without worrying about falling off the tracks.

How to make it work

Maybe you’ve noticed I try to feature a different segment of the Mediterranean diet every week. Each slice of the pie or the pyramid gets a little or a lot of attention based on where it sits.

You may not see lots of recipes for meats or sweets but that doesn’t mean they’re off limits. On the contrary, they’re very much a part of the balance that makes up the Mediterranean diet.

Lucky for us, my spinning Wheel of Fortune landed on “meats & sweets” this week!

Normally when building your weekly menus, I work out a 2,000-calorie and macro mix so that you have a balance of energy and nutrients to evenly fuel your day. Then give you the tools to adjust it if your goal is more or less.

Lunch and dinner ideas have always been interchangeable - depending on whether you like to eat your biggest meal at lunch or dinner.

Here in Spain as in most Mediterranean countries, it’s definitely mid-day.

If you are following a 2,000 calorie/day, this is a general way to divide the day. If you are consuming more/less, just adjust but keep the ratios the same.

But there’s always room for wiggle room when you’re following the Mediterranean diet and sometimes, there’s call for a little change.

This week, a slice of our featured dessert took a sizable chunk out of the day, but lunch was nice enough to downsize and cover the difference.

You’ll see just how I do it in the full plan, but for now I wanted to highlight the ingredient and recipe that made this small switcheroo necessary.

A little slice of Spanish heaven

Another important part of planning the weekly menus is trying to use local, seasonal ingredients. This week, that means celebrating the abundance of citrus and almonds where I live - knowing that no matter where you live, you should be able to source them too.

Just one of many beautiful scenes on the way to the farm I captured during blossom time. Our region in Spain is a major producer of almonds & oranges.

Right now, a sure sign of spring is the blanket of white and pink that gently settles like a tufted bedspread over the hills. Everyone here knows it’s a spectacular signal of almond blossom time and the fruit that will follow in the late summer.

It’s probably why almond “flour” is as common here as white flour for all kinds of baked goods. And despite its moniker, it’s nothing more than finely-ground almonds. With two healthy benefits.

Almond flour is protein-packed and gluten-free.

It can usually be found in three variations: ground from buttery Marcona almonds, ground from skin-on toasted almonds and rough grind granules for Spain’s iconic cookies, almendrados (a bonus recipe that you’ll find in the PDF).

So when I’m looking for one of those occasional treats, I reach for a recipe that includes almond flour knowing I’m getting more than just a quick fix for my ever-present sweet tooth.

Ingredients to have on hand if you want to make the cake, along with a handful of pantry staples like extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.

With this week’s featured recipe, I’m also getting an extra dose of gluten-free protein from the almonds, the eggs and the yogurt.

This orange almond cake is a touch unusual because in addition to almonds, the cake includes a whole orange: skin, pith and all. The result? The citrusy flavor gets an intense boost and the cake stays nice and moist.

A healthy finishing touch… with colorful, juicy orange slices and pomegranate arils on top, you can almost consider this another small fruit portion for the day if you’re trying to reach your 5-a-day goal!

And if you want to make it right along with me, just click on the video:

As always, to give you a few more ideas about why almonds are a key pantry ingredient in every Mediterranean kitchen, you’ll find 3 extra recipes from the archives in the menu PDF besides the meal plan.

If you’re already a paid subscriber then you know these little extras show up almost every week as a small bonus to show my appreciation for your support. If you haven’t yet had the chance to join us, what are you waiting for?

But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass or cup, and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another.

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