healthy mediterranean diet meal plan #20

Welcome! This letter wouldn’t be possible without YOU! Thank you for being here + enormous thanks to all who choose to support my work with a paid subscription. Please hit that ❤️ which helps other people discover my work.

Did you know there are two national holidays in the U.S. that are set aside to remind us to follow a healthy diet? June 16 is Fresh Veggie Day followed by National Eat Your Vegetables Day on June 17. Yep, really. So it’s time to mark our calendars no matter where we live!

These “holidays” might not conjure up images of elaborate Mother’s Day brunches or July 4th picnics but nonetheless, somebody thought they were important enough to set aside a day to acknowledge the value of a plant-based diet. Isn’t that a nice idea?

Since both holidays are right around the corner, now is the perfect time to start celebrating seasonal vegetables that have fleeting showings at the market like fava beans (broad beans), spring fresh peas, and the first tender stalks of asparagus.

Asparagus is an extra healthy springtime option, packed with antioxidants like Vitamin C and E, flavonoids and polyphenols. A half-cup serving provides a whopping amount of Vitamin K (57% of RDI) and a solid delivery of folate (34% RDI). And if you can find it, purple asparagus adds an extra boost of anthocyanins, even more anti-oxidant protection for a healthy heart.

Since I haven’t spied any purple asparagus so far this year, the featured recipe in today’s menu celebrates all things green, light, and tender with a creamy herby pasta dish that buries a hint of spicy toasted nuts under a pile of asparagus and peas, a smattering of tangy goat cheese bits, and sharp slices of scallion.

A couple of recipe notes to remember. Peas are wonderful when freshly-picked (and I mean really freshly picked…) but frozen can work just as well. And while I’m partial to mint as the centerpiece herb, I’d also suggest that whatever leafy green herbs you have on hand will work well too.

As always, you’ll find a few extra treats in the menu PDF besides the meal plan I promised you (mostly because I just can’t help myself). When I can, I’ll reach into the archive so that you don’t have to go hunting around. And this week, I’ve included my recipe for a 10-minute asparagus tart perfect for when the doorbell rings and you find an unexpected guest on the other side of the door!

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

Want to upgrade to a paid subscription so you don’t miss out on anything? Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet including exclusive weekly meal plans and recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me.