Dietitian Kirsten Jackson follows the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest ways to eat.
She shared her go-to dinners with Insider, which she often cooks in bulk to save time.
Jackson’s meals generally include olive oil, lots of vegetables, and complex carbs.
The Mediterranean diet is widely considered one of the healthiest ways to eat.
The diet prioritizes vegetables, legumes, seafood, olive oil, and wine in moderation, and leans away from processed and fried foods, red meat, refined grains, added sugars, and saturated fats.
Registered dietitian Kirsten Jackson follows the Mediterranean diet because research suggests it reduces the risk of multiple health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
When it comes to dinner, Jackson is all about convenience.
Here, she shares her go-to Mediterranean diet dinners with Insider.
Jackson orders pizza with a wholemeal base and makes a side salad. Getty
“I run a business so dinners have to be practical,” she said. “I am not a huge fan of spending hours in the kitchen unless it is to bulk cook something.”
Jackson has three rules for creating meals: All food is cooked in olive oil, vegetables make up 30-50% of the plate, and carbs are always “brown.”
Jackson always eats brown or whole grain carbs rather than white because they contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than other bread options. This means she chooses brown bread, brown rice, and whole grain pasta over white.
“Wholemeal foods have been linked to reduced risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease,” Jackson said.
She also uses olive oil rather than other cooking fats because it is high in polyphenols and remains stable when heated. Polyphenols act as antioxidants and fight free radicals that are linked to inflammatory conditions like cancer.
Pan-fried sardines with oven-baked vegetables
Pan-frying sardines only takes a few minutes, and baking vegetables is simple too, she said, so it’s one of her go-to meals.
“Baked vegetables are the easiest side dish. You simply cut up a lot of root vegetables like beetroot, squash, potatoes, onions, and courgette, coat them in olive oil, and pop into the oven for about 35 minutes,” Jackson said. If you’re short on time, you can buy pre-chopped packets of vegetables.
Sardines are a good source of omega-3s and eating a variety of vegetables provides Jackson with prebiotics which feed her gut bacteria, as well as fiber which reduces her risk of high cholesterol.
Peanut butter chickpea stir fry with wholemeal noodles
Jackson makes a quick and easy stir-fry by combining canned chickpeas and a frozen stir-fry vegetable packet.
“Stir-fry sauces are usually really high in salt and sugar so I like to make my own,” Jackson said.
To make enough sauce to serve three to four people, she mixes together one tablespoon of peanut butter, one tablespoon of honey, and one tablespoon of soy sauce.
Pizza with a whole wheat base, plus salad. Like many people, Jackson and her family like getting takeout over the weekend, and their food of choice is pizza.
Jackson opts for a whole wheat base, and she makes her own salad on the side to up her vegetable intake, she said. Read the original article on Insider.
Kirsten Jackson likes snacking on apples with peanut butter. Getty © Getty
A dietitian who follows the Mediterranean diet shares her 5 go-to snacks
Story by rhosie@insider.com (Rachel Hosie) • 2h ago
Kirsten Jackson, a dietitian, follows the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest ways to eat. She shared her go-to snacks, which provide fiber and protein to keep her feeling full.
Jackson recommends chocolate oatcakes with peanut butter instead of cookies.
The Mediterranean diet is widely considered one of the healthiest ways to eat.
Vegetables, legumes, seafood, and olive oil are key components of it.
Wine is OK in moderation, but processed and fried foods, red meat,
refined grains, added sugars, and saturated fats are discouraged.
5 Mediterranean diet salad recipes that are filling and delicious, by a dietitian
The Mediterranean diet is widely considered one of the healthiest ways to eat.
A balanced salad contains protein, carbs, and fats as well as fruits and vegetables.
Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine shared five Mediterranean-inspired salad recipes.
Whether or not you follow the Mediterranean diet, knowing a few healthy salad recipes can be super handy, especially in the warmer months.
The Mediterranean diet is widely considered to be one of the healthiest ways to eat, thanks to its links with heart health and a lower risk of various diseases including Parkinson’s and diabetes.
It focuses on vegetables, legumes, seafood, and olive oil, wine in moderation, and minimal amounts of processed and fried foods, red meat, refined grains, added sugars, and saturated fats.
When it comes to building a satiating salad, you need more than just a few lettuce leaves and chopped tomatoes. Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine, who aims to eat a Mediterranean-style diet, told Insider a balanced salad should contain the following components:
Carbohydrates
These are our body’s main source of fuel, Ludlam-Raine said. She recommended choosing higher fiber and wholegrain options where possible, such as quinoa, wholegrain rice, wholewheat pasta, or wholemeal pitta.
“I personally like the mixed grains in the microwavable bags for my salads,” she said.
Vegetables, salad, and fruit
Ludlam-Raine recommended aiming for two handfuls of produce, for example a handful of salad leaves, crudités, roasted vegetables, or pomegranate seeds.
“The greater variety of plant-based foods in your diet, the better your gut microbes will be, which means better physical and mental health,” she said.
Protein
“Whether it’s animal or plant-based, protein is digested slowly and helps to keep us fuller for longer,” Ludlam-Raine said.
Good sources in salads include chickpeas, feta cheese, mixed beans, hummus, chicken, edamame beans, and salmon, she said.
Fat
“Fats provide some of the essential fatty acids our body can’t make itself and help to absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K,” Ludlam-Raine said.
To get a source in your salad, try adding a handful of olives, mixed seeds, flaked almonds, a dollop of pesto, or a drizzle of rapeseed or olive oil, she said.
The diet is hugely popular, including with celebrities such as John Goodman, Selena Gomez, and Penélope Cruz.
Kirsten Jackson, a registered dietitian, previously told Insider that she followed the Mediterranean diet, sharing her favorite breakfasts, lunches, and dinners on the eating plan.
When snacking, Jackson aims to eat whole foods that provide protein and fiber, often incorporating fruit or vegetables.
Here, she tells Insider about her go-to snacks.
Roasted chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas are a good alternative to chips, Jackson said.
They are a great source of protein and fiber, she said, and are easy to make: Simply drain canned chickpeas, pour them into a baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and spices. Then bake until crisp.
Homemade trail mix
Jackson makes her own trail mix by combining dark chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.
Dark chocolate has multiple benefits, including boosting heart health.
Apple slices with peanut butter
Apple slices with peanut butter are a satiating snack thanks to a combination of fiber, fat, and protein.
Having nuts or nut butter alongside fruit is much more filling than fruit alone, a dietitian previously told Insider.
Vegetable sticks with hummus
If you don’t have time to chop carrots, peppers, cucumber, or celery, Jackson recommends buying precut vegetables.
Combining veggies with hummus makes the snack more filling than vegetables alone.
Oatcakes with peanut butter
Jackson also snacks on oatcakes with peanut butter. She aims to always eat complex carbohydrates — such as oats, sweet potatoes, brown bread, and whole-grain pasta — because they contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than refined carbs including white bread, potatoes, and pasta.
If you’re craving cookies, Jackson recommends looking out for chocolate oatcakes to help satisfy your sweet tooth too.
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