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Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! It is Friday and we are on Day Five of our little Mediterranean excursion. For the last several days, we have been taking an in depth look at The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD. Putting on my Dutiful Dieter hat, I’ve been faithfully following Stassou’s plan in order to give you a little taste of what this diet is like and what sort of results you could expect.

Thus far, this book has a lot going for it! Many of the recipes have been delicious and worth making again. Yeah, there have been a few bombs, but I’ve tested enough diet and cookbooks to know this is really par for the course. Stassou has done a great job of putting together meal plans that are filling, nourishing, and (mostly) tasty all while keeping calories low enough for steady weight loss. Though my final weigh in for the week isn’t for a couple days, I can say with confidence even now that following her plan will help you drop pounds.

So let’s get into today’s food log and see how it went!

Breakfast: Whole grain bread with 1/4 avocado, 3/4 cup mixed blueberries and sliced bananas, 1 egg, and my usual coffee with half and half.

Lunch: Faki (Greek lentil soup) with chicken sausage and grapes.

Snack: Carrot and Bran Muffin (yes, I’m still eating those) with 1/2 cup Craisins and chai tea

Dinner: Shrimp Scampi with 1 cup Barilla ProteinPLUS spaghetti and green salad with Greek Dressing

Remember yesterday’s breakfast bust? Well after everything quite literally fell apart on the kitchen counter, I decided to give Stassou’s French Toast recipe a second chance. I whipped up the egg mixture once again, but this time I only gave the bread slices the briefest of dunks. Sadly, the French toast still ended up a burnt, soggy mess. (Paradoxical, I know.) I suspect the combo of too few eggs and the use of almond milk had something to do with it. In any case, I went with plan B and had the toast with egg, avocado, and fruit. Not a bad alternative!

The Faki was a new take on lentil soup for me, but a traditional recipe for many who observe Lent. Though lentil soup is something I make on a somewhat regular basis, Stassou’s recipe is meatless and had the unexpected flavor of red wine vinegar added just before serving. This not being the season of Lent, the Faki was served alongside chicken sausage and grapes for a cozy and filling lunch on a chilly day.

My snack was quick and easy–a Carrot and Bran Muffin with dried cranberries and a spicy cup of Chai tea. Fairly perfect for a fall afternoon.

Dinner today was simply delicious. Stassou’s recipe for Shrimp Scampi turned out beautifully and everyone around the table loved it! The Scampi had a nice balance of flavors between the garlic, lemon, white wine, and extra-virgin olive oil and no one minded the Barilla ProteinPLUS spaghetti, which is made with a combination of grains and legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas, flaxseed, barley, oats, and spelt. It’s an easy swap that makes pasta night even better (for you)!

So here are the numbers for Day Five. Calories came in at 1352 with 47% from carbohydrate, 34% from fat, and 19% protein with 25 grams of fiber. Stassou’s plan continues maintain a steady calorie range and though the macros vary a little bit, that is largely influenced by my snack choices.

I really appreciate how little I’ve had to battle hunger these past several days. Though I have consistently been in a calorie deficit of 500-700 calories per day, I have rarely felt it. Stassou’s ‘weight loss solution’ continues to deliver meals and snacks that keep hunger at bay–something any dieter can appreciate!

That’s it for Day Five! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend!