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Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! We are officially at the half-way point of our week-long test drive of The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD. If you’re just joining us, be sure to check my previous posts for Days One, Two, and Three as well as more information about Mediterranean diets and their potential benefits!

So far the week has had its ups and downs, hasn’t it? Some of the recipes have been absolutely delicious–full of flavor and a feast for the eyes! Others? Not so much. So what will today’s menu bring to the table? Let’s jump right in and take a look at today’s food log!

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Day Three’s Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Greek Yogurt with Berries, Honey, and Mint (pg. 90)
• 1 slice whole wheat toast
• Coffee with half and half

Lunch

• White Bean Soup with Kale (pg. 118)
• 1/2 whole wheat pita
• 1/2 apple

Snacks

• Date Nut Energy Ball (pg. 202) with fresh strawberries and chai tea
• Carrot and Bran Muffin (pg. 93)

Dinner

• Hamburger made with 4 ounces extra-lean ground beef on a whole wheat bun with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion (pg. 61)
• Easy Brussels Sprouts Hash (pg. 182)

My Thoughts

So we definitely had some winners and losers today, my friends. Though the day had a rough start out of the gates, it definitely ended on a high note!

Recipe Fail!

Let’s start with breakfast. I tried making the French Toast recipe found in the book and it was, I’m sad to report, a total debacle. I followed the cooking instructions to the letter and, despite my best instincts, soaked the bread slices for 10 MINUTES. If you’ve ever made French toast, you can probably guess what happened. One slice was so soggy I couldn’t even transfer it to the skillet! The others somehow managed to burn whilst remaining an uncooked mess within. Oh dear. I think I will try this recipe again, though only briefly dunking the bread slices prior to cooking. We’ll see what happens! Needless to say, I resorted to plan B and had the yogurt with berries again.

Keeping Hunger at Bay

Lunch was a significant improvement! The White Bean and Kale Soup was really tasty and satisfying on a chilly day. A colorful variety of veggies, creamy white beans, a bit of chicken sausage, fresh thyme and red pepper flakes come together to make a filling soup full of flavor–not to mention good nutrition! I would certainly make this again.

Snacks were repeats from earlier in the week, so nothing new to add there except to note that I had a bit more difficulty with nagging hunger throughout the afternoon today. I suspect that’s likely due to the fairly low calorie count at lunch. Instead of ignoring my hunger cues, I went ahead and added a second snack. Problem solved.

Dinner for the WIN!

The family definitely appreciated the dinner menu tonight and I have to admit, it felt good having an honest-to-goodness hamburger. We buy our beef from a local rancher and love it! Such high quality meat and we know how the cows are being raised and processed.

The Easy Brussels Sprouts Hash went over fairly well with the crew. Believe it or not, my boys actually like Brussels sprouts, though I usually just steam and toss them with a dab of butter and salt. My husband liked this new recipe with its tangy Dijon vinaigrette; the boys only gave it a middling rating at best. For an otherwise widely despised member of the cruciferous vegetable family, I’ll go ahead and call that a win.

Nutrition Breakdown

Alright! So, let’s look at the numbers. Today’s calories came in at 1248 with 55% coming from carbohydrate, 25% from fat, and 20% from protein and 24 grams of fiber. A slight change from the usual breakdown, but this is no surprise given that my snacks of choice today were a bit higher in carbohydrate. As all previous days, this is once again a calorie level that, by all calculations, would create about a 1 pound weight loss per week–perhaps a bit more. My weigh-in yesterday certainly confirms that.

Aside from the French Toast fail this morning, Day Four went pretty well! I enjoyed most of today’s meal plan and added an extra snack when I needed something to keep hunger at bay. I do still feel like I am spending a lot of time in the kitchen, but that comes with the territory when fresh, unprocessed food is on the menu.

I hope you’re enjoying this review of The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution! I know I have enjoyed the chance to test new recipes and taste new flavors! Tomorrow we’ll be taking another look at that French Toast and for dinner? Shrimp Scampi! You don’t want to miss it!