30 Low Carb Mediterranean Diet Recipes

What is a Low Carb Mediterranean Diet?

When most people think of the Mediterranean Diet they don’t think low carbohydrates.  After all, a diet high in fruit and vegetables, yogurt, beans, nuts, bread, rice and pasta doesn’t exactly scream keto or even paleo.  A truly authentic Mediterranean diet is higher in carbohydrates and fat and lower in protein.  So why would someone want to take the healthiest diet in the world (Mediterranean) and turn it into a low carb diet?

Benefits of a Lower Carb, High Fat Mediterranean Diet.

It wasn’t so long ago that the common wisdom was to eat a high carb, low fat diet and that protein was barely even mentioned.  All fat was bad and most carbohydrate foods were good (even some of the processed ones).  Most of this so called wisdom was severely misguided and is one of the main reasons our obesity epidemic.

Now, more and more studies are showing the benefits of eating higher fat, especially in the form of extra virgin olive oil.  Even more recently, low carb, high fat diets have been shown to be beneficial for weight loss, heart disease, type 2 diabetes as well as reduction of blood pressure and triglycerides.

For most people, switching to a regular Mediterranean Diet will help with all of these issues, but for some it may be recommended to also decrease the amount of carbohydrates eaten.  Let’s look at what a modified low carb Mediterranean Diet would look like.

What does a low carb Mediterranean Diet look like?

A low carb Mediterranean Diet looks like lots of vegetables, no processed foods, less fruit (except for berries) and less grains.  It also means less beans and more fish, chicken, meat and eggs.

I wouldn’t recommend eating this way for long periods of time.  If you are doing it for weight loss then just do it until you have lost the weight.  You should be able to easily maintain your weight on the authentic Mediterranean Diet.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a typical low carb diet would include 20 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per day.  This super low amount of carbohydrates is hard to maintain over time so I would stick to around 100 grams of carbohydrates per day.

What you will be reducing or cutting out to be on a low carb Mediterranean Diet:

Most sweeteners especially sugar and brown sugar.

Most grains especially anything ultra processed.

Many bean dishes.  This is unfortunate as beans are a large part of the Mediterranean Diet.  As I said before, this is only temporary and beans can still be eaten, but you want to pay attention to how many carbs are in the beans you are eating.

Most starchy vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes.  Personally, I find these to all be helpful for weight loss even if they are higher in carbs, but if you want to be super strict then they should be at least reduced.

Sweeter fruits (Bananas, oranges, pineapple, kiwi, apples)

 

What you will be eating on a low carb Mediterranean Diet:

Green leafy vegetables, cauliflower, zucchini, kale, tomatoes, eggplant and avocado.

More meat, chicken, fish and eggs.

Berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)

Olives

Olive oil

Butter

Wine and spirits (without added sugar or sweeteners)

Small servings of nuts

30 Low Carb Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Here are 30 of our best low carb Mediterranean Diet recipes.  These are all mostly main dishes with under 20 grams of carbohydrates in a serving.

Grilled Turmeric Chicken

Grilled Turmeric Chicken

4 grams carbohydrates, 276 calories

 

Sheet Pan Haddock with Swiss Chard and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Sheet Pan Haddock with Swiss Chard and Sun Dried Tomatoes

7 grams carbohydrates, 193 calories

 

Avocado Toast with Smoked Salmon, Fresh Dill and Capers

Avocado Toast with Smoked Salmon, Fresh Dill and Capers

10 grams carbohydrates, 199 calories

 

Anatolian Chicken Stew with Capers and Olives

Anatolian Chicken Stew with Capers and Olives

7 grams carbohydrates, 325 calories

 

Cucumber Yogurt Salad with Fresh Mint, Lemon and Olive Oil

Cucumber Yogurt Salad with Fresh Mint, Lemon and Olive Oil

4 grams carbohydrates, 112 calories

 

Tuna Deviled Eggs

Tuna Deviled Eggs

1 gram carbohydrates, 228 calories

 

Spanish Stuffed Endives with Smoked Salmon

Spanish Stuffed Endives with Smoked Salmon

7 grams carbohydrates, 230 calories

 

Garlic Mushrooms with Herbs

Garlic Mushrooms with Herbs

8 grams carbohydrates, 165 calories

 

Turkish Zucchini Fritters (Mucver)

Turkish Zucchini Fritters

12 grams carbohydrates, 224 calories

 

Spinach and Mushroom Omelette

Spinach and Mushroom Omelette

10.9 grams carbohydrates, 317 calories

 

Chicken Leek Soup with White Wine

Chicken Leek Soup with White Wine

11.2 grams carbohydrates, 418 calories per serving

 

Pan-fried Scallops with Hand Chopped Pesto

Pan-fried Scallops with Hand Chopped Pesto

8 grams carbohydrates, 525 calories per serving

 

Beef with Spinach in the Skillet

Beef with Spinach in the Skillet

10.4 grams carbohydrates, 532 calories per serving

 

Mediterranean Baked Cod

Mediterranean Baked Cod

11.9 grams carbohydrates, 297 calories per serving

 

Instant Pot Chicken with Lemony Mustard Greens and Olives

Instant Pot Chicken with Lemony Mustard Greens and Olives

8.6 grams carbohydrates, 457 calories per serving

 

Spinach and Ricotta Frittata

Spinach and Ricotta Frittata

9.1 grams carbohydrates, 277 calories

 

Beef Stew with Eggplant and Zucchini

Beef Stew with Eggplant and Zucchini

14 grams carbohydrates, 304 calories

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Peppers and Onions

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Peppers and Onions

20 grams carbohydrates, 513 calories

Greek Salad

Greek Salad

10 grams carbohydrates, 281 calories

Grilled Chicken Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing

Grilled Chicken Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing

15 grams carbohydrates, 384 calories

Zucchini Noodles Baked in Olive Oil (Low Carb Pasta)

Zucchini Noodles Baked in Olive Oil (Low Carb Pasta)

0.7 grams carbohydrates, 124 calories

Salmon with Yogurt, Spinach, Lemon and Capers

Salmon with Yogurt, Spinach, Lemon and Capers

14 grams carbohydrates, 496 calories

Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

11 grams carbohydrates, 404 calories

Waldorf Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Waldorf Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

15 grams carbohydrates, 218 calories

Sheet Pan Salmon with Asparagus, Lemon and Dill

Sheet Pan Salmon with Asparagus, Lemon and Dill

8 grams carbohydrates, 387 calories

Baba Ganoush (Eggplant dip)

Baba Ganoush (Eggplant dip)

13 grams carbohydrates, 190 calories

Greek Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Greek Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

15 grams carbohydrates, 466 calories

 

Greek Lamb, Tomatoes and Onion Skewers

Greek Lamb, Tomatoes and Onion Skewers

11 grams carbohydrates, 410 calories

 

Chicken Souvlaki (with bread)

Chicken Souvlaki (with bread)

17 grams carbohydrates, 470 calories

 

14th Century Egyptian Hummus

14th Century Egyptian Hummus

13 grams carbohydrates, 289 calories