Can I Eat a Vegan Mediterranean Diet?

Being vegan means not consuming any animal products (including meat, milk, cheese, honey, fish, and chicken).  There are plenty of vegan Mediterranean recipes.  People on the Greek island of Crete are traditionally vegans half of the year, because they don’t eat any meat or dairy on religious holidays and there are a lot of religious holidays!  On those days, they will eat veggies, beans, nuts, seeds, bread, and fruit.  The great thing about this is that they have been doing it so long that they have created thousands of delicious recipes.  There is no feeling of lack on the days when they go vegan.

The people of the Mediterranean do eat dairy products and meat, but much much less than typical Americans.  Most people eating the Mediterranean Diet have many days when they are vegan or close to being vegan.

The fact that the people of the Mediterranean are healthy and eat less animal products is no coincidence.  Studies show that vegans have lower rates of most diseases including heart disease and diabetes. So, even if you don’t become purely vegan, it is always helpful to decrease the amount of animal products you consume on a daily basis.

I am not vegan myself, but I try to have a few days of eating vegan every week.  It is easier for me when I chose to do it for a whole day than just randomly trying to cut out meat and dairy.  Sometimes, I will eat vegan for a whole week.  Because there are so many amazing vegan recipes I never feel like I am depriving myself.

I would have to say that my favorite vegan recipes of all time come from the island of Crete.  Here are 3 of my faves:

Black Eyed Beans with Herbs (Amazingly satisfying and tastes so good!)

Horta with Potatoes (Can be eaten as a meal with bread or a side)

White Bean Soup (Super simple to make and uses orange slices to give it a Mediterranean flavor)

Here are some more of our Mediterranean recipes that are vegan and delicious!

Also, you can download our free e-book: The 7 day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan packed with recipes including vegan choices.

Below is one of my favorite vegan recipes:  Sweet Potato Fries!

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