The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant foods and healthy fats and limits meat and salt. Following this diet reduces the amount of saturated fat you get from eating a more traditional American diet. Many of the foods included in this way of eating are ready-to-eat and others only require minimal amounts of preparation, making it an ideal diet if you don't like to cook.
Fruits and Vegetables
The Mediterranean diet recommends eating seven to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Many don't require any preparation except washing. Try apples, oranges, pears, carrots, tomatoes and avocados. Quickly chop produce to create a fruit or vegetable salad, which will help you meet your recommended servings each day, but only take a couple of minutes to prepare. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables as a snack or as part of healthy Mediterranean meal. Bake a potato in the microwave and top with broccoli and low-fat cheese, a meal that takes only a couple of minutes to prepare.
Grains
A large emphasis is on whole grains when following the Mediterranean diet. Whole grains contain more nutrients than their refined counterparts. Switch to whole-wheat bread when making a sandwich or have whole-grain crackers and low-fat cheese for a snack. Even if you dislike cooking, boiling water and preparing whole-wheat pasta takes just a few minutes. Mix pasta with tomato sauce, chopped vegetables and salmon for a healthy meal that doesn't take much effort or time to make.
Meat
Red meat is rarely consumed on the Mediterranean diet, but you can eat chicken and fish a couple of times per week. Fish is easy to prepare and cooks quickly, making it a good choice if you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. Tuna, salmon and trout are healthy choices. Use spices and herbs to flavor fish to reduce the amount of salt you need. Chicken breast is another healthy option, but takes a little longer to cook. Either choice can be baked, which takes little effort or cleanup.
Olive Oil
The Mediterranean diet recommends healthy cooking oils, primarily olive oil. Use it in place of butter when cooking. Serve olive oil to dip bread in rather than bread with butter as an appetizer or meal accompaniment. Place a small amount of olive oil in pasta sauces or salad dressings or lightly saute vegetables in it. Even if you dislike meal preparation, using olive oil is a better choice than butter and doesn't alter cooking times.
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