How to Do a Mediterranean Diet the French Way

It’s June and summer will officially be here soon. I’m dreaming of the Cote d’Azur, ahhh Nice… In fact, I’m making this summer a French Riviera Summer, it’s all about a sunny Mediterranean vibe. Time to get in shape for the beach, pool, lighter clothes and outdoor fun. Especially in summertime, the healthy glow of the Mediterranean diet is the way to go. This meal plan for June uses the best of seasonal produce, including lots of vitamin A and omega 3 for health and glow. This is a low calorie diet, so combined with healthy nutrition, and lots of fiber, you’ll be ready for the sun in no time. And of course the recipes have a French Riviera twist 😉 Let’s dive in and enjoy how to do a Mediterranean Diet – the French Way!

Why a Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet is all about plant-based whole foods and healthy fats. The sunny Mediterranean is full of seasonal produce, especially in June. Bring on the greens! Green beans, kale, spinach, and especially jars full of pistou and pesto. Carrots, strawberries and blueberries to give us a glow. A Mediterranean diet naturally includes lots of fiber, from the legumes, whole grains and fruits. Healthy fats like olive oil and omega 3 loaded salmon are included here too. Don’t forget a good rosé, this is the south of France after all, perfect with the sunlit cuisine of the Cote d’Azur. And speaking of the blue coast, I just received my copy of Le Sud by Rebekah Peppler and I am obsessed. Filled with beautiful, magical recipes, stories and photographs from the south of France, I can’t get enough. I’ve already tried several recipes and each has been très fabuleux. I highly recommend it!

A Mediterranean Diet the French Way

monday

• breakfast: Greek yogurt with 1 tbsp soaked chia seeds and a handful of blueberries.
• lunch: French Carrot Salad, a Rebekah recipe! Serve with tofu “feta”. I found a super simple recipe for Tofu Feta on Bon Appétit or just Google search and you’ll find many more, a bunch using miso, one of my favorite ingredients ever.  And btw, Rebekah has an absolutely beautiful Carrottes Rosé recipe in Le Sud which uses rose wine 💕.
• dinner: Soup au Pesto. Feel free to replace the tomato and zucchini in the soup with more seasonal vegetables like carrots and kale or spinach. If you were feeling ambitious over the weekend and made Fougasse, like this lovely Sourdough version from The Perfect Loaf, that would be perfect with this. Or, if you have sourdough starter, save the discard to make these Sourdough Seed Crackers from Little Spoon Farm alongside instead of bread!

tuesday

• breakfast: un café
• lunch: Niçoise Salad , again from Rebekah Peppler (I told you I’m obsessed!). The cherry tomatoes aren’t really in season yet, so skip those if you like.
• dinner: Roast Chicken Parisian. To make this weeknight friendly, swap out the whole chicken with skin on, bone in thigh or breast pieces, and instead of potatoes try radishes, all on one sheet pan. Serve with a side of arugula topped with a Dijon vinaigrette.

wednesday

• breakfast: yogurt or kefir with 1 tbsp soaked chia seeds and some strawberries.
• lunch: French Carrot Salad with a hardboiled egg and fougasse or seed bread.
• dinner: Socca from David Lebovitz. Serve with a simple dark leafy green salad with herbs. Add avocado and sliced red pepper to the salad for extra omega 3 and vitamin A. Socca is best with a chilled glass of rosé, santé!

thursday

• breakfast: un café
• lunch: An Amazing Chickpea Green Goddess Salad
• dinner: Cold Poached Salmon with Dill Mustard Sauce from NYT Cooking. Instead of sour cream, I would make a mayonnaise based Dijon sauce. Perfect with frites and a nice glass of rosé.

friday

• breakfast: café au lait
• lunch: Egg Salad Stuffed Red Peppers Provencal – see my new recipe below!
• dinner: Pissaladière from NYT Cooking. I made the recipe from Le Sud last Friday with my sourdough and it was sooo good.

saturday

• breakfast: café
• lunch: Magic Mango Gazpacho. Yummy and even more healthy with seed crackers.
• dinner: Spinach linguini, fettuccini or tagliatelle with Pistachio Pesto. Yesss or should I say ouiii.

sunday

You do you! Of course I’d recommend doing the SUNDAY BREAKFAST SOUFFLÉ AND ROAST CHICKEN PARISIAN again – a must at least once a month!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Egg Salad Stuffed Red Peppers Provencal

This recipe was inspired by a suggestion from my cousin Amber for a healthy, high protein recipe for le Blog. She uses raw red peppers, I roasted the peppers to make them more like the Provencal dish Petits Farcis, or stuffed vegatables.

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: French, Provencal

Keyword: healthy, protein lunch, Provencal egg salad

Servings: 2

Calories: 127kcal

Ingredients

• 1 large red bell pepper
• olive oil
• 2 eggs free range & organic
• 1 tbsp Greek yogurt, 2% fat
• 1 tsp mayonnaise
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 cornichons chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley or cilantro chopped
• pinch herbs de Provence
• pinch paprika or curry powder
• salt & pepper
• 1 tbsp hempseeds optional*

Instructions

• Cut the bell pepper into quarters, remove the seeds and core.

  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush the inside of the bell pepper halves with olive oil and salt. Roast about 13 minutes, until slightly softened. Let cool.
• For the egg salad:

  While eggs are simmering, fill a small saucepan halfway with water, bring to boil. Add eggs, cover with lid, lower heat to simmer. Set timer for 8 minutes. When done immediately plunge eggs in bowl of ice water. After 5 minutes peel and chop eggs.

  Combine eggs, yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon, parsley, cornichons, herbs de Provence and paprika or curry in a bowl. Season with salt & pepper. Spoon into red peppers and top with hemp seeds. Serve with a salad of baby lettuces tossed with vinaigrette.

Notes

*The addition of hempseeds will give it a little crunch, like a breadcrumb topping.  It also adds protein, omega 3 and fiber.

Calories: 127       Protein:  7g       Carbs:  5 g      Fat:  8g

Very high in vitamin C!

If adding hempseed, you are adding (per serving):

28 calories     1.7 g protein       0 carbs       2g fat (including omega 3)

Thank you for joining me on my daydream trip to the south of France. I will be doing this French Mediterranean diet this week and I can’t wait to feel the glow, and the healthy! Here is a link to the printable PDH, especially for you. I hope you have a beautiful June filled with sunshine and happiness. Santé and à bientôt!