I really liked reading this cookbook and I will use it often. I am eating more of a Mediterranean Diet due to some health issues so this book was very helpful for this beginner. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to change their diet to a healthier style like the Mediterranean one. The meal prep information is so nice for those of us who work full-time and also want to make health adjustments to their way of eating.

Invaluable for anyone wanting to begin the journey into healthier eating through adding more vegetables and grains, olive oil, and less animal proteins. Delicious recipes interspersed with beautiful photographs make this a useful book.

This is a super fun cook book. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Elena Paravantes’ The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook makes adding healthy, colorful food to your diet look easy. There’s a nice variety of recipes with a focus on veggies and easy to find seasonings.

The fourteen day guide will help start you in the right direction.

I'm trying to adhere to the Mediterranean Diet for health reasons, and I find it slightly difficult because it's a more nuanced diet than most. Keto, you just cut carbs. Vegetarian, just stop eating meat! Whole 30, here are like 5 things you can eat! But Mediterranean is more like, eat more fiber, more veggies, more fruits, but you can still have a little of this and that. It leaves a lot up to the user. So, I have two cookbooks I'm using: The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook: 500 Vibrant, Kitchen-Tested Recipes for Living and Eating Well Every Day by America's Test Kitchen (ATK) (kind of the gold standard), and this one. I also pay attention to Facebook groups created by Oldways, which is the arbiter of all things Mediterranean. I have spent some time combing through primary literature trying to sort out what the researchers define as a Mediterranean Diet for studies on its benefits, because that seems like the best place to find the information (Surprise! IT'S NOT).

Introduction
Paravantes lays out the history, health benefits, and principles of the Mediterranean Diet. She has a 2-page FAQ with very common questions that come up. She also has a 2-page spread on the Mediterranean Lifestyle, which includes socializing, exercising, and having a purpose. There is a 2-week meal plan included as well.

Recipes
The recipes here are similar to those on Paravantes's blog, olivetomato.com. It's 2021 and there are a lot of recipes online, making cookbooks obsolete, but I still prefer a cookbook most of the time. The recipes here are very Greek! Which is great. Unlike the ATK book, Paravantes includes salmon (not a Mediterranean fish), and her recipes are more user-friendly. Each recipe has a one or two sentence summary at the beginning!!! I cannot stress how annoyed I am with 5 paragraph recipe introductions, so I love this.
I cooked several of the recipes from this book, and enjoyed them. The Mediterranean Garlic and Herb-Roasted Cod was very good, my husband said it was his favorite cod dish so far. I made the Crustless Savory Zucchini and Feta Pie on p. 89 and the recipe is written so that it's not clear that all of the ingredients should be mixed together before baking, so I ended up layering them and it turned out fine. The author says it will be fixed in the next printing. The Shakshuka recipe is much simpler than others but it is also pretty bland. I definitely want to try more recipes in the book! It has lovely photos. The index is not very useful, but luckily the book is small enough to thumb through easily.
I'd recommend this book as a companion to the ATK book, which has a large number of recipes but much less information on diet and lifestyle. Paravantes has clearly been immersed in Greek food and culture and has a lot more relatable home-cook style than ATK as well.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC free of charge (though I did buy the hard copy as well!).

Written by a dietitian and nutritionist, who happens to be Greek and lived in Greece for 15 years, this cookbook provides a brief introduction to the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, followed by cooking tips, lifestyle guides, sample two-week menu, and 100 recipes. The recipes are fairly simple and use ingredients readily available in American supermarkets, although many of the recipes seem as though they would be best if prepared with fresh ingredients, which are not always available.

All in all, an excellent cookbook for anyone interested in trying new recipes or embracing the Mediterranean diet for health reasons. #TheMediterraneanDietCookbookforBeginners #NetGalley

Lovely cookbook. Great for beginners. I’ve incorporated some of the recipes in my weekly meals and will continue with the Mediterranean diet lifestyle. I wish it had a few more photos though, as some of these recipes were unknown to me. Overall, recommend.

This cookbook begins with a detailed introduction to the concept of a Mediterranean diet. I thought it was well written and easy to follow. It includes a two-week meal plan that does not seem overwhelming (when compared with similar ones I've seen for this or other popular diets).

And, then, a multitude of very appetizing recipes in all categories! Some are typical of Mediterranean cuisine, but I saw many dishes that I'd not heard of before. Here are just a few examples of recipes I'd love to try: Cretan Roasted Zucchini, Shrimp and Feta Saganaki, Beet and Walnut Salad, and Lightened-Up Baklava Rolls. Photos of most of the dishes are included and make them look very appealing. After reviewing this cookbook, I really felt as though I could try this diet and the included recipes. I think I will purchase this book to use in my kitchen!

A nice collection of Mediterranean recipes. Most are fairly simple recipes. I found a lot were tomato based, but maybe this is typical in a Mediterranean diet. I’ll definitely be trying some of these recipes.

This is a great introduction cookbook to the Mediterranean "diet"/way of eating. I enjoyed reading through the recipes while my stomach growled! I also appreciated the sheet pan recipes - I love something quick and easy! I would like to have seen a few more pictures.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I'm of two minds on this cookbook. I enjoyed it, but I found several things potentially problematic. One is the focus on weight loss and calorie-counting, which may work for some, but not others. It can definitely be helpful to provide caloric measurements of the recipes as well as other nutritional details, but it can also be triggering or off-putting to some. The other is the claim that a diet that's 50% carbs and only 20% protein is a 'moderate-carb' diet. I'm not a nutritionist, but the idea that half of your calories coming from carbs is 'moderate' doesn't feel right to me. However, I acknowledge that there are plenty of folks who have found a moderate-to-high carbohydrate diet to be beneficial, so this cookbook may work very well for them. All bodies are different, after all.

I liked the overview of the Mediterranean diet at the beginning of the book, and the proposed meal plans. Although I was vaguely familiar with the concept of this diet - lots of olive oil, fish, a little wine, basically the generic idea of the Mediterranean diet we have in society - I learned a lot from Paravantes's insight, particularly that meat is eaten very infrequently and that most meals are based on fresh vegetables and whole grains.

After having discovered that, I thought that there'd be no way I could follow such a meal plan. I'm Russian and many of my meals revolve around protein/meat - although I do love vegetables! After reading the proposed meal plan and the recipes, though, I was convinced. The recipes are simple, hearty, and wholesome, and I don't think I would miss the addition of meat too much. Still, the idea that this cookbook presents is fairly strict - no cured meats or things like bacon or sausages, and as charcuterie is one of my true loves I don't think I could adhere fully to the Mediterranean diet.

I'm not someone who believes in overly restricted eating, and cutting out so many foods would feel like a diet to me rather than a lifestyle change. I did enjoy the recipes and think I could definitely incorporate them, and the general guidelines of the diet, into my eating pattern. I do wish the cookbook had more pictures - while it's well-designed with a nice clean layout, I'm a visual person and missed the vibrancy of meal photos.

Overall, I think this cookbook is best suited to those who are prepared to make a full lifestyle change and are committed to more restrictive eating to determine whether the Mediterranean diet would work for them. If that's not you, you'll still get lots of usable recipes, but you may choose to disregard some of the more stringent guidelines presented here.

I could not open this book on my android so I could not write a review on it. I tried various options but nothing seemed to work. I am sure the book is filled with great recipes but I can't access them.

Easy to follow recipes, great pics, a nice variety of recipes for the beginner. A winner that can be used by beginners and more accomplished chefs.

The cover of this book caught my attention. I was very curious on the Mediterranean Diet and this beginner book was very helpful in explaining it so even I could understand it. The recipes all sound amazing and I can't wait to try some. I highly recommend this book for anyone, beginner and pro alike,

Disappointingly, was unable to open the pdf and view the contents. Therefore, cannot add a review. Would have liked to be able to read it on Kindle or the NetGalley app.

The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners by Elena Paravantes is filled with some seriously good eats.

As we enter into day 395 of our new reality of constant quarantine I'm glad that the new year brings new interest into getting and staying healthy (at least that's what I'm hoping we're focusing on). In The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, we get a new and more enriched background on the Mediterranean diet fad of yesteryear. The author is a registered dietician nutritionist and a Mediterranean Diet expert after having lived in Greece. This cookbook provides greater insight into the Cretian way of eating based largely on fresh veggies, beans, legumes, and good healthy fats by way of extra virgin olive oil. The author provides us with a sample 2 week diet/meal plan (including snacks!) and tons of delicious-looking recipes.

I am always looking for more healthy recipes to add to my own personal cookbook so I was super excited to pick this book up. I've been gluten-free (by necessity) for over 10 years now so any healthy and simple recipes are always a plus for me. Many of the recipes could be easily modified with gluten-free alternatives -but- with much of those you get a lot of processing and ingredients that aren't necessarily good for you so... maybe skimping on that may be recommended? Others the recipe just won't work, which is fine. Nothing in the gluten-free world can translate 100%. Regardless, I am super excited to try some of these recipes.

I recommend this book for those looking to enhance their food game and transition their lives to a super-tasty, healthier version.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Almost everyone wants to be healthier, and Elena Paravantes’ cookbook, The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners: Meal Plans, Expert Guidance, and 100 Recipes to Get You Started, is a perfect primer for changing the diet and heat healthier. This cookbook includes not only recipes, but articles on healthy eating by adapting a diet rich in Mediterranean ingredients and dishes.

The recipes are written in a conventional easy-to-understand manner, so that every cook, from beginners to advanced, will be able to turn out beautiful, appetizing, picture-perfect dishes. Although there aren’t pictures of every recipe, there are a fair amount of beautiful photographs of many of the recipes. It will be difficult to choose which dishes to make first, and some will certainly become favorites. It is especially nice to know that there are menus and meal planning hints to combine the dishes in the book to make healthy meals. Anyone who has made some of the recipes (the Sheet Pan Cauliflower with Parmesan and Garlic, as well as Grilled Fish with Walnut Gremolata and Caponata were the first in my queue and they were delicious)will not hesitate to adopt the diet to their own lifestyle.

All told, this cookbook offers a new, healthy way of eating with excellent advice, healthy foods, and great recipes. It is a good choice to add to a recipe collection, and will insure that those who love eating will get some enjoyment while improving their health.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

The Mediterranean diet once again topped the list of best diets in the US, which makes sense. The Mediterranean diet is not so much a diet as a lifestyle that incorporates loads of fresh vegetables and whole grains. For anyone wanting to get healthy, it’s the ideal choice. But with all of the vast quantities of information out there, where to begin?

Elena Paravantes via The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners has provided us with just the resource. The book opens with a description of the authentic Mediterranean diets, its mental and physical health benefits, principles, and an FAQ, followed by guidance regarding how much of what to eat, what to buy, and finally meal plans.

The recipes are tantalizing. They’re divided into breakfasts, vegetable and bean, pasta and rice, seafood and meat, salads, snacks and appetizers, and desserts. What strikes me immediately are the fresh flavors used: lemon and olive oil, capers (I love capers!), dates, pine nuts, fresh bright vegetables. And, while I’ve been hesitant to try new eggplant recipes, there are ones here that speak to me.

If you are looking to become healthier, lose weight, and feel better, I’m pretty sure that the key is this diet. I highly recommend, The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners for anyone just starting out as well as those looking to try new recipes.

Nutritional information is provided for each recipes. Most of the recipes have pictures.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was familiar with Elena Paravantes via her website, Olive Tomato, which has wonderful information on the Mediterranean diet and delicious recipes. I was excited to see that she published a cookbook and it exceeded my expectations! It began with an introduction to the Mediterranean diet and it's associated health benefits. There is a great variety of healthy recipes and a helpful 2-week meal plan. As an added bonus, it is an absolutely gorgeous book with a stunning photos and lovely fonts.

I look forward to trying many recipes, including Savory Zucchini Muffins, Roasted White Beans, Chickpeas with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Greek Spinach and Rice, Crustless Savory Zucchini and Feta Pie, Grilled Fish with Walnut Gremolata, Stuffed Dates with Feta and Pine Nuts and Greek Juicy Walnut Cake.

Thank you, DK and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

Great recipes with lots of good information on Mediterranean Diet. I tried a couple of the recipes and they were really delicious. Highly recommend!