It's easy to follow the Mediterranean diet at dinner or lunch. But don't sleep on breakfast! The principles of the Mediterranean diet are the same in the morning as for any other time—choose healthy whole foods, including lots of fruits and veggies, and limit heavily processed foods and saturated fats. Where you can, use healthy olive oil as the cooking fat or to drizzle over breakfast scrambles, whole-wheat toasts, and more. Go big on healthy seasonal vegetables where you can—and enjoy some sliced fruit on the side or as a snack. Here's what you eat for breakfast on the Mediterranean diet.
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Poached Eggs Caprese
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Perch poached eggs atop slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese and English muffins slathered in pesto. "Absolutely delicious!" says Rhianna. "I made my own fabulous fresh pesto to top the poached egg. The egg poached nicely." Stephany, meanwhile, added turkey bacon and used whole wheat English muffins.
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Eggs and Greens Breakfast Dish
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Start the day off with a healthy medley of greens: arugula, chard, and spinach. "This was a nice way to add some veg to breakfast," says lovestohost. "This would make a really nice egg component to a breakfast sandwich."
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Breakfast Pita Pizza
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Spread pesto over pita rounds; top with crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, chopped tomato, mushrooms, and spinach. And garnish with slices of avocado if you like.
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Caprese on Toast
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Traditional Italian caprese salad tops lightly toasted bread. "Fresh ingredients are key to this recipe," says hamalpn. Meanwhile, Dianne recommends drizzling a balsamic glaze over the top. "And the garlic rubbed on the toast is essential," she says.
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Mediterranean Breakfast Quinoa
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Here's nutty cinnamon quinoa with dates, apricots, toasted almonds, and honey. "A fantastic dish!" raves Robin Hartman. "The perfect combination of sweet, salty, and nutty. Great texture. Wasn't too heavy or too light, perfect for a breakfast dish and held me over just fine until lunch time. Definitely a wonderful dish to start the day with."
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Eggs Florentine
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Spinach, mushrooms, and cream cheese are scrambled up with eggs and garlic. "Yummy!" says naples34102. "I NEVER say yummy, but in this case, it was the first word that entered my mind when I thought about how I'd describe this. Maybe it's because I love spinach, mushrooms, and garlic, and particularly when all three are used at once."
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Chef John's Shakshuka
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This North African one-dish-meal features a spicy tomato and pepper sauce slowly simmered and finished with eggs on top. "Fast, easy, and delicious," says Chef John. "Be sure to cook your sauce until the veggies are nice and soft and sweet. Once the eggs go in, you can finish covered on the stove, or just pop the pan into a hot oven until they cook to your liking."
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Quinoa Breakfast Cereal
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Quinoa gets up for breakfast, starring here as a hot cereal with apricots, almonds, flax seeds, and warm spices. "A nice change from the usual bowl of oatmeal, this is jam-packed with nutrients and energy!" says laur_218. "Serve warm with milk. If sweetness is desired, add a splash of maple syrup or honey."
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Healthy Breakfast Sandwich
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Something like a caprese salad with an egg on it sandwiched between whole-wheat English muffins. Molly calls it "a quick and easy breakfast with whole grain muffins, egg whites, spinach, and fresh tomato."
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Spinach Feta Egg Wrap
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Scrambled eggs mix it up with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese before getting wrapped up in a warm whole-wheat tortilla.
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Zucchini with Egg
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Why not saute zucchini before scrambling your eggs? This one-pan breakfast couldn't be easier.
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Paleo Baked Eggs in Avocado
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"The contrast between the soft and fresh avocado and the creaminess of a poached egg is brilliant. Good thing is, it's also very healthy and satisfying." — NYJEN
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Scrumptious Breakfast Salad
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"A fantastic salad I got from a Portuguese restaurant," recipe creator Ilovefood says. Finish it off with chopped boiled eggs.
- These 15 Breakfast Salads Can Change Your Morning for the Better
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Socca (Farinata)
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"Socca is a gluten-free, yeast-free, and vegan flatbread that is a specialty from the French city of Nice," Cannelle says.
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Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Quinoa
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"Sweet blueberries and tart lemon pair well in this alternative to oatmeal. High in protein and fiber, quinoa is a great start to your day," says recipe creator France C.