Minimum effective dose
Build meals around protein + plants, and make minimally processed foods the default.
Mediterranean-style dietary patterns have robust evidence for cardiovascular outcomes; in a large randomized trial of high-risk adults, Mediterranean diet interventions reduced major cardiovascular events compared to control diet counseling.[1]
| Day | Do this |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pick default breakfast + buy ingredients |
| 2 | Add protein-forward lunch |
| 3 | Add a fiber-forward dinner |
| 4 | Create “snack defaults” (reduce grazing) |
| 5 | Plan 2 dinners you can repeat |
| 6 | Shop with a list (protein + plants first) |
| 7 | Review: what caused cravings/outliers? |
Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, et al. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet. N Engl J Med. 2013;368:1279–1290. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200303 ↩︎