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Budget-Friendly Strategies:

Buy seasonal vegetables and fruits from local farmer’s markets.

Use legumes as main protein sources.

Cook larger quantities for multiple meals.

Use olive oil as the main fat source.

Bake homemade whole grain bread.

One-Week Meal Plan:

Monday:

Breakfast: Homemade bread with olive oil, orange juice (0.80€/person)

Lunch: Fasolada (bean soup) with carrots, celery & tomato, bread (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Bulgur salad with parsley, tomato, mint & lemon (1.00€/person)

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Tahini on toast, apple (0.70€/person)

Lunch: Stuffed peppers with rice and herbs, yogurt (1.20€/person)

Dinner: Zucchini fritters with tomato salad (1.00€/person)

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Yogurt with oats and grapes (0.90€/person)

Lunch: Lentil soup with carrot & onion, bread, olives (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Omelet with spinach and onion, boiled potatoes (1.20€/person)

Thursday:

Breakfast: Bread with tahini and honey, pear (0.90€/person)

Lunch: Briam (oven-roasted vegetables with olive oil) and rice (1.10€/person)

Dinner: Green bean stew, salad (1.10€/person)

Friday:

Breakfast: Seasonal fruit with nuts and wholemeal bread (0.80€/person)

Lunch: Pasta with tomato & basil sauce, cucumber salad (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Baked pumpkin with bulgur and herbs (1.10€/person)

Saturday:

Breakfast: Yogurt with honey and walnuts (0.90€/person)

Lunch: Revithia (chickpea stew), pickled vegetables, bread (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Tomato omelet with mixed greens (1.00€/person)

Sunday:

Breakfast: Toast with tahini & banana slices (0.90€/person)

Lunch: Baked eggplants with tomato and parsley, couscous (1.10€/person)

Dinner: Lentil salad with grated carrots and cabbage (1.00€/person)

Total Weekly Cost Estimate: €32 for a family of 4

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Strategy Highlights:

Adapt Mediterranean meals using local and seasonal produce.

Replace expensive fish with canned mackerel or eggs.

Buy dry legumes and whole grains in bulk.

Focus on plant-based meals with minimal animal products.

Weekly Plan Overview:

Day 1 – Monday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with banana and flax seeds (0.60€/person)

Lunch: Lentil stew with carrots and potatoes, rye bread (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Tomato and chickpea soup, side of cucumber salad (1.00€/person)

Day 2 – Tuesday:

Breakfast: Rye bread with cottage cheese and parsley (0.70€/person)

Lunch: Buckwheat with sautéed cabbage and garlic (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Egg and spinach frittata with salad (1.10€/person)

Day 3 – Wednesday:

Breakfast: Oats with apple and cinnamon (0.60€/person)

Lunch: Baked beans with steamed carrots & cabbage (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Vegetable casserole with bulgur (1.20€/person)

Day 4 – Thursday:

Breakfast: Herbal tea and rye bread with jam (0.50€/person)

Lunch: Pearl barley risotto with mushrooms and seasonal greens (1.10€/person)

Dinner: Scrambled eggs with peppers and onions, wholemeal toast (1.00€/person)

Day 5 – Friday:

Breakfast: Rye bread with curd cheese & tomato (0.70€/person)

Lunch: Baked beans with barley and root vegetables (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Lentil soup with parsley and rye croutons (1.00€/person)

Day 6 – Saturday:

Breakfast: Porridge with seasonal fruit and sunflower seeds (0.60€/person)

Lunch: Spaghetti with vegetable tomato sauce (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Grilled vegetable sandwiches with hummus (1.20€/person)

Day 7 – Sunday:

Breakfast: Pancakes with apples and honey (0.80€/person)

Lunch: Chickpea and rice pilaf with carrots (1.10€/person)

Dinner: Potato and zucchini bake with herbs (1.20€/person)

Total Weekly Cost Estimate: €29–30 for a family of 4

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Budget-Friendly Strategies:

Purchase fresh produce from weekly bazaars.

Cook once, eat twice: turn lentils into koftesi, then use leftovers in wraps.

Choose bulgur and legumes over meat.

Emphasize yogurt and fermented products.

Weekly Plan:

Monday:

Breakfast: Whole grain bread with white cheese, tomatoes and black tea (0.70€/person)

Lunch: Green lentil stew with rice and seasonal greens (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Oven-baked eggplant with tomato and bulgur (1.20€/person)

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Simit with olives and cucumber (0.60€/person)

Lunch: Bulgur pilaf with sautéed spinach and yogurt (1.10€/person)

Dinner: Red lentil soup and shepherd’s salad (1.00€/person)

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Tahini & molasses with bread and black tea (0.60€/person)

Lunch: Vegetable moussaka with rice (1.20€/person)

Dinner: Mercimek köftesi wraps with greens and yogurt (1.10€/person)

Thursday:

Breakfast: Boiled eggs, bread, tomato and tea (0.70€/person)

Lunch: Eggplant and chickpea stew with bulgur (1.10€/person)

Dinner: Yogurt soup and zucchini fritters (1.00€/person)

Friday:

Breakfast: Labneh, cucumber, olives and tea (0.70€/person)

Lunch: Red lentil soup with rice and carrot salad (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Imam bayildi with side salad (1.20€/person)

Saturday:

Breakfast: Sesame bread with white cheese and apple (0.70€/person)

Lunch: Tomato and bulgur pilaf, green beans with olive oil (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Stuffed peppers with yogurt (1.20€/person)

Sunday:

Breakfast: Cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, olives & bread (0.70€/person)

Lunch: Lentil soup, carrot salad & rice (1.00€/person)

Dinner: Mercimek köftesi wraps with greens (1.20€/person)

Total Weekly Cost Estimate: €28/ family of 4

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Budget-Friendly Strategies:

We select seasonal fruits and vegetables from local Greek markets.

Use lentils, chickpeas, beans as low-cost protein sources.

Cook in larger quantities and reuse leftovers creatively (e.g., turning cooked vegetables into soup or pies).

Replace processed snacks with homemade foods, such as olive oil rusks and tahini dip.

Plan meals using basic pantry items (olive oil, herbs, pasta, rice) that can be bought in bulk.

Monday

Breakfast: Wholegrain bread with tahini & honey

Lunch: Lentil soup, cabbage-carrot salad, bread

Dinner: Scrambled eggs with spinach

Cost: €8.60

Tuesday

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with oats & apple

Lunch: Stuffed vegetables (gemista), yogurt dip

Dinner: Boiled potatoes with greens and olive oil

Cost: €8.70

Wednesday

Breakfast: Rusks with tomato, olive oil, oregano

Lunch: Chickpea stew, roasted carrots

Dinner: Pasta with garlic, olive oil, parsley

Cost: €8.50

Thursday

Breakfast: Boiled eggs, bread, seasonal fruit

Lunch: Spinach rice (spanakorizo), feta

Dinner: Pumpkin soup with croutons

Cost: €8.20

Friday

Breakfast: Barley rusks with raisins and nuts

Lunch: Pasta with lentil Bolognese

Dinner: Zucchini omelette, side salad

Cost: €8.40

Saturday

Breakfast: Homemade orange cake & tea

Lunch: Giant beans (gigantes) in tomato sauce

Dinner: Leftovers or soup

Cost: €7.80

Sunday

Breakfast: Semolina porridge with cinnamon

Lunch: Vegetable pie (hortopita), yogurt

Dinner: Baked sweet potatoes with garlic yogurt

Cost: €8.00

total: €58.20

With leftover reuse and bulk cooking, the plan becomes more economical.

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Ingredient Sourcing Guide

"Mediterranean Flavors in Your Local Market"

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Mediterranean Ingredient Sourcing Guide

Tips for Finding, Substituting and Growing Mediterranean Ingredients in Greece, Slovakia and Türkiye

The Mediterranean Diet is recognized worldwide for its health benefits and sustainable principles. It emphasizes plant-based foods, healthy fats, whole grains and fresh herbs. However, sourcing Mediterranean ingredients can vary across regions.

This guide helps students and families in Greece, Slovakia and Turkey find or substitute these ingredients using local markets, affordable alternatives and even home-grown solutions.

Let's make Mediterranean eating accessible for all!

Core Mediterranean Ingredients

The Mediterranean pantry includes:

Olive oil: The foundation of Mediterranean cooking.

Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, beans for protein and fiber.

Whole grains: Bulgur, brown rice, barley.

Fruits & vegetables: Tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, leafy greens.

Nuts & seeds: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds.

Fish & seafood: Anchovies, sardines, local fish.

Herbs & spices: Oregano, basil, mint, thyme, cinnamon.

Dairy: Yogurt, feta cheese, hard cheeses.

Adapting Ingredients to Local Availability

Mediterranean cooking is flexible and rooted in the use of what's fresh and local. In every region, there are suitable substitutes that maintain both the spirit and nutritional value of traditional ingredients. For example, if extra virgin olive oil is not accessible, cold-pressed sunflower or rapeseed oil can offer a similar healthy fat profile. When chickpeas are unavailable or expensive, try local white beans, yellow peas or lentils. Feta cheese can be swapped for other brined white cheeses or local soft cheeses. Even vegetables can be easily substituted based on the season: cabbage, carrots or pumpkin can replace zucchini or eggplant in colder months.

Using what's available locally ensures meals remain affordable, sustainable, and culturally relevant, while still embracing Mediterranean principles. The key is creativity: think of flavor, nutrition and function rather than following recipes strictly.

Greece - Ingredient Sourcing

In Greece, Mediterranean foods are part of daily life.

Where to shop: Laiki agora (street markets), small neighborhood grocers, co-ops.

Affordable options: Use dried legumes (cheaper than canned), seasonal vegetables, local olive oil.

Examples: Instead of pine nuts, use walnuts in pesto. Make your own rusks from wholegrain bread.

Home-growing: Herbs like oregano, basil, mint and parsley thrive in balconies or small pots.

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An Ingredient Sourcing Guide with tips for finding, substituting and growing Mediterranean ingredients in Greece, Slovakia and Türkiye