Tenley Marsh never considered herself much of a cook. She liked the idea of eating healthy—but hours in the kitchen? That wasn’t her style.
She was drawn to the Mediterranean diet for its simplicity and heart-healthy benefits, but as someone managing her carb intake, she needed a version that worked for her lifestyle. “I didn’t want to give up flavor,” she says. “But I also didn’t want to spend my entire evening chopping vegetables.”
What she found was that the Mediterranean diet didn’t need to be carb-heavy or time-consuming. “It’s more about how you cook than what you avoid,” Tenley explains.
She began keeping a few staples in her pantry—canned artichokes, olives, chickpeas, high-quality olive oil—and relying on quick proteins like fish or eggs. One evening, with ten minutes to spare, she threw together a skillet of sautéed spinach, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and leftover grilled chicken. “I was shocked how good it was,” she says. “I actually paused mid-bite and smiled.”
Over time, her dinners became intuitive. Zucchini ribbons instead of pasta. Eggplant layered with tahini. Cauliflower tossed with lemon and herbs. No meal took longer than 30 minutes, but each one made her feel like she was feeding her body and her senses.
“It became less about cutting carbs,” she reflects, “and more about cooking with intention.”
