Traditional Healthy Mediterranean Diet Pyramid

Originally based upon the dietary habits from the sunny and warm regions of Crete, Greece and southern Italy, the Mediterranean diet pyramid has achieved worldwide recognition as the symbol of healthy eating. When you consume fresh, wholesome foods, little red meat and water and wine, you are eating the Mediterranean way.

Monthly Recommendations

Red meat rests on the very top of the Mediterranean diet pyramid, making it part of the smallest food group. Because of the high amount of cholesterol in red meat, the pyramid recommends that you eat it only a few times a month. When you shop at the Mediterranean markets, you are more likely to find wider varieties of fish and chicken than you will beef or pork. Sweets also appear at the top of the pyramid as a treat to be enjoyed sporadically.

Weekly Fare

Most of your protein should come from weekly portions of fish, seafood, cheese, yogurt, poultry and eggs. In this area of the globe, you won't yogurt prepared as highly-sweetened dessert-types with candy pieces and high-fructose corn syrups, but rather sold as creamy, Greek yogurt-types, most likely flavored only with vanilla. Daily catches of fish and seafood, still writhing on beds of ice, are plentiful in the open air Mediterranean markets. Look for wild caught fish and seafood in your market to purchase the most natural varieties.

Daily Staples

The bulk of your diet in the Mediterranean tradition of eating should come from olive oil, fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts and grains. People in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea eat a diet heavy in pasta, rice and other whole grains. Bottled olive oil, the most plentiful cooking oil, is often kept in the middle of the table instead of a butter dish. Many homes also keep a bowl of unshelled nuts and a nutcracker on a side table to encourage consumption of healthy omega-3s.

Exercise

Daily physical activity appears at the bottom and widest section of the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Most of the people and cultures surrounding the Mediterranean Sea are accustomed to walking as a daily activity. Some homes in the upper elevations of cities cannot be reached by cars and people must walk in order to grocery shop or go to work, therefore, the exercise that people in other parts of the world must schedule into their day, becomes a daily habit in the sunny Mediterranean region.

Daily Beverages

The pyramid recommends you drink at least six glasses of water per day, and allows for daily wine in moderation. Small boxes of wine are a common feature on the Mediterranean lunch and dinner table, and wine consumption is considered a daily health habit.