A Mediterranean food plan focuses on fresh, natural foods that support good health. Based on foods traditionally eaten by people who live along the Mediterranean Sea, the diet uses primarily foods that come from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, olives and olive oil, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds and potatoes. Fish, poultry and eggs are the proteins of choice and low-fat dairy products are often also part of the plan.
Breakfast
Begin your day with toast made from a crusty bread such as a baguette. Top with a drizzle of olive oil instead of butter. Have an assortment of fresh fruit such as peaches, apples and melon along with Greek yogurt drizzled with honey and a few walnut halves.
Lunch
Make a chickpea salad by tossing together canned chickpeas with plain, nonfat yogurt, mint leaves, lemon juice, red onion and diced red pepper. Have in a whole wheat pita pocket with romaine lettuce leaves. Enjoy a few dates as a sweet ending to your lunch.
Dinner
Grill or broil 3 oz. of salmon fillet topped with lemon and cracked black pepper. Have roasted potatoes tossed with olive oil and rosemary as a side dish along with a generously sized spinach salad topped with roasted peppers, olives and feta cheese and dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Other types of fish, such as flounder, tilapia or shrimp, may substitute for the salmon.
Snacks and Desserts
Between meals, indulge your need to snack with a handful of nuts, a chunk of low-fat cheese, fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables or oatmeal and skim milk. A Mediterranean diet features small portions of sweets just a few times per week. Fruits usually end a meal, but you may enjoy foods, such as gelato or sorbet, as a treat a few times a week.
Considerations
A Mediterranean diet is higher in fat than is recommended by the typical American plan. The fat in a Mediterranean diet comes mostly from olive oil, which is unsaturated. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can help lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease. The Mediterranean diet also allows for regular consumption of red wine. Moderate intake is key, however, so stick to just one glass per day if you are woman or two per day if you are a man.
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