The Mediterranean diet is not a diet per se, but a healthy way of eating. It is based on the way people eat in areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea, where there are low rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. People in those areas also tend to smoke less and exercise more, but a five-year National Institutes of Health study involving 400,000 people showed that people whose eating habits were most like the Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer or any cause even without other lifestyle changes.
The Mediterranean Diet Grocery List
If the items on your grocery list are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, olive oil, herbs, spices, fish or poultry, you are already shopping the Mediterranean diet way. Small amounts of dairy products, including cheese and yogurt, can also be eaten. Red meat is seldom eaten, but red wine is perfectly OK. Wine should be consumed in moderation, of course, which means one to two glasses a day for men and one for women. Instead of sweets, fruit is the preferred dessert.
Fat Can Be a Good Thing
At 25 to 35 percent of daily caloric intake, the Mediterranean diet is not low-fat, but it is low in saturated fat. Olive oil is used in Mediterranean countries, but other monounsaturated oils, such as canola, can be used. Saturated fat is typically kept at no more than 7 to 8 percent of daily intake, with it coming from small amounts of butter, cheese, fish and poultry. Fish is the preferred food from animal sources, especially fish high in omega-3 fatty acids. Examples of such fish are salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel.
The Plants
When fixing a Mediterranean style dinner, go for color. Color in vegetables and fruits is an indicator of phytonutrients, which serve as antioxidants in your body. For example, the red in tomatoes is caused by lycopene, an important antioxidant connected with a lower risk of prostate cancer, among other benefits. The orange of sweet potatoes and carrots indicates beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A. Don't ruin the benefits by slathering vegetables in butter, but instead roast in olive oil, steam or eat raw. Add a healthy whole-grain bread or a cooked grain, such as brown rice or quinoa.
The Protein
The Mediterranean style of eating focuses on fish, poultry or beans as a protein source, with low to moderate amounts of fish or poultry being served at least twice a week, according to the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. Grill, steam or bake fish and poultry. A perfect Mediterranean style dinner might be grilled fish, served on a bed of couscous, accompanied by steamed broccoli and carrots and followed by fresh fruit and yogurt for dessert. An equally perfect Mediterranean style dinner would be whole-grain pasta and beans topped with tomato-based pasta sauce and chopped vegetables -- again, followed by fruit for dessert. Dinners the Mediterranean way can be quick and easy to prepare, and they are as delicious as they are healthy.
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