Mediterranean Diet For Beginners

A Mediterranean diet includes foods rich in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes as well as lean proteins like poultry and eggs as well as heart-healthy fats like olive oil.

Add extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to salads, cooked vegetables and whole-grain pasta dishes for an easy way to reach three daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, heart-healthy fats, fish, legumes, nuts and moderate wine intake to promote weight loss and lower cholesterol. By following this eating plan you can lower cholesterol without tracking calories or forgoing foods that you love.

Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna are staples in the Mediterranean diet due to their abundance of omega-3 fatty acids. You may also incorporate shellfish like shrimp, crab and clams as long as you consult local advisories about mercury levels before doing so.

Switch out refined vegetable oils for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). It contains more healthful than unhealthy fats and antioxidants to fight inflammation.

Eat More Seafood

Studies show that those following the Mediterranean diet tend to have lower risks of heart disease, strokes and diabetes than those following another eating plan.

Stock your fridge and pantry with these essential products:

Fill your plate with vegetables, fruit and whole grains like farro, quinoa and brown rice. Include healthy fats from olive oil or plant-based oils such as nuts and seeds as well as avocados for optimal nutrition. Choose dairy like low-fat yogurt and nonfat milk along with lean meats while cutting back on sweets, sugary drinks and butter; limit red wine intake to one or two glasses weekly per person for both men and women.

Eat More Healthy Fats

A Mediterranean diet can help you shed excess pounds or maintain a healthy weight, and may even reduce overall mortality risk, according to a 2021 study in Circulation. The eating plan emphasizes whole foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts and olive oil as part of its meal plans.

The Mediterranean Diet provides heart-healthy fats such as monounsaturates and omega-3 oils, which may help your cholesterol and blood pressure over time. A registered dietitian can assist in helping determine if this eating plan fits with your health goals and medical history.

Eat More Whole Grains

The Mediterranean diet is an excellent place to start as it doesn’t involve restricting or counting calories. Instead, it encourages fresh and flavorful food like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, lean meats, nuts and healthy fats–plus wine in moderation!

Legumes are an integral component of the Mediterranean diet and provide protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Try including hummus, black beans or fava beans into your meal plans!

The Mediterranean diet suggests replacing saturated and trans fats with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats like olive oil as part of its recommendation to consume monounsaturated fatty acids for better heart health. Olive, avocado, canola and peanut oil are excellent sources of these monounsaturated fatty acids.

Eat Less Red Meat

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plants over meats and sugary beverages, with its emphasis on vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils, nuts and whole grains. Olive oil provides healthy fats while natural cheese and yogurt provide more nutritional content than in other diets. Likewise it excludes red meat while permitting smaller quantities of poultry, fish and eggs for consumption.

As an aid to kick-starting a Mediterranean-style eating pattern, the registered dietitians at the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab have created this sample meal plan, featuring minimal saturated fat and added sugar as well as plenty of lean proteins, veggies and healthy fats. Follow it as closely as possible while making adjustments as needed based on your own health needs.

Drink More Water

Apart from providing delicious and fresh foods, a Mediterranean diet also emphasizes drinking lots of water – an effective way to both combat excess weight and improve health through increasing fiber, potassium and magnesium intake.

As part of its goals, this initiative also promotes low-calorie fats such as polyunsaturates and monounsaturates oils as an alternative to saturated fats that increase cholesterol and contribute to heart disease – such as butter. For instance, opting for olive, canola or avocado oil instead can make for healthier choices that still taste delicious!

This diet restricts red meat, processed sugar and added salt; but allows poultry, eggs and some dairy (such as Greek yogurt ) in moderation. Furthermore, alcohol should only be consumed within reasonable limits and discourages smoking and other unhealthy habits.