Hey guys! Today I wanted to just talk a little bit more about what the real Mediterranean diet is. And we will look at a list of Mediterranean food that you can eat on this diet. So for a lot of us our experience of Mediterranean or what we think is the experience is we might go to like an Italian restaurant get some spaghetti and meatballs. And it might come with like a half a pound of spaghetti, a half a pound of meatballs and probably a whole bunch of cheese. And then a little bit of salad on the side. Or maybe a little thing of broccoli. Or we might go to like a Greek restaurant and get what we think it like a Greek salad. Which is iceberg lettuce and a whole bunch of other vegetables and cheese and olives. This is not the Mediterranean diet.
What a Real Mediterranean Diet Looks Like?
So let’s talk about what a real Mediterranean diet looks like. There’s an island of Crete which is often considered to be the heart of the Mediterranean diet. A lot of the islands are where the healthiest people in the world live. And Crete is a Greek island right in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. So first research on the Mediterranean diet was done in Crete. And what they found on this particular island was at the time in like in the 1950s they had the highest rates in the world the man lived. And they only could find one man on the entire island who had any kind of heart disease in a 10-year period.
Why Mediterranean People Lived Long?
So the reason that people were living so long is because they weren’t dying of all the diseases that most of us die from. They were dying from old age so why is this? A lot of it has to do with the food and there’s now been thousands of studies done on the Mediterranean diet. There’s one coming out sometimes every day. But at least once every week. And the diet itself has been shown to help benefit with almost everything. From the top of your head to your toes.
So anything from Alzheimer’s, dementia, eye health, skin health, asthma of course, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. All of these things have been shown to be helped by the Mediterranean diet. But what you want to do is to try to eat a real really true Mediterranean diet. So I’m just gonna quickly tell you a list of Mediterranean food. That will help you have a better idea about what Mediterranean people eat on the island of Crete
Foods to Eat
Here are some foods that you can enjoy as part of the Mediterranean diet
| Fruits | Apples, Oranges, Strawberries, Kiwi |
| Blueberries, Peaches, Apricots, Melon | |
| Vegetables | Spinach, Arugula, Broccoli, Cauliflower |
| Zucchini, Asparagus, Kale, Potatoes, Onions | |
| Legumes | Chickpeas, Lentils, Beans |
| Whole grains | Quinoa, Couscous, Millet, Oats, |
| Brown rice, Buckwheat, Pasta, Farro | |
| Nuts and Seeds | Almonds, Pistachios, Macadamia Nuts |
| Walnuts, Chia seeds, Flax seeds, | |
| Sunflower seeds, Hazelnuts | |
| Poultry | Chicken, Turkey, Goose, Duck |
| Egg yolks and Egg whites | |
| Seafood | Tuna, Trout, Mackerel, Anchovies |
| Mussels, Salmon, Sardines | |
| Dairy | Cheese, Yogurt, Milk |
| Healthy Fats | Olive oil, Avocados, Olives, Avocado oil |
| Herbs and Spices | Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Pepper |
| Turmeric, Garlic, Cinnamon, Coriander | |
| Beverages | Water, Coffee, Tea |
| Red wine 1, 2 glasses per day (as per religious practices) |
Foods to Avoid
Here are some foods that you should limit or avoid as part of the Mediterranean diet.
| Processed Meats | Bacon, Salami, Sausage, Hot Dogs |
| Refined Grains | White Bread, Crackers, Biscuits, White Pasta |
| Tortillas, White Rice | |
| Sweetened Beverages | Packaged Juices, Soda |
| Drinks | Sports Drinks, Energy Drinks |
| Refined Oils | Vegetable Oil, Soybean Oil, Canola Oil |
| Corn Oil, Safflower Oil | |
| Processed Foods | Fast Food, Chips, Convenience Meals, Pretzels |
| Added Sugar | Table Sugar, Ice Cream, Candies, Cookies |
| Baked Goods, Cakes and Pastries |
Sample Menu
Here is a sample 3 day menu for the Mediterranean diet.
Day One
| Break fast | Veggie omelet with spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms |
| Lunch | Greek salad with chicken, feta, olives cucumbers and tomatoes |
| Dinner | Lemon baked salmon with broccoli and brown rice |
Day Two
| Break fast | Oatmeal with strawberries blueberries walnuts and cinnamon |
| Lunch | Grilled chicken with roasted asparagus and Buckwheat noodles |
| Dinner | Whole-wheat lasagna with a side salad |
Day Three
| Breakfast | Greek yogurt with chia seeds and sliced bananas |
| Lunch | Zucchini boats stuffed with ground turkey, quinoa, bell peppers, tomatoes and marinara sauce |
| Dinner | Baked salmon with sautéed kale and barley |
Conclusion
The bottom line, the Mediterranean diet is a healthy eating pattern. That is based on the traditional diets of those in countries like Spain France Italy and Greece. And the diet encourages nutritious foods like fruits, veggies, healthy fats and whole grains. While limiting processed ingredients and added sugar. Following a healthy Mediterranean diet can not only help increase weight loss. But also enhance heart health reduce inflammation and promote better blood sugar control. This list of Mediterranean food offers you a wide range of foods that you can select and enjoy on this diet. And I hope this article was helpful.