Many studies have proven that eating a Mediterranean diet can prolong your life, in addition to adding to your health. So, what foods should you eat to enjoy the benefits that this particular eating plan provides?
Fish
One of the key aspects of the Mediterranean diet involves eating fish at least twice every week. Some options to consider include salmon, squid, tuna, and lobster. You can also have tilapia, oysters, shrimp, and mussels if any of those are appealing to you.
Poultry
Both chicken and turkey are encouraged on the Mediterranean diet as they are low in saturated fat. Just make sure that you use spices and herbs as opposed to seasoning salts when preparing them. Some good ones to try are lemon pepper, cumin, and basil.
Nuts
Another protein that is encourage on this diet plan is nuts. The healthy fats that they contain are good for your heart and they are filling at the same time. However, you do want to limit them to no more than two servings daily to keep your calorie intake in line.
Unrefined Carbs
Because your goal is to avoid processed foods, you want to choose unrefined carbs such as couscous, wheat, rice, and barley when following the Mediterranean diet.
Fruits and Veggies
The mainstay of the Mediterranean diet is a high consumption of fruits and veggies because both of these food groups are unprocessed and natural. Although all veggies are encouraged, the one thing to remember when it comes to fruit is that they should be eaten as a dessert. Ideally, you should eat 7-10 servings between the two when on this particular eating plan.
Olive Oil
Cut out butter and other unhealthy oils and replace them with olive oil instead. The great thing about this particular oil is that it works well on salads and you can cook with it, giving you plenty of alternatives depending on which foods you intend to eat.
Low-Fat Dairy
The Mediterranean diet allows a little bit of dairy daily, but it needs to be low-fat versions of milk, cheese, and yogurt in order to be deemed acceptable.
Water
The Mediterranean diet promotes drinking water and not much else. Although, it does allow one glass of red wine daily which is good news for those of you who like to enjoy some vino at the end of the day.
Have you ever tried the Mediterranean diet? If so, what was your experience?
