Everyone has heard of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. This term first appeared in the middle of the last century, when researchers discovered many similarities in the diet and lifestyle of the inhabitants of the countries of the Mediterranean region and associated this with the longevity and health for which they are known.
Since then, the Mediterranean diet has been studied carefully all over the world, both by specialists and by people who want to build a healthy, balanced diet to live a long and happy life. What are the principles of the Mediterranean diet and how to make a menu in accordance with them, if you do not live in Palermo, but in other cities, read below.
The basic rules of the Mediterranean diet
Today, the Mediterranean diet is an established concept that is based on the eating habits of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean coast. These habits have been analyzed and compiled into a convenient system that anyone can follow. In short, the principles of the Mediterranean diet are as follows:
- High intake of monounsaturated fats.Olive oil and other sources of monounsaturated fatty acids are widely used in cooking, providing up to a third of all calories.
- Low level of meat consumption.Traditionally, meat in Mediterranean countries is eaten on special occasions, not every day.
- High consumption of fish and seafood.Marine sources of protein in the Mediterranean diet act as a kind of meat substitute, so they are consumed quite often.
- High consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains.Vegetable and vegetarian dishes owe their permanent place on the Mediterranean table to the good climate, and the most common dessert is fresh fruit.
- Average level of dairy consumption.The main dairy product consumed in the Mediterranean countries is cheese, it is no coincidence that the most cheeses are found here in the world.
- Average level of alcohol consumption.Mediterranean people tend to drink regularly, but in small quantities. It's usually one or two glasses of wine at lunch and dinner.
- Physical activity.Although this element is not directly related to diet, residents of Mediterranean countries tend to lead an active lifestyle, spending a lot of time outdoors.
By keeping these rules in mind when creating your daily menu, you can stick to the Mediterranean diet no matter where you actually live. What will it give? Fortunately, there is more than enough research on this diet today, so we can say with confidence.
The benefits of the Mediterranean diet
So, the Mediterranean diet:
- promotes the functioning of blood vessels, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases;
- prevents inflammatory processes and restores damaged cells;
- reduces the risk of cancer, as well as diseases such as diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer's disease and others;
Based on the general principles of the Mediterranean diet, the WHO developed dietary guidelines to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and in 2010 UNESCO recognized the Mediterranean diet as a national cultural heritage.
Spanish scientists from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Navarra went even further by studying 11, 000 people and found that those who followed the above principles of the Mediterranean diet most closely had a 30% lower risk ofdepression than rest. However, the reasons for this are not entirely clear, but scientists suggest that the reduced risk of depression is one of the consequences of the fact that the foods included in the Mediterranean diet improve vascular function and fight inflammation.
If you want to get started but don't know how
The benefits that the Mediterranean diet promises are mind-boggling. Of course, there is hardly anyone who will not agree to reduce the risk of certain diseases, but it is quite difficult to change your diet at once, especially if you have never done this before. Therefore, below I will give some tips and recommendations for those who want to start eating according to the Mediterranean diet, and at the end of the article I will create a sample menu for the week, so the first step to a new life will not be so scary.
Here's what you need to do first:
Buy some olive oil
No, I have no doubt that you eat cold-pressed olive oil without my advice, but if you do not have it in your kitchen at least sometimes (or on the contrary, the same bottle of oil collects dust in your cupboard for more than two, maximum three months), you can forget aboutthe mediterranean diet. Salads are seasoned with oil, topped with fresh and cooked vegetables, pasta, cereals, fish and bread is dipped. A good olive oil is a versatile condiment that goes with literally everything, so the key here is to make it a habit. But frying in expensive and high-quality oil is only worthwhile when cooking on low heat; in other cases, use refined vegetable or oil.
Eat olives
Everything is clear here. Olive oil is made from olives, and olives themselves also contain those monounsaturated fatty acids that make it so healthy. Eating seven olives a day is enough to get the full range of nutrients they contain. Fortunately, there is little difficulty with this, most adults love olives, but if this statement does not apply to you, add olives to salads, sauces, stews or fresh cheeses.
Eat more fish
Forget the outdated recommendations that you should eat fish at least once a week. You need to eat fish much more often - at least 3-4 times a week, which means that you need to improve your skills in choosing, buying and preparing fish. When choosing between sea and river fish, give preference to sea fish, and between wild and brown fish, choose the wild. Frozen fish, if thawed properly, is not much worse than fresh fish, but it is much more affordable, and the recipes for fish dishes on this site will last you for a year in advance.
More vegetables, good and different
In the minds of many compatriots, vegetables are either a salad or a side dish, and this idea must be changed urgently. Make it a habit to cook one or two dinners a week entirely from vegetables and pulses. I don't recommend going plant-based – adding cheese or a bit of ham is fine – but by unlocking the potential of vegetables as food, you'll start to enjoy them yourself. It would be nice, of course, if these are fresh and seasonal vegetables, but in winter our pickles and pickles will fit perfectly into the Mediterranean diet. Do they contain so many useful substances and vitamin C for nothing?.
The pasta is good
We have a biased attitude towards pasta, at best they are considered a side dish, at worst - a source of problems for the figure. At the same time, in one of the countries that gave us the Mediterranean diet, Italy, pasta is considered a pillar of local cuisine: it is served before the main course, after cold appetizers, which are called antipasti, that is, "before pasta. "There's absolutely no point in exhausting yourself by eating three- or four-course dinners every day - they haven't done that for a long time, even in Italy itself. But discovering pasta as a complete meal is worth it. You can start with recipes for classic Italian sauces, preferring durum wheat pasta: they contain more nutrients and are more digestible.
Eat less sweets
If you can't imagine a day without a sweet muffin or cake, you're going to have a hard time. In the Mediterranean diet, dessert is often replaced with fresh berries and fruits, which contain fiber and a number of vitamins and nutrients. The good news is that you can eat fruit in reasonable amounts every day, but if you can't live without it, you'd better limit your consumption of other sweets to once or twice a week. And, of course, we are not talking about store-bought baked goods with tons of sugar and margarine.
Mediterranean diet: menu for the week
As promised, a bonus to the article will be a menu for the week, compiled according to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, but first a few necessary clarifications.
- Firstly, the combinations of appetizers and main dishes are given based on my subjective ideas of good cuisine, there is no hidden logic in them, and if you wish, the dishes on the menu can be moved at will.
- Second, the menu is designed for a person who works 7 days a week, who only eats dinner at home on weekends. If this does not apply to you, stir in the same way dishes from the proposed menu or cook in reserve.
- Third, the menu is not tied to a specific season. If some of the products needed for the suggested recipes are not currently available, you can - well, you get the idea! — mix up the menu according to the season.
- Fourth, do not be surprised if you see dishes on the menu that at first glance do not correspond to your ideas about the diet of Mediterranean residents. In Italy, it is unlikely that many people eat cottage cheese and sour cream for breakfast - and yet these products fit more with the Mediterranean diet.
- Finally, if you want to replace a dish or expand the suggested menu, explore the recipe catalog.
Monday
breakfast:
cottage cheese with cream
Dinner:
fresh beet salad
fried cod and quick sautéed spinach
seasonal fruit or berries
Tuesday
breakfast:
natural yogurt with honey or jam
Dinner:
lentil soup
oven-baked chicken gherkin and cucumber and herb salad
seasonal fruit or berries
Wednesday
breakfast:
cottage cheese with cream
Dinner:
toast with roasted peppers and cheese
fish and rice with vegetables
seasonal fruit or berries
Thursday
breakfast:
Sugar-free muesli with yogurt
Dinner:
minestrone soup
spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and basil
seasonal fruit or berries
Friday
breakfast:
natural yogurt with honey or jam
Dinner:
squid and fennel salad
Veal entrecote with pepper sauce and grilled vegetables
seasonal fruit or berries
Saturday
breakfast:
shakshuka
Dinner:
sea fish soup
squid baked with tomatoes
Dinner:
Kapreze salad
lamb with eggplant and bulgur with green peas
figs with honey and rosemary
Sunday
breakfast:
homemade cupcake
Dinner:
roasted pepper soup
spaghetti amatriciana
Dinner:
fried shrimp with garlic
baked halibut and potatoes with rosemary
baked apple
Finally
Many of us associate the word "diet" with a constant feeling of hunger and the need to limit ourselves in our desires for the sake of some ephemeral result. But the Mediterranean diet is completely different. Where, if not in the Mediterranean countries, they know a lot about good food and pleasurefrom the delicious and relaxed lunch that brings the whole family to the table? In fact, the Mediterranean diet is not a diet or a food system. It is a way of life promising health and longevity that each of us can follow.
I hope you found this article on the principles of the Mediterranean diet useful and easy to plan your menu according to its principles. And to make this task even easier, you can use different collections of recipes to help you find the right dishes.