Everyone has heard about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. This term first appeared in the middle of the last century, when researchers found many similarities in the diet and lifestyle of the inhabitants of the countries of the Mediterranean and associated them with the longevity and health for which they are famous.
Since then, the Mediterranean diet has been extensively studied around the world, both by specialists and 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 according to them if you live not in Palermo, but in other cities, read below.
The most important rules of the Mediterranean diet
Today, the Mediterranean diet is an established concept based on the eating habits of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean coast. These habits have been analyzed and compiled into a practical 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 commonly used in cooking and provide up to a third of all calories.
- Low meat consumption.Traditionally, meat in Mediterranean countries was not eaten every day but on special occasions.
- High consumption of fish and seafood.Marine protein sources in the Mediterranean diet play the role of a kind of meat substitute and are therefore often consumed.
- High consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains.Vegetable and vegetarian dishes have a permanent place on the Mediterranean table thanks to the good climate, and the most common dessert is fresh fruit.
- Average consumption of dairy products.The main dairy product consumed in Mediterranean countries is cheese; It is no coincidence that most of the world's cheeses are found here.
- Average alcohol consumption.Residents of the Mediterranean tend to drink regularly, but in small quantities. Usually this is a glass or two of wine with lunch and dinner.
- Physical activity.Although this point is not directly related to diet, residents of Mediterranean countries tend to lead an active lifestyle and spend a lot of time outdoors.
If you take these rules into account when compiling your daily menu, you can stick to the Mediterranean diet regardless of where you actually live. What will there be? Fortunately, there is more than enough research on this diet today that we can say with certainty.
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
So, the Mediterranean diet:
- promotes the function of blood vessels and reduces 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 and others;
Based on the general principles of the Mediterranean diet, the WHO developed dietary guidelines to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, 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, studying 11, 000 people. They found that those who followed the above principles of the Mediterranean diet most carefully had a 30% lower risk of depression than those who followed a resting diet. 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 dizzying. Of course, there is hardly anyone who would disagree with reducing the risk of certain diseases, but it is quite difficult to change your diet all at once, especially if you have never done it 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 that the first step into a new life is not so scary.
Here's what you should do first:
Buy olive oil
No, I have no doubt that you eat extra virgin olive oil without my advice, but if you don't have it in your kitchen at least sometimes (or on the contrary, the same bottle of oil is gathering dust in your cupboard). for more than two, maximum three months) you can do without the Mediterranean diet. Season salads with oil, pour over fresh and cooked vegetables, pasta, cereals, fish and dip bread in it. Good olive oil is a versatile condiment that goes with literally everything. So the key here is to get used to it. However, you should only deep fry in expensive, high-quality oil over low heat; in other cases use refined vegetables or butter.
Eat olives
Everything is clear here. Olive oil is made from olives and olives themselves contain the monounsaturated fatty acids that make it so healthy. Eating seven olives a day is enough to get all the nutrients they contain. Fortunately, there is little difficulty with this, most adults love olives, but if this statement doesn't apply to you, add olives to salads, sauces, stews or cream cheese.
Eat more fish
Forget outdated recommendations that you should eat fish at least once a week. You should eat fish much more often - at least 3-4 times a week, which means you should improve your skills in choosing, buying and preparing fish. When choosing between sea and river fish, give preference to sea fish; For wild and caged fish, choose wild fish. Frozen fish, if thawed properly, is not much worse than fresh fish, but it is much cheaper, and the fish dishes recipes on this site will last you a year.
More vegetables, good and different
For many compatriots, vegetables are either a salad or a side dish, and this idea urgently needs to change. Make it a habit to prepare one or two dinners a week using only vegetables and legumes. I'm not advocating a plant-based diet - adding cheese or some ham is fine - but when you unlock the potential of vegetables as food, you'll start to enjoy them yourself. Of course it would be nice if these were fresh and seasonal vegetables, but in winter our cucumbers and gherkins fit perfectly into the Mediterranean diet. Is it in vain that they contain so many useful substances and vitamin C?
Pasta is good
We have a prejudiced attitude towards noodles, 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 the pillar of local cuisine: it is served before the main course, after cold appetizers called antipasti, that is, "before" pasta. "It absolutely hasThere's no point in exhausting yourself by eating three or four-course meals every day - that hasn't happened for a long time, even in Italy. But it's worth exploring pasta as a complete dish. You can start with recipes for classic Italian sauces, giving preference to pasta made from durum wheat: they contain more nutrients and are easier to digest.
Eat less sweets
If you can't imagine a day without a sweet roll or cake, you'll 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 fruits in reasonable quantities every day. However, if you cannot live without them, it is better to reduce the consumption of other sweets to once or twice a week. And of course we're not talking about ready-made baked goods with tons of sugar and margarine.
Mediterranean diet: menu for the week
As a bonus to the article, as promised, a weekly menu is compiled according to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, but first a few necessary explanations.
- Firstly, the combinations of appetizers and main courses are based on my subjective ideas about good cuisine, they do not contain any hidden logic and if you wish, the dishes listed on the menu can be mixed at will.
- Secondly, the menu is designed for a person who works 7 days a week and eats at home only on weekends. If this does not apply to you, also mix the dishes from the proposed menu or cook them in reserve.
- Thirdly, 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 do so - well, you get the idea! — Mix up the menu depending on seasonality.
- 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 the Mediterranean people. In Italy, it is unlikely that many people eat cottage cheese and sour cream for breakfast - and yet these products more than fit into the Mediterranean diet.
- Finally, if you want to replace a dish or expand the proposed menu, read the recipe catalog.
Monday
Breakfast:
Cottage cheese with sour cream
Dinner:
fresh beet salad
fried cod and quick sautéed spinach
seasonal fruits or berries
Tuesday
Breakfast:
Natural yogurt with honey or jam
Dinner:
lentil soup
Chicken pickle in the oven and cucumber and garden herb salad
seasonal fruits or berries
Wednesday
Breakfast:
Cottage cheese with sour cream
Dinner:
Toast with baked peppers and cheese
Fish and rice with vegetables
seasonal fruits or berries
Thursday
Breakfast:
Sugar-free muesli with yogurt
Dinner:
Minestrone soup
Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and basil
seasonal fruits or berries
Friday
Breakfast:
Natural yogurt with honey or jam
Dinner:
Salad with squid and fennel
Beef entrecôte with pepper sauce and grilled vegetables
seasonal fruits or berries
Saturday
Breakfast:
Shakshuka
Dinner:
Sea fish soup
Baked squid with tomatoes
Dinner:
Caprese 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
Flounder in the oven 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 in order to achieve a short-lived result. But the Mediterranean diet is completely different. Where, if not in the Mediterranean countries, a lot is known aboutgood food and the enjoyment of a delicious and leisurely lunch that brings the whole family to the table? In fact, the Mediterranean diet is not a diet or a nutritional system. This is a lifestyle that promises health and longevity and that each of us followscan follow.
I hope this article about the principles of the Mediterranean diet was helpful to you and you can easily plan your menu according to these principles. And to make this task even easier for you, you can use various recipe collections to help you find the right dishes.