Everyone has heard about 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 connected this with the longevity and health for which they are known.
Since then, the Mediterranean diet has been closely studied all over the world, both by experts and by people who want to build a healthy, balanced diet in order to live a long and happy life. What are the principles of the Mediterranean diet and how to create a menu in accordance with them, if you do not live in Palermo, but in other cities, read below.
The main 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 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 was eaten on special occasions, not every day.
- High consumption of fish and seafood.Marine sources of protein in the Mediterranean diet play the role of a kind of substitute for meat, so they are eaten quite often.
- High consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains.Vegetables 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 consumption of dairy products.The main dairy product consumed in Mediterranean countries is cheese; it is no coincidence that the largest number of cheeses in the world can be found here.
- Average level of alcohol consumption.Mediterranean people usually drink regularly, but in small quantities. It's usually one or two glasses of wine with lunch and dinner.
- Physical activity.Although this item is not directly related to nutrition, residents of Mediterranean countries tend to lead an active lifestyle, spending a lot of time outdoors.
By taking into account these rules when creating a daily menu, you can follow the Mediterranean diet, regardless of where you actually live. What will it do? Fortunately, there is more than enough research on this diet today, so we can say with certainty.
Advantages of the Mediterranean diet
So, the Mediterranean diet:
- improves 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 for reducing 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 Navarre went even further, studying 11, 000 people and found that those who most carefully adhered to the aforementioned principles of the Mediterranean diet had a 30% lower risk of depression than on vacation. The reasons for this, however, 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
Your head is spinning with the benefits that the Mediterranean diet promises. Of course, there is hardly anyone who will not agree to reduce the risk of certain diseases, but it is quite difficult to suddenly change your diet, 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 make a trial menu for a 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 don't doubt that you eat cold-pressed olive oil without my advice, but if you don't have it in the 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 about the Mediterranean diet. Season salads with oil, pour over fresh and cooked vegetables, pasta, cereals, fish and dip bread. Good olive oil is a versatile condiment that goes with literally everything, so it's crucial to get used to it. But you should fry in expensive, high-quality oil only when cooking on low heat, in other cases use refined vegetables or butter.
Eat olives
Everything is clear here. Olive oil is made from olives, and the olives themselves also contain those monounsaturated fatty acids that make it so healthy. Eating seven olives a day is enough to get the whole 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 about outdated recommendations to 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 priority to sea, from wild and caged fish, choose wild fish. 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 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 needs to be changed urgently. Make it a habit to prepare one or two dinners a week entirely from vegetables and legumes. I'm not advocating plant-based - adding cheese or a bit of ham is fine - but by unlocking the potential of vegetables as food, you'll begin to enjoy them yourself. It would be nice, of course, if these were fresh and seasonal vegetables, but in winter our pickled and pickled cucumbers 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 the cold appetizers, which are called antipasti, that is, "before the pasta. ""There is absolutely no point in exhausting yourself by eating three or four dishes 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, giving preference to durum wheat pasta: they contain more nutrients and are more digestible.
Eat less sweets
If you can't imagine a day without a sweet bun or cake, you're going to have a hard time. In the Mediterranean diet, dessert is often replaced by 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, it's better to limit your consumption of other sweets to once or twice a week. And, of course, we're not talking about store-bought baked goods with tons of sugar and margarine.
Mediterranean diet: menu for the week
As I promised, the bonus to the article will be a menu for a week, compiled according to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, but first some necessary explanations.
- First, the combinations of appetizers and main dishes are given based on my subjective ideas about good cuisine, there is no hidden logic in them, and if you want, you can mix the dishes listed on the menu as you wish.
- 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, similarly mix dishes from the suggested menu or cook in reserve.
- Third, the menu is not tied to any particular season. If some of the products needed for the suggested recipes are not currently available, you can - well, you get the idea! — shuffle 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 the inhabitants of the Mediterranean. 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, study the recipe catalog.
Monday
Breakfast:
fresh cheese with sour cream
Dinner:
fresh beet salad
fried cod and quickly sauteed spinach
seasonal fruit or berries
Tuesday
Breakfast:
natural yogurt with honey or jam
Dinner:
lentil soup
oven-baked chicken gherkins and cucumber and garden herb salad
seasonal fruit or berries
Wednesday
Breakfast:
fresh cheese with sour 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:
salad with squid and fennel
Beef entrecote with pepper sauce and grilled vegetables
seasonal fruit or berries
Saturday
Breakfast:
shakshuka
Dinner:
sea fish stew
squid baked with tomatoes
Dinner:
Caprese salad
lamb with eggplant and bulgur with green peas
figs with honey and rosemary
Sunday
Breakfast:
homemade cookie
Dinner:
roasted pepper soup
spaghetti amatriciana
Dinner:
fried shrimp with garlic
oven-baked flounder 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 temporary result. But the Mediterranean diet is completely different. Where, if not in the Mediterranean countries, do they know a lot about good food and the pleasure that comes from a delicious and casual lunch that gathers the whole family around the table? In fact, the Mediterranean diet is not a diet or a food system. This is a lifestyle that promises health and longevity that each of us can follow.
I hope that this article on the principles of the Mediterranean diet was useful to you, and that you will easily plan your menu in accordance with its principles. And to make this task even easier, you can use various recipe collections to help you find the right dishes.