How to Eat Traditional Mediterranean Foods

Mediterranean foods are robust in flavor and free of creamy sauces and butter. Those who eat a diet rich in Mediterranean foods enjoy not only its taste, but its health benefits. Many believe that a Mediterranean diet extends life, helps you lose weight, reduces blood pressure, prevents heart and cardiovascular disease, reduce the cancer risk due to the rich anti-oxidants in the food and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Eat a variety of vegetables including peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, artichokes, okra, different varieties of lettuce, eggplant cucumbers and squash. Eat them in a salad or cook them in Mediterranean recipes.

2. Consume legumes like chickpeas, fava beans, green beans, white kidney beans and lentils.

3. Cook with fresh herbs including cilantro, parsley, mint, rosemary, thymus, basil, dill, oregano and fennel.

4. Eat fruit and nuts such as mandarin oranges, pears, apples, apricots, grapes, watermelon, melon, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, walnuts, chestnuts, pistachio and almonds. Eat your fruits fresh to get the best nutritional value.

5. Use olive oil in your recipes instead of butter and other kinds of vegetable oils.

6. Prepare fish dishes including shellfish, anchovies, monkfish, swordfish, squid cuttlefish, eel and octopus in stews, soups, salads and pasta dishes.

7. Eat meat and protein such as rabbit, chicken, turkey, duck, sheep, goat, lamb, pig and eggs.

8. Drink 1 glass of red wine or grape juice a day.

Tips & Warnings

• Limit your intake of sweets. Eat fruit if you feel your sweet tooth calling, or consume honey instead of sugar.
• Look for many tasty Mediterranean recipes online and in Mediterranean cookbooks.
• Many believe that a Mediterranean diet, coupled with 30 minutes of exercise and drinking at least 6 glasses of water a day can help you lose weight.

Resources

• Mediterranean recipes online

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