Things You'll Need:
- Fresh fruits & vegetables
- Small portions of meat, dairy and wine
- Grains, legumes and cereals
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Step 1
Remember that the Mediterranean diet does not eliminate fat altogether; rather, it allows you to select carefully which fats are good for you. For example, the saturated fat in cheese is vastly different from the healthier forms of fat in flaxseed or fish like salmon. Fat is not entirely forbidden, just very carefully managed.
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Step 2
Plan your diet around ingredients like fruits, vegetables, grains and cereals, nuts and beans. Most countries on the Mediterranean use these kinds of foods in most of their meals, especially the ones in season. The healthful qualities of these foods include: low fat content, high fiber, high naturally-occurring vitamins and healthy proteins.
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Step 3
Reduce the amount of meat you consume to low levels. Eliminate red meat all but entirely. Cook meat in very small portions and consider it an enhancement of the meal rather than the focus. When selecting meat to prepare, choose poultry or fish, and season it with fresh herbs and vinegars rather than butter and salt.
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Step 4
When cooking with oil, use only olive oil. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, which is considered by some to be the "good fat." Use olive oil in place of butter when preparing food or when using as a condiment to flavor foods like bread and pasta. Add a little chopped garlic or red pepper or dried oregano to olive oil and use it as you would butter. A combination of balsamic vinegar and olive oil also makes for a tasty condiment.
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Step 5
Minimize your intake of dairy products, like eggs, cheese and processed foods. These foods have a lot of saturated fat in them, which leads to higher levels of cholesterol and salt is often used to preserve a lot of processed foods. Fresher foods grown in season provide you with major vitamin impact and fresh flavor.
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Step 6
Small portions also characterize the Mediterranean diet. Small portions of wine is included in that assertion! Red wine has been known to have positive effects on health, but as with any indulgence, too much of a good thing is just that: too much of a good thing.
