How to Buy Mediterranean Food Products

This article describes some basic differences between the Mediterranean Diet and U.S. diet, and provides a basic shopping list for foods that fit the Mediterranean style, and a list of typical American foods that would be left out.

Instructions

1. You can’t do much better for heart health than the traditional Mediterranean Diet. Numerous studies link the Mediterranean lifestyle to lower risk for heart disease. The food choices are more wholesome and plant-based. In the Mediterranean food pyramid,1 fruits, vegetables, beans and grain foods predominate. Olive oil is considered so important, it has it’s own section on the pyramid. Meat, at the top of the pyramid, is used more as a condiment than the main focus of a meal. Meat portions are much smaller than here.

2. If you lived in the Greek island of Crete, eating Mediterranean would be easy. Happily, choosing Mediterranean foods in the US, at the grocery store or restaurants, isn’t difficult. You can adjust choices according to food availability and taste preferences. For example, in Mediterranean countries, cheese and yogurt are frequently made with sheep or goat’s milk, which may be hard to find. So just substitute cow’s milk products. This isn’t a big deal nutritionally. But substituting vegetable oil for olive oil will make a big difference, due to the unique healthful properties of olive oil.

3. Fill your pantry and fridge with:Grain foods: whole grain breads of all kinds, whole grains, beans (canned or dried), whole grain cerealsProduce: Go for fresh whenever possible: fresh fruit, salad veggies, vegetables for steaming and sautéing. Frozen and canned are OK, and dried fruits make a great snack.Dairy: buy goat or sheep’s milk cheese or yogurt if you like those. Otherwise, cow’s milk products are fine. Soy products are OK, too. Just avoid overly sweetened varieties.Nuts: nuts have many healthful properties. Peanut butter is fine, as are other nut butters. Watch out for salted nuts. When possible, buy unsalted nuts, especially for cooking.Olive oil: You must have this essential part of the Mediterranean diet in your home, and use it daily. Use extra virgin oil for salads or other foods eaten uncooked. For cooking, use the less expensive olive oils.Fish: Mediterranean countries have easy access to fish. If you don’t wish to use it, focus on poultry or low fat cheeses and yogurt for protein.Poultry and red meats: These are used in small portions. With a Mediterranean diet, you can purchase less meat per person. The basis of your meals should be vegetables, grains and dried beans.

4. Realize what you won’t be buying:Chips and snack foods - these really don’t have any place in Mediterranean cuisine. Snack on fruit, nuts, cheese and whole grain breads or crackers.Sweets and desserts: Eat fewer of all these. The Mediterranean Pyramid limits sweets to 3-4/week. If you typically indulge daily, this could be a big change in your eating pattern.Soda pop and soft drinks: Drink water, milk or fruit juices instead. Note that red wine, linked to heart health, is included on the Mediterranean Pyramid.

5. See the Mediterranean Pyramid here:http://www.oldwayspt.org/med_pyramid.html

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, meat and poultry portions are smaller. Plant foods of all kinds are the main focus of meals.