The Mediterranean Eating Plan: Great Meals That are Great for You!

It’s easy to enjoy the Mediterranean food plan. It is a healthy, abundant plan that you can enjoy with just a little smart shopping. When you go to the market, be sure to come home with a basket full of vegetables and fruits. Choose whole grain breads and pastas. Buy only a small amount of red meat, and be sure to have fish at least once a week. Twice is better. Be sure to prepare your fish in a healthy way. Avoid deep frying it or smothering it with saturated fats (like butter). Always cook with healthy fats like olive oil, walnut oil, and canola oil. Do your very best to ban hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils from your kitchen and your body!

Snack on Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, and others. Remember to add nuts to your salads and cereals. Choose natural peanut butter over the type that is made with hydrogenated oil.

Eat a wide variety of delicious whole fruits and vegetables every day. Ten servings a day is ideal. Keep sliced carrots, and celery in cold water in the fridge for fast snacking. A bowl of. apples, oranges and bananas gives you the very best in fast food! Fruit salads make great desserts. Remember to add nuts!  

Use a just a bit of butter for flavor and use olive oil as your main oil. Try mixing melted butter with olive oil for a delicious topping for popcorn. Keep a container of olive oil in your refrigerator and spread it on whole grain breads instead of butter. Cook with canola, peanut oil, walnut oil or olive oil. Use olive oil in. salad dressings. When your whole grain pasta is done, drain it, rinse it with hot water and toss it in olive oil, garlic and green onions for a delicious side dish. Dip French bread in olive oil flavored with herbs and spices.

Limit the use of higher fat dairy products like whole or 2 percent milk, cheese. Add powdered milk, skim milk, and low-fat cheeses to your choices - especially for cooking. Explore interesting Mediterranean cheeses like Feta cheese. It is delicious and naturally low in fat. Substitute Neufchatel cheese for cream cheese. You will never know the difference.

Whenever it is possible use fish and poultry instead of red meat. Use very little or no sausage, bacon and other high-fat processed meats. Remember to eat fish once or twice a week. Look for tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring packed in water. They are delicious, healthy choices. It is quick, easy, and delicious to prepare grilled fish. You can also sauté fish in a little bit of olive oil. Avoid deep fried fish.   

If it's OK with your doctor, go ahead and have a six- ounce glass of red wine each day. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, try purple grape juice. This is just as healthy as wine. It is not the alcohol in red wine that gives you health benefits. It is a natural substance called resveratrol that is found in red and purple grapes, so delicious, natural grape juice will bring you all of the health benefits without the worries of alcohol.   

Once you have experienced the delicious, healthy, and fun food choices you will enjoy with the Mediterranean food plan, you will never turn back!

Copyright:SuzanneBennett:February 11, 2009