The Foods That Constitute The Mediterranean Eating Pattern

Experts vouch for the Mediterranean diet if you wish to stay on top of your (heart) health game. The Mediterranean diet has won the best overall diet in the annual ranking of US News & World Report for the fifth consecutive year this year. It indeed is a huge feat for any eating pattern. This is reason enough you should adopt this eating style for a longer lifespan. This diet is proven to lower the risk for diabetes, cardiac diseases and age-related memory decline, and also improves mood and life expectancy, and lowers risk of obesity. This blog aims to discuss the foods that constitute this diet.

What gives the Mediterranean diet an edge over others is the fact that the diet doesn’t have any strict rules or put a curb on having any particular food group, which is in stark contrast to other diets. Instead, the Mediterranean eating style lays emphasis on fresh produce, whole grains, healthy fats and fish.

Outlining the specific foods that constitute a huge part of the Mediterranean diet:

Fruits and Vegetables- Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, eggplant, leafy greens, beets, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, sweet potatoes.

Fruits include apples, berries, cherries, apricots, dates, figs, pomegranates, grapes, melons, pears, citrus and peaches.

The vegetables and fruits are packed with minerals, antioxidants, fiber and vitamins that can cut your risk for cancer and heart disease (two leading killers of people in the USA) in half.

Whole Grains- Oats, corn, millet, barley, whole grain rice, whole grain bread and buckwheat.

It is advised that you replace refined grains with their whole counterparts.

Healthy fats- Almonds, cashews, olives, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, walnuts, avocado (chock full of healthy fats).

Incorporate these good fats in your daily meals for lower incidences of heart disease, high blood pressure, autoimmune illnesses and inflammatory conditions.

Pulses- Lentils, peas, chickpeas and beans make up pulses.

A tip to include more pulses in your diet is by swapping them in for meat.

Fish- Here the fish that contains the heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, such a salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna, herring are being referred to. Other types of seafood consumed on the diet include crab, eel, shrimp, oysters, lobster, mussels, clams and Sea bass.

Herbs and spices- Cloves, basil, bay leaf, cumin, garlic, sage, mint, oregano, lavender, rosemary, thyme are all used in the Mediterranean diet.

List of foods you should limit (or stay clear of) on a Mediterranean eating pattern are

1.      Sweets (soda and sugary drinks)

2.      Alcohol

3.      Red meat

4.      Highly processed foods (fast foods, such as burgers and French fries, candy, frozen pizza, commercial baked goods)

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