Chapter 2 - Practical tips for incorporating a Mediterranean-style eating pattern
Chapter 2 - Practical tips for incorporating a Mediterranean-style eating pattern
In this article, we’ll share the six pillars of a beneficial Mediterranean-style diet and the simple, sustainable changes that you can use to transition to this healthy and beneficial way of eating.
1. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Try to choose EVOO over refined olive oil, and make this your main dietary fat. You don’t need to replace butter or spread entirely, but it can even make a sandwich taste great when drizzled on the bread.
While it is safe to cook with olive oil, the polyphenol concentration (that’s your plant-based beneficial chemicals) is higher when it is uncooked, so consider drizzling it over vegetables and salads once they’re on the plate and use rapeseed oil for cooking.
Bitterness, astringency, and pungent flavours come from the beneficial polyphenols found in EVOO, so when selecting an EVOO, the more pungent, flavourful and ‘fruity’, the better. Finally, those polyphenols in EVOO are sensitive to UV rays, so aim to purchase EVOO that’s stored in dark containers.
2. Nuts
We want to focus on nutrient density rather than worry too much about the calories and fat content from a handful of nuts. Preferably, choose raw and unsalted nuts. You could try making your own nut and seed sprinkle mix. Take a handful of each type of nuts and seeds that you like, whizz them up in a blender, and then store in a container. These sprinkles can be added to breakfast cereal, yoghurt, smoothie, or even a salad.
Another option for increasing your nut intake is making snack pots. Into a snack pot, add a handful of nuts (or half a handful if you’re already having some at breakfast), perhaps some dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, or goji berries, as well as a few milk or preferably dark chocolate buttons or chunks if you know you’re going to have a sweet craving.
3. Fruits and vegetables
Next, consider increasing the fruits and vegetables in your diet. The key is to do this gradually. You don’t want to shock your system with a sudden huge increase in fibre.
While no vegetable is inherently better than another, certain groups have different beneficial properties. Aim to incorporate one type of cruciferous vegetable every day. These include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, radishes, and rocket. Also, aim to include a leafy green each day, like spinach, kale, collard greens, watercress, Swiss chard, pak choy, and romaine lettuce.
Also, aim to include fruits and vegetables that have a yellow, red, or orange colour for the carotenoid content, which is another dietary component associated with improving breast cancer survival and lower recurrence rates. Examples are carrots, peppers, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes as well as apricots, oranges, cantaloupe melon, and mangoes.
4. Whole grains and cereals
Look to replace white refined grains and cereals with whole grain options for better blood glucose control, gut health, anti-inflammatory benefits, and others. Try rotating your grains and cereals throughout your week to include wholewheat bread, pasta, or couscous, brown, red, or wild rice, whole oats, and quinoa. You could also try barley, rye, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, and freekeh.
5. Legumes
To increase the legumes in your diet, keep canned beans, chickpeas, and lentils in your cupboard. These are often easier to digest compared to the dried versions you need to soak first, and they’re ready to go straight into a soup, salad, stew, or sauce. You can also add some quick-cook legumes such as split red lentils into soups, casseroles, and even to a Bolognese sauce. For a Mediterranean-style snack, choose hummus or a bean dip with veggies.
6. Fish
When considering our omega-3 source, ideally, we want to aim for wild rather than farmed fish, as the latter tends to have lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, but if you can only get or afford farmed fish, then this will most certainly still have health benefits, so don’t let the word ‘farmed’ put you off. You also get benefits from tinned salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
Getting Started with a Mediterranean-Style Diet
To begin eating a more Mediterranean-style diet, start by incorporating more salads, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes into your main meals. This could look like choosing one or two new foods to incorporate into the following week, for example, quinoa as a wholegrain and kohlrabi as a vegetable. Or a kiwi at breakfast time or as a snack, and kidney beans mixed into a slow cooker dish. Experiment with different herbs, spices, and olive oil to add flavour and variety to your dishes to make trying these new foods interesting!