Mediterranean Diet Foods

Bread, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta, other whole grains and potatoes, fruits, beans, legumes, nuts, vegetables, olive oil and other plant oils, fish, poultry, eggs, sweets, and meat.

As you may know, the Mediterranean diet is said to be one of the healthiest diet in the world. One reason for this is, it's lower in saturated fat, compared to the traditional American menu — high in red meat and in butter and other dairy products.

The key to this diet however, is not just in consuming all the foods listed above. The key that promotes nutritional health is in the Mediterranean diet menu.

A lot of people eat the Mediterranean diet foods, but are still unhealthy because they over-indulge in some of these foods.

Eat Daily:

Fruits, such as grape, apple, orange, Avocado, Mango, melons, Peach, Pineapple, Pomegranate and Strawberry.

Eat Daily:

Beans and legumes such as alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, peanuts, cashews, almonds, and pistachios.

Eat Daily:

Vegetables such as Artichoke, Asparagus Beet, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery Chard, Collards greens, Corn, Cucumbers, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Okra, Onions, Peas, Peppers Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radish, Shallots, Spinach, Squash, Turnips, Watercress, and Yams.

Mediterranean diet foods that you can also consume on a daily basic are cheese, yogurt, olive oil and other plant oils. Use cheese and yogurt that are fat free or low fat.

Eat Weekly:

Mediterranean diet foods, such as eggs, poultry, fish, and sweets should only be eaten weekly.

Consume oily fish ( fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids ) such as Albacore, Black bass, Bluefish, Carp, Channel catfish, Herring, Lake herring, Lake trout, Mackerel, Pompano, Salmon, Tuna (packed in water), and Whitefish, 2-3 times per week.

You can eat up to three egg yolks per week. Poultry should be consumed in moderation.

Sweets are very high in sugar. Thus you should limit sweets to not more than a few times per week.

Eat Monthly:

Red meat should be consumed only a few times per month. Eat no more than 12-16 ounces per month. It is healthier to consume lean meats.

If you create a menu using the plan above, I believe you will reap the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. These benefits may include healthy weight loss, and protection against heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

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