Your taste buds don't have to suffer for your heart's sake: Studies show that a Mediterranean-style diet, with its emphasis on monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil, walnuts, and even dark chocolate), is actually better for your cardiovascular health than low-fat eating. How much good can you do yourself? One study of more than 2,000 seniors in 11 countries found that those who ate the Mediterranean way were nearly 30 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. (And they cut their risk of dying of any cause by 26 percent.)
What's crucial:
PLENTY OF Whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, and poultry for protein, olive oil as a fat source
VERY LITTLE Refined grains, red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages
4 Mediterranean Recipes to Try
The following recipes have been reviewed by Sari Greaves, RD CDN, national spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and registered dietitian at Step Ahead Weight Loss Center in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Mediterranean Chicken
Here's a fiber-rich recipe that's overall heart healthy in terms of ingredients and cooking method. If you do not have a Dutch oven you can use any large pot with a lid. It's great that the recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of heart-healthy olive oil and includes low-calorie flavor boosters, such as chicken broth and lemon juice. If you have high blood pressure, substitute a reduced-sodium broth.
Click here for the recipe>>
Free Range Chicken with Olives
If you're watching your waistline opt for chicken breast, which is a leaner cut than thigh pieces. A vegetable centerpiece topped with a sensible serving of chicken (around 4 ounces) adds more fiber to your meal, leaving you full on fewer calories. If you do not have a food scale, here is a visual: a 3-ounce serving is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of a woman's hand.
Click here for the recipe>>>
Sausage, Grilled Pepper, and Tomato Bruschetta
Tomatoes, Bell peppers... who could ask more for a more antioxidant-spiked dish! This recipe can make a great addition to a "tapas" menu, powerful mini-bites of flavorful foods. To bump up the fiber, use a thick whole grain bread instead of French bread. Bonus points for the recipe substitutions provided for chorizo, such as the feta cheese and pine nuts.
Click here for the recipe>>
Mediterranean Marinated Salad
A vegetable centerpiece topped with protein and drizzled with heart-healthy fats makes for a perfect example of a Mediterranean meal. To accompany this dish, add a 1/2 cup whole grains (try whole wheat couscous, brown rice, or quinoa). If you have high blood pressure, exercise caution with the anchovy fillets and capers, as both are sodium bombs. Instead, substitute rinsed, canned beans, cubed tofu, grilled chicken, or canned salmon or tuna.
Click here for the recipe>>
Are you getting enough Mediterranean foods in your diet? What are your favorite Mediterranean-style dishes?
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Life well shared.
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Comments: 23
I've fixed all the dishes suggested in one form or another, it's all good.
Thanks for pointing that out. I just fixed the link. Let me know how you liked it if you get to make the recipe!
I love baked chicken of any kind, and drizzle Olive Oil over it while baking, adding my favorite Mediterranean spices. Just the smell gets me hungry and I have altered my diet in this way since my by-pass. Needless to say, my cholesterol is way down..That is a good thing. Ellen B
the recession has hit many of us like a Mack truck and stretching food dollars is akin to being a magician,so not always possible to buy what is considered to be "the healthy choice"....
as a diabetic with inherited hyperlipidemia i am suppose to get lots of greens,fresh fruits and low starch veggies,fish with high omega-3 such as salmon,minimal amount of lean meat and perservative-free whole grain bread/pasta and Omega-3 eggs.....such items are not low end groceries price-wise.....just sayin'
depends on where you live....fresh produce and healthy foods in western WA state cost quite a bit more than the less healthy packaged ones....
and i only "eat out" if someone invited me and is paying ;>
for the most part,fast food is not only the unhealthy choice,but my system literally can't stomach most of it....probably the chemicals and saturated fats....
in what state do you have peppers for 49 cents???
Periodically, I will make lamb patties with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil (from our garden), garlic, canned mushrooms, and dried oregano. I bake them for about 30 minutes at 375 making them a little crispy. As a side dish, I soak grains i.e. groats, quinoa and make a pilaf. Plus, a Greek salad with roasted peppers, feta cheese, and tomatoes with a homemade vinegarette.
doesn't mean I don't purchase 'the good stuff', I just have to be very smart about what I buy and when.
None of the grocery stores in the metropolitan area I live in carry lamb. Fresh fish? Unless it's catfish or I happen to be in Sam's, that's a laugh.
Mississippi is a poor state; the higher cost (fresh salmon, organic free range chicken, organic salad greens, lean lamb cuts) healthy items are available but in limited quantities. They will go bad before they are all sold so grocery store chains don't distribute them here in any large quantity, compared with more affluent areas.