15 Healthy Tips for Following the Mediterranean Diet
There’s a reason why the Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest diets in the world: it’s fresh, flavorful and packed with nutritious ingredients. But what’s really wonderful about this diet is that it’s a lifestyle, too. From sharing a meal with people you love to starting your day with a good, enjoyable breakfast, here are our top 15 tips for following the Mediterranean diet.1. Enjoy Mealtime
The Mediterranean diet embraces the happiness that mealtime brings. Instead of eating in front of the television or with everyone doing separate things on their phones, meals are to be shared and enjoyed together with family and friends. If we focus on the art of eating, we’re more likely to savor each bite and each moment. Set the table (even if you’re eating solo), light a candle and unwind at the end of the day with a delicious meal.2. Cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instead of cooking with butter or other oils, focus on all things olive oil! Extra virgin olive oil is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. Not only does it add delicious flavor to dishes and heighten their flavor, but it’s packed with nutrients. Extra virgin olive oil is made from pure, cold-pressed olives and is a good source of antioxidants and healthy fats. The FDA states that because of its monounsaturated fat content, 2 tablespoons of olive oil a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. You can use it for everything from your morning scramble to your evening’s vegetables.
3. Choose Nutritious Snacks
Choosing nutritious snacks is always important, especially when you’re on-the-go and in need of a boost of energy! If you’re planning to have a bite in between meals, make sure it’s a healthy one. Good options for healthy snacks are a small handful of nuts and dried fruits, plain Greek yogurt with berries, a sliced apple, raw vegetables with hummus and olives. Packets like nut butter, like almond butter, are also good to keep on hand for times when the snack attack arrives.4. Try Fruit for Dessert
In the true Mediterranean diet, celebrations call for sweets (so things like cake and ice cream can, of course, be eaten occasionally). When it comes to the day to day routine, try to skip the sweets and instead, go for natural sugars. One of the best things you can have for an after-dinner dessert is fresh fruit. Enjoy vibrant berries that are in season, fresh figs and sliced citrus. Not only is fruit a good palate cleanser, but it’s packed with vitamins and nutrients, too.
5. Practice Meal Planning
If you’re busy, meal planning is an essential part of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle. But when you’re in a rush, it’s easy to ditch your idea for the healthiest diet plan and opt for the not-so-nutritious option. Stay ahead of the health curve by planning your meals for the week. Do you love salmon? Wonderful! Pencil your favorite salmon dish in for Wednesday evening alongside a hearty whole grain like quinoa. As an added bonus, you’ll have leftovers for lunch on Thursday! Meal planning makes the process of nutritious eating fun and organized (and gives you meals to look forward to).6. Eat Fresh Fish
If you normally opt for red meat, pork or tons of poultry, bring fresh fish into your diet, too. Fish flourishes in the Mediterranean, and it’s one of the beloved staples of the meal. Tuna, wild-caught salmon, cod and halibut are just a few favorites that you can experiment with. What’s wonderful about fish is that it’s delicious on its own. But you can also jazz it up with some fresh herbs, spices, citrus and olive oil for a fantastic dinner in no time!
7. Get Seasonal
If you’ve yet to hop on board the seasonal eating train, you’re in for a true treat! Seasonal eating offers ingredients that are grown and picked at their peak. If you’re buying locally, strawberries tend to taste better in the summertime when they’re ripe and sweet. Apples are often fantastic in the autumn months (which is why pies and jams are so popular during this time). Peas flourish in the springtime and can be used for all sorts of recipes. If you start to eat your fruits and vegetables in line with the changing of the seasons, your recipes will instantly taste fresher!8. Don’t Fear Fat!
Sometimes when we hear the word fat, we think of things ingredients that might lead to weight gain. But in fact, you don’t need to fear fat! In the Mediterranean diet, healthy fats come from things like olive oil, avocado and nuts. These are staples that are packed with nutrition and can be incorporated into your breakfasts, lunches and dinners to improve your eating habits.
9. Use Herbs and Spices
Instead of using pre-made sauces, syrups or dressing that might be packed with sugar and unknown ingredients, make herbs and spices your new best friends in the kitchen! The Mediterranean diet focuses heavily on fresh herbs like oregano, basil, parsley and dill, and a whole bunch of spices, too. You’ll be amazed by just how much flavor fresh herbs and dried spices can add to a dish and how much versatility they offer. Think of how different white fish can taste when it’s made with basil versus parsley. This one small swap can make a big difference!10. Make Homemade Dressings
As we touched on in tip #9, dressing can contain a wide array of kidden ingredients (like sugar). Making homemade dressings is simple and requires very little time in the kitchen—plus, the end result is well worth it! Think of ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, citrus, sea salt, black pepper, garlic and fresh herbs. From there, the possibilities are endless!
11. Shop More Often
Do you ever watch the spinach wilt in the fridge and wish you hadn’t bought it? If you shop more often, you can buy fresher ingredients and go with flavors that excite you. Maybe you weren’t craving that spinach salad with fresh tomatoes last week, but you are this week! If you shop more often, you’ll also be able to shop seasonally with the rotation of produce from week to week.12. Switch to Whole Grain
This one, simple switch can make a big difference. The Mediterranean diet focuses on whole grains like bulgur, barley, buckwheat and farro. Whole grain bread is a staple and even better when you can make it homemade! Serve our recipe for Whole Wheat Bread with your next dinner. It calls for just five ingredients and is entirely delicious! Once it comes out of the oven, serve it with a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy.
13. Start the Day with Breakfast
Even if you aren’t feeling too hungry in the morning, it’s a good idea to kickstart your metabolism with breakfast. On the Mediterranean diet, you can enjoy everything from veggie scrambles to yogurt parfaits. If you get your day started with a good meal, you’ll be more likely to eat well throughout the rest of the day, too. After all, a balanced diet always begins with a healthy breakfast.14. Cook with Others
Cooking with others is a bonding experience that connects you to your food. At the end of your cooking session with family or friends, you’ll be able to sit down together and enjoy the smells and tastes of a meal that you’ve worked to create. At the forefront of the Mediterranean diet is the act of enjoying shared meals — and those meals often taste even better when you’ve cooked them together!
