Is the Mediterranean Diet Worth the Money?

When you compare Mediterranean diet with an ordinary, fat-filled diet habits of average American, some people get the impression that Mediterranean diet meal plan is lot more expensive and just forgo their desire to improve their eating habits following Mediterranean Diet.

That’s because Mediterranean Diet meal plan is composed of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and other “costly” ingredients like olive oil. Mediterranean diet is composed of foods rich in antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and low in artificial additives. But, quality and freshness, and especially health, have a price tag.

If you get scared thinking about the cost of Mediterranean Diet in contrast to ordinary eating habits, start looking at Mediterranean Diet as an investment. Normal, processed foods and fast foods are cheaper and you can save a few bucks today, but these foods are unhealthy so when you eat them you pay a great price, just not in money. You risk a heart attack, high cholesterol and other illnesses like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

But, there’s a way to follow Mediterranean Diet and not brake the bank! You can create a strict and clear food budget. If you plan your Mediterranean Diet menu in advanced and buy some ingredients (like olive oil, vegetables and spices) in bulk, you can save a great amount.

If you create a strict food budget and follow Mediterranean diet plan, you can save money by buying produce that is in season. Also, shop at your local farmer’s market to get the freshest and cheapest fruits ad vegetables (the prices of produce on farmer’s market don’t include transportation costs, like those in supermarkets do).

Another way to save money and eat healthy at the same time is to substitute costly meats with poultry or vegetarian sources like eggs, beans and legumes. Extend your dishes with more vegetables, whole grains or beans, and serve smaller portions of meat.

Did you know you can actually save money by eating healthier foods? A study published in Journal of the American Dietetic Associations shows that families that started a weight loss diet not only lost weight but have reduced their food budgets also!

The savings in food budget came from reduced portions and from buying few high calorie foods called “extras” – people who are not on a diet, tend to spend a lot of grocery budget on foods that don’t have nutritional values but add calories (and costs!) like chips, sodas and baked goods.

And Mediterranean Diet menu doesn’t have to be full of expensive ingredients! There are many easy and inexpensive Mediterranean diet recipes online, like this here.

Basic Guidelines of the Mediterranean Diet

I wouldn’t classify the Mediterranean Diet as a diet but more of a lifestyle derived from vigorous and diverse culinary traditions. A way of living based on a regime that promotes lower mortality rates, lower cancer rates, decreased rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity and other chronic diseases. As a result, leading to a more holistic fulfillment of life.

Made of a tapestry of countries including Greece, Italy, Spain and France, the Mediterranean world is in essence an inland sea and as such it’s defined by the sea that lies at its heart. This geographic locality explains abundance of seafood and its sparse pastureland makes beef a rarity. Sheep, lamb and mutton not being so dependent on lush pastures, retain some prominence in the Mediterranean cuisine. Conversely, nurturing very dry lands packed with light and non-fertile soil, has naturally led the Mediterranean diet to be composed of high amounts of legumes, breads, fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are numerous studies and reports that prove the health benefits of the Mediterranean cuisine. There are high levels of monosaturated fatty acids contained in the recommended foods of the Mediterranean Diet, in addition to the high levels of fiber, vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants.

Here are the Basic Guidelines of the Mediterranean Diet:

1. Get bulk intake from whole grains, legumes bread, pasta, and nuts. Primary energy fuel intake should ideally be derived from seasonally influenced complex carbohydrates, generally including legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, breads, potatoes, corn, pasta and rice

2. Ensure generous intakes of fresh fruits, vegetables seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices

3. Make olive oil a life partner (versus animal fat). Good fat, derived from fish and olive oil, is an important energy source. Studies conducted by Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos at the Harvard School of Public Health indicate a link between olive oil consumption and a lower incidence of breast cancer and osteoporosis

4. Consume dairy products in small amounts, usually 1 oz of cheese or 1 cup of yogurt daily. Eggs sparingly, up to 4 eggs per week

5. Fish or poultry, 1-3 times per week, usually preferred over red meat which is promoted only a few times per month

6. Organic natural grass-fed meats also hold a prominent part in the Greek diet pyramid. Rabbit meat has been part of the Greek diet for centuries as it provides the highest protein, full of Omega 3 fatty acids, lowest in fat, and is the most easily digested of any meat available

7. Use honey as the primary sweetener

8. Consume red wine in moderation, 1-2 glasses daily. For those who wish to avoid alcohol, other sources like grape juice or pomegranate juice are considered to be an acceptable substitute providing similar nutrients

9. Maintain an active lifestyle with ample exercise balanced with rest and relaxation

FREE Mediterranean Diet Menu Sample

Special Note:
If you are keen on Mediterranean diet recipes you can download Free 7 Days Mediterranean diet meal plan with complete Mediterranean recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner here: Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan

Breakfast:
Yogurt with Granola
Ingredients:
1 cup low fat, low sugar plain or vanilla yogurt
¼ cup almonds
¼ cup rolled oats
½ cup fresh berries
Simply sprinkle the oats, almonds and berries over the yogurt and enjoy!

Lunch:
Radish Salad with Tuna
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1 pound radishes, thinly sliced or grated
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup minced scallion
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 3.75 ounce can tuna, in water, drained and flaked
12 small black olives, pitted
Directions
In small bowl, dissolve salt in lemon juice. Add radish slices, parsley, celery, and scallions; mix well. Let set for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, drain out any water from salad. Add olive oil, tuna, and olives. Serve piled on bed of greens.
Servings and Nutritional Information
Makes 6 servings at ½ cup each.
102 Calories, 4 g Carbohydrate, 4 g Protein, 8 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 6 mg Cholesterol, 370 mg Sodium

Dinner:
Stewed Green Beans Recipe
Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed off
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves minced fresh garlic
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Toss the beans in the oil and stir as they cook for five minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook three to four minutes longer, stirring often. Add the water, salt, mint and parsley, stir, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Enjoy as a tasty side dish.

If you want more Mediterranean Diet Menus, download our FREE Mediterranean Diet Menu Plan!

Mediterranean Diet Plan Vs. American Diet Plan

The new Mediterranean diet and standard diet called American diet are total opposites. The classical American diet bases itself on foods high in refined sugars, carbohydrates and red meat. The new Mediterranean diet is high in fruit and vegetables and whole grains. Which one do you think is healthier?

Both diets do consists of some calories that come from consumed fat, but the big difference is that fats in Mediterranean diet are monounsaturated fats which do not raise cholesterol levels, unlike saturated fats in American diet.

Mediterranean Diet explained
Mediterranean diet is actually a dietary patterns which are followed in countries that border Mediterranean Sea. There are big differences between eating habits in different Mediterranean countries, but also some common factors: high consumption of vegetables and fruits, beans, whole grains, seed, nuts and spices, olive oil. Other foods like poultry, dairy products like cheese and yogurt are consumed in moderate amounts (almost daily), while seafood and fish can be eaten twice a week. But, to follow Mediterranean diet you don’t have to eat fish or seafood.

American Diet explained
On the other side of the diet world, American diet gives very little emphasis on fresh vegetables or fruits, but instead relies heavily on processed foods, fried or fast foods, red meat, sugars and refined carbohydrates. The fats in this diet contain saturated and trans fats and high amounts of sodium. Even worst, this diet can lead to deficiencies in fiber, vitamins and minerals since it gives very little value to consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, essential to good health.

Mediterranean diet relies on fresh food which means lover amounts of hydrogenerated oils, and higher amounts of essential nutrients like minerals, vitamins and fiber. Combination of unsaturated fats, essential nutrients, omega 3 and low sodium intake lower cholesterol and blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart diseases.

The Mediterranean Diet Menu and Meal Plan

Mediterranean diet recipes will predominantly contain ingredients specific to this region such as fish, olive oil, nuts, olives, and legumes. There are several health benefits now known of incorporating Mediterranean dishes into your meal plans.
If you want more Mediterranean Diet Menus, download our FREE Mediterranean Diet Menu Plan!

Mediterranean Diet Menu Basics:
The traditional Mediterranean diet meal plan originated in countries which border the Mediterranean Sea. These countries offer a host of cultural dishes and a healthy lifestyle that provide the foundation for a wholesome and nourishing diet.
When you make up your grocery list to buy items to make meals on the Mediterranean diet menu, you’ll have a list loaded with foods from the plant world. That’s right. Less animal products and more vegetables and fruits. Your list will include things like:

• fruits – Fresh fruit is eaten as a daily dessert, rather than sweets containing sugars and honey
• vegetables
• whole grains
• nuts
• legumes

Healthy Mediterranean Diet Menu Tips:
As you put together a Mediterranean Diet Menu, follow these tips:

1. Choose olive oil for your main fat source
2. Choose whole grains rather than grains which have been refined or processed
3. Limit unhealthy saturated and trans fats
4. Fill your plate and your belly with veggies
5. Eat fresh fruit for dessert.
6. Eat fish and poultry as your main sources of protein
7. Limit red meat
8. Add small amounts of yogurt and cheese to your diet as toppings or side dishes

New Mediterranean diet

What is the New Mediterranean diet?
The New Mediterranean diet is based on big amounts of vegetables and fruits, less carbohydrates, certain amounts of legumes with less animal fat (olive oil instead), good quantity of poultry and fish (sardines, tuna, mackerel, anchovies).

Eggs are recommended just a few time a month, skinned milk daily, cheese from time to time and in special occasions Mediterranean diet does allow you to enjoy a good peace of meat or ham (unlike other diets, in Mediterranean diet no food is completely forbidden!)

Despite some articles you may have read on the Internet, there is no one Mediterranean Diet, old or new! The origins of Mediterranean Diet are from Mediterranean, a region of some 20 countries that share the Mediterranean Sea. Local population in these countries, dependent of local natural resources, agricultural customs and availability of certain food groups, always tended to consume the foods that was available to them. For example, population living near the sea shores, always has more fish and other seafood in their diets, than inland population. Although the distance between these population is sometimes very small (couple of miles), their diets can be significantly different.

The fine tuning of the Mediterranean Diet happened over the last decade, mostly thanks to scientific breakthroughs. So, what are the main differences between the Traditional Mediterranean Diet and the New Mediterranean Diet? There are two main differences: first, New Mediterranean Diet is geared toward weight loss, not just health and longevity. Second difference is that New Mediterranean Diet is more specific in comparison to the general guidelines of the Traditional Mediterranean Diet.

If you follow the New Mediterranean Diet your body will receive the optimal amount of various nutrients and foods that have been clearly associated by the medical researches with improved longevity and lower risks of diseases.
Physical active lifestyle is another very important aspect of the Mediterranean Diet associated with lower rates of hearth diseases and longer life spans. Thirty minutes of fast walking daily, would do you much benefits!

Even without the physical activity (vigorous or light) Mediterranean Diet will improve your significantly; changing your diet you will start to feel better, have more strength and energy! Undoubtedly, if you make some changes in your diet and your lifestyle you can save your health and prolong your life span! It’s your choice!

Mediteranean-Mediteranian Diet

Mediteranean – Mediteranian – Mediterranian – Mediterranian Diet
A Fundamental Guide to the Mediterranean Diet for Improved Health and Weight Loss.
The Mediterranean Diet plan is based on a low consumption of dairy, meat, and alcohol. Mediterranean food is rich in natural antioxidants and monounsaturated fats, as found in olive oil, canola oil, and flax seed oil.
Fresh fruits, grains, fish, vegetables, nuts and extra virgin olive oil are the base platform that make up the Mediterranean diet.

Many people and even institutions make a mistake when spelling Mediterranean Diet and they spell it:
meditteranean diet
meditterranean diet
mediterrian diet
mediterrenean diet
mediterrean diet
meditarranean diet
mediterranian diet
medeteranian diet
mediteranian diet
mediterean diet
mediteranean diet
mediterannean diet
meditterean diet
mediterrainian diet
mediterreanean diet
mediterian diet
meditteranian diet
mediterainian diet
mediterrain diet

We hope through this site to demystify Mediterranean diet and to give you an opportunity to learn about the Mediterranean Diet and all the „secrets“ you need to know in order to start living healthier and better through making small changes in your diets and foods.
Alessia and Roberto