Mediterranean Diet Menu - Simple And Effective
Anyone who would like to try out the Mediterranean diet plan should be aware of the fact that the menu is based on foods that are consumed mainly in the Mediterranean area, which includes Italy, Greece and other countries in the southern region of Europe. The Mediterranean diet plan has no other influences.
Grains, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, and olive oil define a standard Mediterranean style diet. Current Mediterranean diet plans typically design their meals based around the food types eaten in a certain culture or region. This is in contrast to having one singularly planed diet structure which is common in many other styles of diet plan, and makes the Mediterranean style diet unique and appealing.
One diverse feature of this diet plan is that its recipes are relatively high in fat. This can be a deterrent because many people jump to the conclusion that all fat is inherently bad. However, fat is actually an essential part of a balanced diet and is vitally important to everyday functioning. If you look at the standard food pyramid you will quickly realize that a certain amount of fat is included.
The key to why this diet is healthy is that it is inherently significantly higher in fat that is good for our bodies, such as monounsaturated fat. In addition to this it is very low in fats that are bad for us, such as saturated fat. The saturated fats are typically going to be from animal fat which is indeed bad for the body to consume regularly or even in large amounts. The monounsaturated fats are normally from plants instead and thus are good for us to consume.
Olive oil is a healthy oil, high in good fats and low in bad fats. Making olive oil the oil for cooking most of the time can have a big impact on diet and health. It is an excellent choice for fat intake in the diet. The olives are also high in antioxidants and are helpful in lowering cholesterol. Including olive oil helps to make this a well-rounded diet.
Including red wine in this diet makes it even healthier, since red wine contains massive quantities of antioxidants. Most European diets, in fact, include red wine as a staple. The typical Mediterranean diet is no exception. Therefore, red wine is also included in the Mediterranean diet plan. This plus the many healthy food choices included in the diet make the Mediterranean diet plan far less restrictive than a lot of other types of diets currently available, and an excellent option for anyone to try.
When following a Mediterranean diet plan one's choices must come from the Mediterranean diet menu. There is not one single diet that encompasses all of the types and styles of Mediterranean eating. Foods that are typical of a Mediterranean style diet are breads, cereals, fish and fruits, and lots of olive oil. Though this diet is generally high in fat, it is high in fats that are good for the body in proper amounts. There is also the additional aspect of red wine, which is common to Mediterranean diets, which is high in antioxidants, thus making the choice of a Mediterrean diet overall quite healthy for anyone.
Published May 7th, 2007
Filed in Health