How To Follow The Mediterranean Diet

Color Your Plate With Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables come in just about every color imaginable. Make sure the majority of your plate reflects the rainbow with choices such as yellow pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, pumpkin, blueberries, cauliflower, and strawberries. Fruits and vegetables have countless benefits, such as being high in vitamin C, iron, fiber, and being complex carbohydrates, depending on which ones are chosen. The Mediterranean diet, though it does include fish, is primarily plant-based, which is where consuming a plethora of fruits and vegetables comes in. Choosing a variety is essential to obtaining all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients, so be sure to balance out every choice for the best results.

Dive Into Dairy

No discussion of the Mediterranean diet would be complete without mentioning dairy. Dishes such as pizza, pasta, and antipasto platters are incredibly common in Mediterranean countries, and dairy plays a role in all three. Cheese and Greek yogurt are the two most popular dairy products included in a Mediterranean diet. The use of cheese is, of course, obvious since it is often found in pizza, pasta, and antipasto platters, as mentioned above. Greek yogurt is often cited as a part of breakfast, but it can also act as a base in many other ways, such as in Tzatziki or numerous creamy sauces meant as dips or for pasta. Many individuals also use Greek yogurt as a substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream, butter in baking, and heavy cream in soups.