Mediterranean Diet
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I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.7 -
How to cook in a tajine, also Mediterranean.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-use-a-moroccan-tagine-23947540 -
I live in Rome, Italy and we eat the Med diet everyday. It's a very loose structure and is mainly what we called a "well ballanced" diet when I was growing up in Minnesota. Nothing magic, just an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, we tend to eat more carbs than protein, use EVOO for our main fat, legumes, nuts, and sweets of course. I think protein isn't pushed alot because this diet goes back centuries and people were too poor to afford meat more than once a week in the past. That has now changed. Actually, I find the macro breakdown MFP gives me fits very well with how we eat.7
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How to cook in a tajine, also Mediterranean.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-use-a-moroccan-tagine-2394754
Tangine (the spelling I've always seen) Chicken is spectacular with an abundance of layered flavors!4 -
I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.
Mediterranean is not low fat. It's low saturated fats, but high Monounsaturated fatty acid, MUFA. They stress using olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocado, and nuts for fats.6 -
I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.
Mediterranean is not low fat. It's low saturated fats, but high Monounsaturated fatty acid, MUFA. They stress using olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocado, and nuts for fats.
Actually in the Mediterranean basin, there is no Salmon and there are no avocados cultivated. There is a lot of fish eaten. Bacala, Branzino (a huge favorite), sardines, smelts, shrimp, octopus and squid and clams. There are lots of nuts and cheeses, so saturated fats are not unknown. There are lots of vegetables in a huge variety and lots of fruits. Also, lots of herbs and spices, both cultivated and wild. And lot of legumes as well as grains and pastas. For meats, there is a lot of lamb, goat and some pork and beef.
Salmon is a North Atlantic and Pacific Fish. So, not indigenous to the Mediterranean Basin. Avocados are grown in California, Mexico and Central America. They are unknown in the Mediterranean.
FWIW, I am a Chef who has spent a career specializing in Mediterranean Cuisine. I am of Italian heritage and have studied the cuisines of the Near East, North Africa, Spain, the Provencal Region of France and Greece as well as extensive study of regional Italian cuisine.
Avocados and Salmon are not considered Mediterranean.26 -
OP, I'm a lifetime omnivore and an extremely active person. Over the last several years I have become very focused on how my food choices affect both my leanness and how I feel. During this time, I have been drawn to what I would describe as a Mediterranean way of eating. By this I mean a diet that is trending towards vegetarian - heavy on dark greens, fruits, grains, beans, etc. I use and enjoy olive oil, avocadoes and walnuts as part of my regular food choices. While I still consume and enjoy dairy products (eggs!!) and some meats, I have noticed that I often feel best when I consume a largely plant based diet that is supplemented with fish several times per week.
Additionally, I have recently read Dr Valter Longo's book titled "The Longevity Diet", that describes the latest science behind stem cell activation and regeneration. Longo is a longevity researcher at USC and a native of Italy. The focus of his book is slowing the aging process through a combination of dietary choices and a process that mimics the effects of intermittent fasting. A central premise in his book is that losing weight and reducing abdominal mass without losing lean body mass is one of the keys to a healthy life span. Towards the end of his book he outlines an example of a two week menu that I would characterize as "Mediterranean". It was an interesting read. Some of his TedTalks sessions are also on YouTube and you may find those worth a listen.
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I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.
Mediterranean is not low fat. It's low saturated fats, but high Monounsaturated fatty acid, MUFA. They stress using olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocado, and nuts for fats.
It seems every time I google a Mediterranean recipe, if it is North American (measures in cups) it will also be low fat. I think Americans are losing out in the good fats.0 -
FWIW, I am a Chef who has spent a career specializing in Mediterranean Cuisine. I am of Italian heritage and have studied the cuisines of the Near East, North Africa, Spain, the Provencal Region of France and Greece as well as extensive study of regional Italian cuisine.
I would like to kidnap you, please.
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I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.
Mediterranean is not low fat. It's low saturated fats, but high Monounsaturated fatty acid, MUFA. They stress using olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocado, and nuts for fats.
Actually in the Mediterranean basin, there is no Salmon and there are no avocados cultivated. There is a lot of fish eaten. Bacala, Branzino (a huge favorite), sardines, smelts, shrimp, octopus and squid and clams. There are lots of nuts and cheeses, so saturated fats are not unknown. There are lots of vegetables in a huge variety and lots of fruits. Also, lots of herbs and spices, both cultivated and wild. And lot of legumes as well as grains and pastas. For meats, there is a lot of lamb, goat and some pork and beef.
Salmon is a North Atlantic and Pacific Fish. So, not indigenous to the Mediterranean Basin. Avocados are grown in California, Mexico and Central America. They are unknown in the Mediterranean.
FWIW, I am a Chef who has spent a career specializing in Mediterranean Cuisine. I am of Italian heritage and have studied the cuisines of the Near East, North Africa, Spain, the Provencal Region of France and Greece as well as extensive study of regional Italian cuisine.
Avocados and Salmon are not considered Mediterranean.
You beat me to it! Baccala' isn't Med either, but it's been used here for a long time. The cod is salted and dried in Northern countries--Sweden, Denmark,etc. and then transported down here. It will keep that way for a long time with no refrigeration. It is placed in a fresh water bath for 3 days, changing the water 3 times a day, to soften it up and leach out the excess salt.
We can buy salmon and now, avocados. Changing things around with new foods has been done for centuries as they became available. This is not a bad thing. For me, someone can eat other things and still be within the parameters. Eating local, and fresh, is always a plus. It's a question of cost and availability. People in Northern countries don't have fresh produce in the winter. For them, eating frozen or canned is logical.4 -
I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.
Mediterranean is not low fat. It's low saturated fats, but high Monounsaturated fatty acid, MUFA. They stress using olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocado, and nuts for fats.
It seems every time I google a Mediterranean recipe, if it is North American (measures in cups) it will also be low fat. I think Americans are losing out in the good fats.
This is very true. It's not a good idea to overdo, but fats are necessary.0 -
My idea of a Mediterranean diet is having lunch somewhere in Tuscany. And, yes, I could stick to that diet for the rest of my life.18
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I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.
Mediterranean is not low fat. It's low saturated fats, but high Monounsaturated fatty acid, MUFA. They stress using olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocado, and nuts for fats.
Actually in the Mediterranean basin, there is no Salmon and there are no avocados cultivated. There is a lot of fish eaten. Bacala, Branzino (a huge favorite), sardines, smelts, shrimp, octopus and squid and clams. There are lots of nuts and cheeses, so saturated fats are not unknown. There are lots of vegetables in a huge variety and lots of fruits. Also, lots of herbs and spices, both cultivated and wild. And lot of legumes as well as grains and pastas. For meats, there is a lot of lamb, goat and some pork and beef.
Salmon is a North Atlantic and Pacific Fish. So, not indigenous to the Mediterranean Basin. Avocados are grown in California, Mexico and Central America. They are unknown in the Mediterranean.
FWIW, I am a Chef who has spent a career specializing in Mediterranean Cuisine. I am of Italian heritage and have studied the cuisines of the Near East, North Africa, Spain, the Provencal Region of France and Greece as well as extensive study of regional Italian cuisine.
Avocados and Salmon are not considered Mediterranean.
I was just in Egypt visiting family. My dad bought some avocados from the store, and my grandma and her caretaker asked me what they were.
nobody eats them, and I only found salmon in 1 restaurant.
By the way, can you cook for me?5 -
I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.
Mediterranean is not low fat. It's low saturated fats, but high Monounsaturated fatty acid, MUFA. They stress using olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocado, and nuts for fats.
Actually in the Mediterranean basin, there is no Salmon and there are no avocados cultivated. There is a lot of fish eaten. Bacala, Branzino (a huge favorite), sardines, smelts, shrimp, octopus and squid and clams. There are lots of nuts and cheeses, so saturated fats are not unknown. There are lots of vegetables in a huge variety and lots of fruits. Also, lots of herbs and spices, both cultivated and wild. And lot of legumes as well as grains and pastas. For meats, there is a lot of lamb, goat and some pork and beef.
Salmon is a North Atlantic and Pacific Fish. So, not indigenous to the Mediterranean Basin. Avocados are grown in California, Mexico and Central America. They are unknown in the Mediterranean.
FWIW, I am a Chef who has spent a career specializing in Mediterranean Cuisine. I am of Italian heritage and have studied the cuisines of the Near East, North Africa, Spain, the Provencal Region of France and Greece as well as extensive study of regional Italian cuisine.
Avocados and Salmon are not considered Mediterranean.
I think you are taking the term a little too literally there. You know there used to be a time before Europeans discovered the Americas, where tomatoes weren't found in the Mediterranean region either so. Anyway, Its super cool that you are chef. I love cooking, and I can appreciated that. I'm kinda doing this diet, not really intentionally just happened to land here by trying to reduce my meat intake and increase my healthy fat intake for health reasons from malabsorption. To me the "mediterranean diet" seems more like an eating philosophy than an actual literal diet. There's not really a vegetarian diet, there are vegetarians who eat that way. Anyway that's how I see it. It has helped with my bathroom issues, but I'm still uncertain if I'm getting enough nutrients from fat sources.5 -
I like it and the Mediterranean plate is balanced just the way I was trained to eat as a diabetic. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. An oil and vinegar dressing. A protein on the side (more fish than red meat).
I notice that the American adapted “Mediterranean” recipes go low fat and I think that is a mistake. That little bit of oil goes a long ways towards satiety.
Making my hummus I found out I enjoyed it a lot more when I added enough oil. Making it this way results in a macro profile similar to Edamame or peanut butter. Then it hit me. A balanced macro meal including the fats, are going to keep my blood sugars stable and give me that all day good feeling. Embrace the oil (in moderation).
Remember the Greeks were masters in moderation, and they are Mediterranean too.
Mediterranean is not low fat. It's low saturated fats, but high Monounsaturated fatty acid, MUFA. They stress using olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocado, and nuts for fats.
It seems every time I google a Mediterranean recipe, if it is North American (measures in cups) it will also be low fat. I think Americans are losing out in the good fats.
Yeah, I'm not sure. I have been eating in this style and my fat content is quite high, intentionally so. My fat macro is aimed at 35% I'm almost always there or a little over.4 -
I think a problem in this discussion is that some organizations are trying to popularize the "Mediterranean Diet" as a healthy weight loss diet here in America, with rules and meal ideas set up to mimic what people in the Mediterranean eat, but with food that the typical American would find in their local grocery store, and that sounds like a "diet" so it can become a fad.
So some of you are talking about "what people who live in the Mediterranean eat", some of you are talking about "I have read about what people in the Mediterranean eat and I'm doing my best to eat that way in a different part of the world", and some of you are talking about "American diet industry's Mediterranean diet plan which may or may not be similar to what people in the Mediterranean eat".
I wouldn't be surprised if weight loss media experts promote "mediterranean" meal plans or recipes where they have lowered the fat as the easiest way to lower the calories. It misses the point, but the diet industry tends to choose expedient over useful.16 -
I guess I've never seen anyone to trying sell a mediterranean weight loss program. So I'm not sure about that. The Mediterranean style eating plan is about rebalancing to a more plant based, without eliminating meat completely. Using healthier sources for your fat content, even changing alcohol content to mostly red wine. I've always seen it as discussion of making healthier choices, rather than a weight loss plan or a diet of any kind.5
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mutantspicy wrote: »I guess I've never seen anyone to trying sell a mediterranean weight loss program. So I'm not sure about that. The Mediterranean style eating plan is about rebalancing to a more plant based, without eliminating meat completely. Using healthier sources for your fat content, even changing alcohol content to mostly red wine. I've always seen it as discussion of making healthier choices, rather than a weight loss plan or a diet of any kind.
The South Beach Diet. Look at their website0 -
L1zardQueen wrote: »mutantspicy wrote: »I guess I've never seen anyone to trying sell a mediterranean weight loss program. So I'm not sure about that. The Mediterranean style eating plan is about rebalancing to a more plant based, without eliminating meat completely. Using healthier sources for your fat content, even changing alcohol content to mostly red wine. I've always seen it as discussion of making healthier choices, rather than a weight loss plan or a diet of any kind.
The South Beach Diet. Look at their website
Isn't that low carb diet?3 -
mutantspicy wrote: »L1zardQueen wrote: »mutantspicy wrote: »I guess I've never seen anyone to trying sell a mediterranean weight loss program. So I'm not sure about that. The Mediterranean style eating plan is about rebalancing to a more plant based, without eliminating meat completely. Using healthier sources for your fat content, even changing alcohol content to mostly red wine. I've always seen it as discussion of making healthier choices, rather than a weight loss plan or a diet of any kind.
The South Beach Diet. Look at their website
Isn't that low carb diet?
Only in the first phase.2
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