How do I use myfitnesspal to track the mediterranean diet.

I don't know the best way, but that is how I do it!:)

dougd102 wrote: »

As I find myself needing to follow the Mediterranean diet for heart healthy meals, I would like to know how to best track what I am eating. I know nutrients are more important than calories, i.e. good carbs, good fats, lots of fish, fruits and veggies. Am I getting enough good carbs? Too many? Wrong kind of fruit? How can MFP help me to track?

I don't know what your exact dietary goals are, so this is hard to answer. People interpret and do the "Mediterranean diet" in various ways. Also, caveat up front, I'm not credentialed or formally educated in nutrition, just an interested amateur.

I'd suggest, as a general (not just Mediterranean) idea, to focus on getting enough protein from sources you consider good ones (fish, plant proteins that are both bioavailable and complete or complemented in essential amino acids - usually some poultry, dairy and eggs can be included in moderation, too - but follow your definition of "Mediterranean"). A protein goal in grams would be a good idea, IMO - rough rule of thumb, 0.6-0.8g daily per pound of healthy goal weight, though more is fine within reason, generically (i.e., Mediterranean may limit - I'm not a Mediterranean eater, personally).

Next, I'd tune up the fats, looking at keeping saturated fats below/at MFP goal, but getting a range of mono- and polyunsaturated fats. (We're talking nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, and that sort of thing.) Avoid trans fats, including foods with labels that say zero trans fats but contain hydrogenated oils. Get some Omega-3 fats (in some nuts, seeds, fatty cold-water fish), not just Omega-6 fats (some seed oils) - neither O-3 nor O-6 are bad, but many people eat lots of O-6 and little O-3. I like to get a minimum of 0.35-0.45g of fat daily per pound of goal weight.

You will notice that MFP has zero goals for mono- and polyunsaturated fats. That's because outfits like US FDA/NIH haven't set goals, and MFP doesn't typically make up goals not supported by mainstream sources of nutritional advice. The mainstream sources say the monos and polys are good for us, they just don't set a specific number. You can set your own goal in MFP if you like, or just work on getting that intake higher than zero/low.

Personally, I worked on getting these higher by small tweaks in my eating routine, like putting useful nuts in my oatmeal, seeds on my salads, using a suitable oil for cooking or dressings. Once those tweaks become habits, I don't much have to think about it daily, the right stuff just happens.

I don't know how to answer your question about good carbs and wrong fruits, because I don't think of food in black and white, good/bad categories. I think all (non-poisonous and non-allergenic) veggies and fruits are fine, and that varied types and colors are good to include routinely.

I think that if you're getting adequate good-quality protein and reasonably balanced healthy fats, you can eat many fruits and veggies relatively freely (within reason). You'll find that starchy vegetables inherently need to be somewhat limited if you have a calorie goal, because they're higher in calories than non-starchy ones. (Starchy veg = things like potatoes, peas, beans, corn. Whole grains mostly also contain starchy carbs.) But the classic Mediterranean diet (or the trending one ) does include some starchy carbs. The usual definition suggests limiting carbs from refined flours, added sugar, and that sort of thing.

For getting enough veggies/fruits, I personally set myself a goal of X servings per day. (For me, 5 minimum, 10+ desirable. That's somewhat arbitrary on my part.) Since I calorie count, and use a food scale, for simplicity I defined a serving as 80 grams. Here again, I mostly focused on eating patterns/habits, so I don't have to count the servings/grams explicitly most of the time. Once in a while I check, just by going through my diary for the day and adding up, wanting at least 400g and ideally 800g+. It's pretty easy.

I don't personally think calories are unimportant for heart health. (I'm saying that as someone who formerly had high cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, but no formal diagnosis of heart disease.) Reaching a healthy body weight, or staying at a healthy body weight, is useful for heart health. (So is appropriate cardiovascular exercise, of course.)

Body weight is directly about calories. Some mainstream sources have essentially given up on emphasizing calories, because that hasn't been effective in getting the population-average body weight going in the right direction. For many people eating the so-called standard American diet (SAD), switching to more of a whole foods diet (like Mediterranean) is so filling that they naturally limit calories and lose weight without counting. If that works, that's great.

For someone like me, who got overweight then obese eating mostly whole foods - a very possible thing, trust me - it was necessary to reduce calorie intake to manage body weight, whether by counting the calories or some other mechanism. (I count. I lost from class 1 obese to healthy weight in a bit under a year at age 59-60, have remained at a healthy weight since, now age 68.)

Again: I have zero credentials in nutrition or weight loss, just personal reading and experience. Be cautious about advice from random idiots on the internet, including me. Maybe especially me.

Best wishes!

Did your Dr or team give you information on the Mediteranean food choices? And suggested servings per day?

I tend to think of the Mediteranean guidelines as foods to choose and eat. Lots of books and info on the net about the foods typical for a mediteranean foods to eat.

And, the MFP food tracker helps understand amount of calories/grams in the foods selected to eat.

*my heart doctor also recommends the mediteranean plan for potential heart health benefits.

Here is the list of foods. I am certain you will be able to find the macros in the foods if you do research or go premium with myfitnesspal https://www.mediterraneanliving.com/the-mediterranean-diet-food-list/ and this as well What is the ideal macronutrient breakdown for a Mediterranean Diet?

Macro nutrients for M Diet...Aim for 45-60% of your calories from carbohydrates, 10-35% from protein, and 25-35% from healthy fats like olive oil or avocado.