Mediterranean diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil while limiting red meat and processed foods. It includes moderate consumption of fish, poultry, dairy, and red wine. Rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber, it’s linked to reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
The traditional Mediterranean Diet is based on high consumption of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and greens. It also includes fish. It recommends limited consumption of meat and processed foods, and as the main fat, olive oil is recommended.
What you probably don’t know is that the Mediterranean Diet transcends what is a dietary model. In fact, it is much more, as recognized by UNESCO a decade ago. The UN-affiliated organization refers to this Diet as a way of understanding life and how we relate to each other and the environment around us. Thus, within the Mediterranean Diet, it also encompasses how foods that form the basis of this dietary pattern are grown, fished, and raised. Of course, it also considers how Mediterranean peoples preserve, cook, and consume food.
Furthermore, for UNESCO, as important as the foods themselves is how we consume them. Here, the importance of food as a socializing element is highlighted: eating together is a hallmark of Mediterranean coastal life. Especially emphasized is the social exchange that helps to renew and strengthen bonds among family, friends, or communities.
The Mediterranean diet consistently ranks among the world’s top recommended diets. Praised for its health benefits, it’s endorsed by health professionals and organizations globally. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks it highly, emphasizing its healthy benefits.
Here are a few ideas for a healthy Mediterranean dinner:
1. Mediterranean salad
A Mediterranean salad is always welcome. Fresh and tasty, it is a very quick and easy option for when you have guests or just don’t feel like cooking something very elaborate.
The good thing about this simple recipe is that it combines perfectly as an accompaniment to any meat or fish dish, being a healthy and light alternative to the classic French fries.
This salad consists of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, green and black olives, and extra virgin olive oil from Spain. However, if you wish to elaborate it with more ingredients to give it more consistency and to serve as a main dish, no problem. If you look up the recipe, you will see that you will have a lot of options and combinations that you can try until you find the combination that you like the most.
2. Zucchini and carrot pancakes
Not all pancakes have to be sweet and for breakfast. There is more life and options besides breakfasts (although the truth is that we would spend our lives creating delicious breakfasts, and of course with pancakes included).
The option we are delivering today is very easy to prepare, healthy and different. You can make these pancakes with the vegetables that you like or those you have in the fridge (it is a good recipe to use if you have vegetables already a little more wilted in the fridge) and accompany them with your favorite sauce (guacamole, hummus, mustard sauce, yogurt sauce, homemade ketchup without sugar). We encourage you to prepare these pancakes with zucchini and carrots because you will love them! And to maintain the rich nutrition of these vegetables, make sure to cook them in extra virgin olive oil from Spain.
3. Cold melon soup
Cold melon soup with ham, one of the recipes that is popular throughout the summer, since it is a very healthy dish based on melon, a fruit that along with watermelon are the queens of the summer.
Fruits like melon are great for keeping hydrated on hot days. It also has a lot of qualities and little calories, which is perfect for Mediterranean diet. Once opened, it should be kept in the refrigerator, well covered, as it absorbs all the smells from the fridge.
Planning a menu in advance will help you save time and money when shopping. It has been proven that by doing it in a meticulous way, you can avoid fatty foods and foods with processed sugars. Schedule your meals in a balanced way, and you will feel a positive effect in your body. When plating the cold melon soup, don’t forget to drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil, enhancing its Mediterranean essence.
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