Does a Mediterranean diet require eating only Italian or Greek dishes?
Italian and Greek dishes can be wonderful examples of nutritious and delicious food. But you can have a healthy Mediterranean-style diet without eating any of these ethnic dishes. The key nutrition principles to follow in creating your own Mediterranean-style eating plan are: Limit portions of meat and poultry; choose fish at least three times a week; make fruits and vegetables an abundant part of your meals; use olive oil as your fat (for example, in salad dressing or on vegetables); and serve legumes, such as lentils, garbanzo beans and kidney beans, at least a few times a week if not daily. In Mediterranean cuisine, garlic, onion and a variety of herbs make these foods delicious and add more health benefits. You, too, can flavor your food selections to suit your palate, but stick to healthful herbs and spices, and avoid deep-frying and high-fat flavorings. Above all, remember that a Mediterranean diet is a mostly plant-based diet. If you need ideas for making mostly plant-based meal
