The core of a Mediterranean diet meal plan is made up of foods from plant sources form, while foods from animal sources form the fringe. Men drink one or two glasses of red wine a day, primarily with meals. Research suggests that the Mediterranean diet would not be as protective against chronic disease if moderate wine consumption was eliminated from the diet. Drinking red wine in moderation is a beneficial and integral part of the Mediterranean diet and should be considered, unless it would put an individual at risk.
Olive oil is the regions traditional fat. Olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, lowers the bad cholesterol or LDL, while animal fats and partially hydrogenated fats can increase bad cholesterol. Olive oil also contains substantial amounts of antioxidants which prevent bad cholesterol deposits from forming and blocking arteries. If you want to follow a Mediterranean diet meal plan, olive oil should be used in place of other fats. Fresh minimally processed foods are also a factor in maintaining protective levels of antioxidants and micro-nutrients.
Traditional southern Italian cuisine is one of the best types of healthy and delicious Mediterranean diet meal plan. However, beware of contemporary northern Italian cuisine. Northern Italian recipes tend to use more butter, meat and dairy products in their cooking. Southern Italians use very little meat, olive oil and more legumes, fruits and vegetables. Compared to northern Italians of the same economic class, southern Italians consume one third-less beef and veal, and four-fifths than their northern counterparts. Southern Italian diets also contain one-fifth more bread, pasta, vegetables and fruit and twice as much fish.
What to eat on the Mediterranean diet meal plan:
One popular misconception is that Italian food is all pasta and pizza. Fresh vegetables like broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes, leafy greens, mushrooms, potatoes, legumes, zucchini and more are the heart of the an ideal southern Italian diet. Pasta is nearly fat free and served as an appetizer, while chicken or seafood make up the main course. Dessert is usually fresh fruit. Although people in Mediterranean cultures eat up to three times as much bread as Americans, they rarely use butter. The Mediterranean diet meal plan could also be modified by implementing the use of whole grain pastas and breads.
What to avoid while following a Mediterranean diet meal plan:
Many Americanized chefs add heavy cheese, meat and cream based sauces along with fatty or deep-fried meat and fish to their Italian recipes. It is a good idea to say no to extra Parmesan cheese, one tablespoon will add two grams of fat and half of that is saturated fat. Stay away from the cannelloni, lasagna, ravioli and tortellini. These dishes are usually stuffed with heavy cheeses and/or fatty meats. Other dishes to avoid are antipasto, fritto misto (fried seafood and meat), and fried calamari. Some other obvious exclusions would be heavy sauces. Alfredo and carbonara sauces are incredibly high in saturated fat. Avoid capiccola (smoked pork), prosciutto, salami, pepperoni and sausage; these are high in fat and sodium.
