Healthy fats and fiber, as well as flavorful herbs and spices, help to make this a uniquely delicious diet, and they come in a number of versatile forms and portions, making them easy to incorporate into your everyday meal plans.
This week we explore the foods containing these elements to prep you for our Mediterranean Diet finale next week (you won’t want to miss it!).
This week we explore the foods containing these elements to prep you for our Mediterranean Diet finale next week (you won’t want to miss it!).
good things come in small packages
Eating healthy doesn’t always mean eating a large amount of a particular food group. Some of the good stuff contains a bounty of benefits in small amounts.
HEALTHY FATS
Virgin and extra-virgin olive oil, because it’s a fruit oil, is an antioxidant food and a must-have staple in the Mediterranean Diet. When replacing butter (saturated fat) or margarine (trans fat) with olive oil (monounsaturated fat), it helps to reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol), can protect the body against free radicals (that can lead to cancer), and can add youthful years to your life. Now who doesn’t want that?
Just 2 to 3 tablespoons daily will help you extract the benefits from this oil without adding fat to your hips. Other antioxidant sources include vegetables and fruit, which you can enjoy in abundance.
Virgin and extra-virgin olive oil, because it’s a fruit oil, is an antioxidant food and a must-have staple in the Mediterranean Diet. When replacing butter (saturated fat) or margarine (trans fat) with olive oil (monounsaturated fat), it helps to reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol), can protect the body against free radicals (that can lead to cancer), and can add youthful years to your life. Now who doesn’t want that?
Just 2 to 3 tablespoons daily will help you extract the benefits from this oil without adding fat to your hips. Other antioxidant sources include vegetables and fruit, which you can enjoy in abundance.
Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids, as well as other nutrients. Like olive oil, nuts can lower LDL, have fiber (it makes you feel full), vitamin E (to support your arteries), and many have omega-3s. Replace your unhealthy eats (like potato chips) with just a handful of unsalted nuts for a crunchy, satisfying snack. They’re high in fat, as well as nutrients, so a little goes a long way (too much of even a good fat can put on the pounds, so portion control is key!).
Tip: They’re an easy smart-snack to pack and go!
Tip: They’re an easy smart-snack to pack and go!
FLAVOR
Herbs and spices are great for flavoring your meals, and they allow you to cut back on the salt. At the top of our herb list is garlic. Eating garlic helps to ward off a cold and can lower cholesterol. No matter how you slice, chop, crush, or mash it, ya gotta have garlic when it comes to making skordalia (garlic dip), slow-roasted lamb, lentil soup, and a ton of other dishes. In Greek cooking, its usual companion is lemon juice or vinegar, which balances out the flavor of each dish perfectly.
Tip: A clove a day can keep the doctor at bay!
Herbs and spices are great for flavoring your meals, and they allow you to cut back on the salt. At the top of our herb list is garlic. Eating garlic helps to ward off a cold and can lower cholesterol. No matter how you slice, chop, crush, or mash it, ya gotta have garlic when it comes to making skordalia (garlic dip), slow-roasted lamb, lentil soup, and a ton of other dishes. In Greek cooking, its usual companion is lemon juice or vinegar, which balances out the flavor of each dish perfectly.
Tip: A clove a day can keep the doctor at bay!
fill up with fiber
Fiber’s claim to fame has always been that it helps to keep you regular, but did you know that eating good-for-you, high-fiber foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can help you loose weight by making you feel full? And that’s not all it does, it also reduces your risk of type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Eat a variety of high-fiber foods daily to reap all the benefits they have to offer.
a simple plan
~Use olive oil (extra-virgin is best when eating raw, virgin is great for cooking) every day. Cook with it, add it to your salads and vegetables, and finish your fish dishes with a drizzle. Try it with a pinch of oregano in a baked potato or as a dip for bread instead of butter.
~Sprinkle nuts and seeds into your salads, add them to yogurt, use them as a topper for oatmeal, or fold them into batters, breads, and cookie dough.
~Add herbs and spices to your foods and taste before adding the salt. Your meals will burst with flavor instead of sodium.
~You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to get your daily dose of fiber! Add chickpeas, legumes, or cooked barley to a salad or combine with a veggie side dish to give it dimension. Have some hummus two or three times a week with a side of carrot or cucumber sticks. Add whole-oats granola (with dried fruit, nuts, and honey) to low-fat yogurt or eat it alone as breakfast or a snack—a ¼ cup will do it but once you start you won’t be able to stop…now there’s an irresistible snack to feel good about!
Click here for recipes.
~Sprinkle nuts and seeds into your salads, add them to yogurt, use them as a topper for oatmeal, or fold them into batters, breads, and cookie dough.
~Add herbs and spices to your foods and taste before adding the salt. Your meals will burst with flavor instead of sodium.
~You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to get your daily dose of fiber! Add chickpeas, legumes, or cooked barley to a salad or combine with a veggie side dish to give it dimension. Have some hummus two or three times a week with a side of carrot or cucumber sticks. Add whole-oats granola (with dried fruit, nuts, and honey) to low-fat yogurt or eat it alone as breakfast or a snack—a ¼ cup will do it but once you start you won’t be able to stop…now there’s an irresistible snack to feel good about!
Click here for recipes.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Fats, Fiber, and Flavor of the Mediterranean Diet, and that it helps make your New Year’s resolution one you can keep. Join us next week as we take a final look at this month’s Mediterranean Diet Resolution that will give you your map to success.
Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
Kelly
Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
Kelly
For more on the Mediterranean diet, check out our blogs:
Mediterranean Diet Resolution
Mediterranean Diet Resolution: Power Up with Omega 3s
resources
Mediterranean Diet: More Than Olive Oil
Mediterranean Diet overview
Mediterranean Diet Resolution
Mediterranean Diet Resolution: Power Up with Omega 3s
resources
Mediterranean Diet: More Than Olive Oil
Mediterranean Diet overview
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Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
