Mediterranean Diets

Mediterranean diets are those traditional diets found in Italy, Crete, Greece and Spain. While the fat intake altogether of these diets are very high (A traditional Greek diet can be as high as 40%)1. The saturated fat intake is low (as low as 8% in the traditional Greek diet)1.

Mediterranean diets are currently being promoted as 'heart-healthy' diets due to the finding of a study called the Seven Countries study which followed the diets of 13,000 middle aged men living in Southern Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Netherlands, Japan and the U.S. His study showed that the individuals whose intake was higher in saturated fats, had a higher risk of heart disease.

A Mediterranean diet in the modern equivalent would require:

1. 200 g of fish twice per week
2. 100 g of chicken/pork once per week
3. 100 g of lamb/goat or beef once per week or less
4. cholesterol lowering bean / lentil soups and / or vegetable casseroles three times per week to replace meat.1

According to the Mediterranean diet food pyramidyou'll need to eat starchy breads, potatoes and whole grains daily, fruits, vegetables (especially dark green leafy vegetables, beans, legumes and nuts daily, olive oil and fermented dairy products such as cheese and yogurt daily. Weekly, you'll need to eat fish, poultry, eggs and sweets and eat meat on a monthly basis.

Traditional Mediterranean diets usually are also low cholesterol diets, and they may include dishes such as the Stuffed Grape Leaves/Dolmades which are little meat stuffed rolls made with grape leaves to bind the meat mixture.

Source:

1. Wahlqvist (2002) Food and Nutrition Allen and Unwin Books, p. 547 - 548

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