Advice for starting on Mediterranean diet?

Make this your first dish to prepare. YOU WILL LOVE IT! It's very easy to prepare (trust me. I'm not a cook and I detest cooking) and it is DELICIOUS! You will be sold on the Mediterranean diet!

My cardio doctor recommended the diet to me 3 months ago and I've never looked back!

I'm still amazed by what such a replacement Greek yogurt is for many items, and I cannot taste a difference--but that's me...

Just a dollops.

R1 looks good but 6 chicken breasts is too many - should I halve everything if I wanted to make it with 3?

Just remember that Mediterranean cuisine does not always qualify as “the Mediterranean diet”.

Find a big juicy Italian sausage and chase it with Greek yogurt sauce.

First thing you want to do is eat a bunch of hot dogs. Really load up & get your fill, because they are NOT permitted in this diet.

R6 I dont like hotdogs.

r7, see r5.

Well R3, that recipe is with chicken thighs, but I guess one could use any chicken that you like. I suppose you could half everything but what I do is make the recipe and freeze half of it. Remember I DETEST cooking and one the reasons is because of all of the chopping. However, with this recipe everything is chopped into large pieces. I spend less than 15 minutes of prep work and maybe a half hour in cooking time. It's basically one medium to large bell pepper, one medium to large red onion, mushrooms, and cherry tomatos.

[quote]Just remember that Mediterranean cuisine does not always qualify as “the Mediterranean diet”.

Good point!

r7 But have you ever had Hebrew National? They are delicious.

People call lasagna and such Mediterranean, I kid you not, just like Paleo which is not a thing, it's a lie by the Ticktok X Facebook Mommy bitch crowd, notice everyone gives meat based recipes first, it's Eastern Med anyway, not Italian or Spanish, people are stupid.

Not stupid, R12. Some of us realize and accept that we are not vegetarian... yet. Why start something that one knows they will fail at within days? IMHO, one of the major pluses of the diet is learning what healthier foods and condiments can be replacements for the many things that we traditonally use.

And to answer your question:

[quote]Is lasagna ok on a Mediterranean diet?

[quote]Yes, you can eat lasagna on the Mediterranean diet, but it's important to keep in mind that Mediterranean diet recipes are focused on consuming primarily whole, minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like olive oil.

I have a print similar to this one on my fridge to remind me what to emphasize.

The Mediterranean diet is often recommended because of its numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, while also promoting healthy weight management and improved brain function.

The Mediterranean diet is a well-researched way of eating that can help improve overall health. It focuses on whole, plant-based foods and healthy fats. These are scientifically proven to reduce the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease.

You've all talked me into it. I'm starting with a cannoli for breakfast!

Didn’t they realise that the longevity in the region was actually due to a culture of walking many miles each day, and now that people there have stopped walking so much they’re just as fat and unhealthy as the rest of us?

[quote]I want to start on the Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health, but I really don’t know how to go about it. Is anyone doing it and any advice on how to get started would be appreciated any sources and so forth thanks.

Are you 12 or are you just trying to get clicks, sadly?

Get clicks? My new primary care doctor TOLD ME TO TRY THIIS TO HELO LIWER MY BLOOD PRESSURE. The also told me at the memory clinic. I go to to try this to help improve my memory issues.

A friend liked Sunbasket meal kits and lost weight

Only consider it if you’re gonna do it for life

Don’t even try it if you’re gonna approach it like going on and then going off of a diet

Wow! It seems that there is a poster (or posters) that is really against this diet! I'm curious. Why such negativity about it, Mr/Ms Poster? Is it because it uses the word diet? Or, are there other reasons?

Eat shit

You’re on Datalounge.

First off avoid pasta and breads whenever you can. Have a lot of vegetables, and beans and salads. Go easy on the beef and chicken. Do eat a good amount of fish though, preferably the healthy fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, bluefin tuna, and sardines, they are high in Omega 3 fatty-acids. I lost over 55 pounds on the Mediterranean diet. That was about 4 years ago.

The key to pasta is the amount. You don't need to avoid it. It's about portion control.Get a digital scale and weigh out 60-70 grams. That's how much pasta you should have. Eat it with a salad. Not a green salad, but one with tomatoes, cucumber, beans or chick peas, and whatever other vegetables you want to add. Feta cheese is good with it too. And make your own dressing. DO NOT BUY SALAD DRESSING. Avoid processed foods.

Pasta is my downfall. Whole grain would probably be more in line with the Mediterranean diet. Any suggestions for a whole grain pasta that doesn't taste like cardboard?

I need to eat pasta like a European, who eat smaller potions as part of a meal; as opposed to an American who eats large portions as the only part of the meal.

Whole grain pasta is in line with the Mediterranean diet, R27. I like the Barilla whole grain pasta line but that's me. To be honest though, I haven't eaten any pasta in the last 2 months.

Agree with r26.

And I love me some baked falafel (and chickpeas in general), cucumber, tomatoes, green peppers, olives, nuts, etc. and other Mediterranean delights. Pasta is okay, but I'm not as enthralled with it as some people are.

The place that the Med diet and I part ways is the emphasis on fish/seafood. While I like sushi once or twice a year and like tuna (on sandwiches or crackers), etc., I just don't like fish overall. I'm tried this recipe or that salmon, and the only other fish I've ever liked I ate in Alaska a few years - smoked salmon on the pier in Skagway, and I also sampled my friend's halibut (or maybe it was cod?) in Ketchikan.

Also, I was born in Hawaii and grew up in Southern CA, so it's not like we didn't eat fish in our family. It's just not anything I've ever taken to. Maybe if I ate it very fresh (like I did in Alaska), it might be different.

If you can find whole grain pasta made in Italy, get that instead. Or even better see if you can find Red Lentil Pasta.

Avoid the US pasta, which is super processed food and inflammatory. The only time I eat that now is when I'm a dinner guest and that's what they are serving.

I don't like fish either, but I'm trying to develop a taste for salmon. I don't want that fish smell in my house so I refuse to cook it, so I order it from restaurants (not cheap!). Bahama Breeze makes a good salmon, and actually the salmon at Ikea is decent (though sometimes tastes fishy).

You can make baked salmon in your oven enclosed inside aluminum foil. The fish smell is considerably minimized that way. I make it about twice a month that way.

[quote]A friend liked Sunbasket meal kits and lost weight

That's great! But in speaking with my nutritionist today she advised me to avoid all of these ready-made meal kits. Yes, there are those that are better than others, but they all have (usually salt) that is not good for you overall. Cooking is a pain in the ass (at least for me anyway) but the more home cooking you do the better it is for you.

Every Sunday I prep and cook at least 2 different recipes with enough to have at least 2-3 meals of each to eat for the work week. I place them in containers and each day bring one with me for lunch at work, I just heat them in the microwave 1-2 minutes. Much healthier and much cheaper than buying from restaurants.

Fuck you retard r13, do you really think we are that stupid, CUCINA BY ELENA? Really? Probably a stupid cunt, go eat broken glass. Stupidity is why we have trump.

r3 = OP

A super easy whole grain is bulgur wheat. You simply add hot water to it and wait for it to absorb. (If you buy a thicker grind of bulgur, you can put it into boiling water and boil it for a few minutes before turning off the heat and covering it. It's more common in middle eastern cooking (like tabouleh), but you could use it in almost any Italian salad, like bread and tomato salad, subbing it out for the bread. You could also make farro, although it takes a little longer to cook. Brown rice could substitute for white rice. You can also buy brown rice pasta, which I personally find a lot more tasty and similar in flavor/texture to regular pasta than whole wheat pasta. Polenta is a processed grain, but still probably better for you than pasta. The real problem is that people want to add a ton of butter and cheese to most grains and pasta-like products. That's where the problems come in. The mediterranean diet doesn't include much butter or cheese.

Eating salads which include beans is one of the easiest ways to start eating mediterranean style. Just make a regular green salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc, and add a half can of garbanzos - and maybe some precooked chilled farro. Dress it with some olive oil and vinegar and you've got a very tasty meal.

You can add healthy fish by making a greek salad and adding a can of sardines.

This thread inspired me to start the Mediterranean Diet. I had bulgur and couscous in the pantry. I always have chick peas, beans, olives, feta, etc in the house. My mint, basil, and parsley are up. And I've been eating fish on Friday already. I just need to keep tomatoes, cucumbers, and lemons stocked. Thanks, OP

Steel-cut oats or smoothie for breakfast. Salad or soup or whole grain bowl for lunch. Stir-fry or sheet pan dinner or vegetarian entree. Limit fried foods, butter, cream and sugar, white potatoes and flour products. Have five helpings of vegetables and fruits daily. One cheat meal a week.

Heating food in plastic containers injects microplastics straight into your balls R34

R40 I understand the risks of microplastics. I had switched to using Pyrex bowls about 2-3 years ago. I take them out of the fridge at least 2 hours before heating to avoid the risk of the glass cracking.

OP here’s a great recipe:

Take 1 Google and show some fucking initiative.

Spoon feeding not necessary.

But what if I love cak?

[quote] My new primary care doctor TOLD ME TO TRY THIIS TO HELO LIWER MY BLOOD PRESSURE.

I bet he also told you to limit your alcohol consumption. You should follow his advice.

Drop the carbs and everything will come down.

Make an antipasto salad. Lettuce, tomato, onion, black olive, cubed mozzarella, cucumber, crouton. Dressing of your choice. I do anything from cheap Italian, to red wine vinegar and olive oil. A little oregano. Meat can be added but I know that’s controversial, I do either prosciutto or salami.

OP {r3?} - did you ever start the diet?

Not yet, I found out I have GERD, so I can't eat a lot of foods with tomatoes, onions, or citrus in them.

Agreed on the bottled pre-made dressing.

Save a screw-top jar from pickles or something and make one of the very easy vinaigrette recipes (oil, vinegar, lemon, pepper). There are a million variations and there's no mixing or whisking. Just shake it up and pour.

R48 - I have GERD too. My doctor prescribed pantoprazole. Works wonders! I can't tell you how much tomatoes, onions, and citrus I eat. The diet is great.

Diets are the best way to lose weight!

The center of the Mediterranean Diet is vegetables. Americans, desperate not to eat vegetables, focus on olive oil like it’s some panacea.

Every, and I mean, every nutrition study in my lifetime has concluded: Eat More Vegetables. (The unspoken part is to eat less meat)