Is the Mediterranean Diet the Healthiest Way to Eat? Find Out If It’s Right for Your Family

If you’re anything like me and my wife, then you’re probably also constantly looking for ways to ensure that your family eats healthy every day. The problem is that every expert seems to have a different opinion on how to be healthy, and there are about a million different diets that people consider to be the miracle cure. Today, we’ll tell you about another option: the Mediterranean diet. 

For those who aren’t aware, this way of eating focuses more on plant-based foods and avoiding meals that are full of fat, sodium, and other negative attributes. However, the question remains: Is this diet a good choice for your family? What about your growing kids? We’ll learn more about that today.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

In essence, the Mediterranean diet prioritizes healthy fats and plant-based foods. If you choose this type of eating plan, you’ll follow a guideline that tells you how many different types of food you should eat over the week. Here is a basic breakdown of the types of food you’ll be consuming most often:

• Fish
• Whole grains, including brown rice and wheat
• Foods topped with extra virgin olive oil
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Wine (if you drink it. Drinking wine is not required)
• Other healthy foods

On the other hand, this is what you’ll be avoiding:

• Red meats (You’ll have fish and poultry instead)
• Butter
• Sweets
• Sugar

The idea behind the Mediterranean diet isn't a new one. Instead, it's based on the food culture of ancient civilizations in the Mediterranean region.

As far as the schedule, the ideal diet goes as follows:

1. Eat some combination of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and extra virgin olive oil for at least every major meal of the day.
2. Have nuts, legumes, and seafood be a major component of your meals at least three times per week.
3. One serving per day of a low-fat dairy, poultry, or egg meal per day.
4. If you must eat red meat or sweets, only have them once per week.

While you do get some flexibility to eat some things you should probably avoid, like the single serving of red meat per week, there are several things you should not consume at all during the diet, including:

• Drinks with added sugar
• Liquor or beer
• Cheese and other highly processed foods
• Fatty meats

The point is that this diet is unlike anything most people have been eating regularly in the recent past. It will take some getting used to, so do your research before you dive in.

Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

The next question many people have about the Mediterranean diet is why these particular foods are chosen. For one, when you focus more on plant-based foods, you’re limiting the amount of trans fat and saturated fat you consume in your diet. In addition to getting too much fat in your body, saturated fat can also lead to higher cholesterol levels, which can lead to health risks for your heart.

The Mediterranean diet not only helps you eliminate bad fats, but it also helps you take in healthy fats. You need to have several servings of omega-3 and unsaturated fats every week because they promote reduced cholesterol levels and brain health. The foods included in this diet will help with those needs. This diet also improves the amount of fiber you’re eating, which is essential for your health.

On top of all that, the healthy food you'll be eating will limit other unhealthy elements in your body, including reducing sodium, carbohydrates, and sugar intake. 

Meal Examples

So, now you know what you can and can’t consume as part of the Mediterranean diet, but what does that really mean? What would a meal look like? Here are some example meals you can check out.

Your meals for a day may look something like this:

Breakfast could include one cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt, a quarter cup of blackberries, and three tablespoons of blackberries. For lunch, you could have tuna patties fried in olive oil or avocado toast with smoked salmon, fresh dill, and capers. Finally, at dinner, you could feast on stuffed eggplant, have a caprese salad, or dig into a Greek pasta salad, among other ideas.

If you get hungry during the day, there are also healthy snack options, such as apples with almond butter, carrots, and hummus, Greek yogurt with berries, tuna on whole grain crackers, or grapes paired with feta cheese.

The best thing about all of these meals and snacks is that they are all healthy for parents and kids alike.

A Healthy Lifestyle is Also Required

Like any diet, finding success with the Mediterranean diet takes more than avoiding certain foods to lose weight or find the results you desire. You also need to modify other parts of your life. 

Preparing the meals exactly as they are intended will require that you cook more than you eat out, so if you’re not used to that right now, it may take some time to adjust. When you do start shopping for your meals, consider locally sourced food. Go to farmers’ markets because they often have food that is straight from the field as opposed to food that is grown on the other side of the country and filled with preservatives so it can withstand the journey to your supermarket.

Of course, to lose weight and live the healthiest lifestyle possible, you need to combine any diet with exercise. For adults, that means a healthy combination of cardio and weights. Try to get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. Kids don’t always need a regimented workout routine, but they should have plenty of time where they’re outside playing and running around.

Is This Diet Right for Your Family?

So now it’s time for the ultimate question. Is the Mediterranean diet right for your family? 

The Mediterranean diet can be the right choice for many families. Instead of viewing it as a temporary change, look at it as more of a lifestyle change. By starting your kids on this type of diet while they’re young, you’re setting them up for a life of healthy eating and smart choices.

The benefits of the diet, from the increase in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to the decrease in red meat and processed foods, are huge. The ultimate goal of the Mediterranean diet isn't to lose weight. It's a lifestyle change that can reduce the chances that you and your kids will deal with heart and cardiovascular issues down the line.

Like any change to your diet, balance and moderation are key. You don't have to avoid red meat or sweets 100% of the time. Instead, focus on eating healthy the majority of the time and viewing desserts and other unhealthy foods as an occasional treat. The bottom line is to consider the Mediterranean diet for your family, as it may change your life forever.

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