How to Incorporate a Mediterranean Diet into Daily Living

Step

Choose

Go Easy On

Avoid

Eat omega-3 rich food 1-2 times per week

Salmon, trout, herring, water-packed tuna, sardines, mackerel, flaxseed, spinach, purslane, fish oil supplements

Raw shellfish (due to danger of infection risk, including hepatitis A and B)

Deep-fried fish, fish sticks, fish from seriously contaminated water

Switch vegetable oils

Flaxseed oil, extra virgin cold pressed olive oil and canola oil (check the label), mayonnaise made from olive oil or canola oil

High-oleic, safflower, sunflower, or soybean oil

Corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, peanut oil, other oils, mayonnaise not made from olive or canola oil

Load up on fresh fruit and vegetables

Fresh fruit: 3-5 daily. Fresh vegetables: 4-6 daily. Use a wide variety

Fruit juice (no more than 1-2 cups per day), dried fruit, canned fruit

Vegetables or fruit prepared in heavy cream sauces or butter

Add nuts and beans 1-2 times per week

Soybeans, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, split peas, other beans, nuts of all kinds (especially almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, other tree nuts)

Heavily salted nuts

Stale or rancid nuts

Limit saturated fats to 10-20 grams per day; eat at least one source of high-quality protein with every meal

Fish, lean fresh meat with fat trimmed off, chicken and turkey without skin, nonfat or low fat dairy products (skim milk, yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese), dark chocolate, egg whites or egg substitute, omega-3 enriched

Processed low fat meats (bologna, salami, other luncheon meats), 2% milk, “lite” cream cheese, part-skim mozzarella cheese, milk chocolate, egg yolks (3-4 per week)

Prime-grade fatty cuts of meat, goose, duck, organ meats (liver, kidneys), sausages, bacon, full-fat processed meats, hot dogs, whole milk, cream, full-fat cheeses, cream cheese, sour cream, ice cream

Avoid trans fats

Stonol-enriched margarine (Benecol, Take Control)

Commercial peanut butter, water crackers, and other crackers that contain no fat, bagels

Fast food, French fries and other deep-fried food, chips and other packaged snacks, most commercial baked goods (doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, etc.), most margarines

Add more fiber; aim for 20-30 grams per day

Whole-grain breads and cereals, oats, brown rice, whole grain pasta, potatoes with skin (baked boiled, steamed), whole-grain bagels

Pasta, white rice, mashed instant potatoes, plain bagels, dinner rolls, egg noodles

Sweetened cereals, white bread, crackers, table sugar, honey, syrup, candy, and highly processed foods, especially those made with white flour and sugar

Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day

Drink 8 glasses of pure, non-chlorinated water per day. Additional drinks: skim milk (up to 4 glasses); pure fruit juice (up to 2 glasses); tea, especially green tea (up to 4 cups); a smoothie made with plain nonfat yogurt and fresh fruit

Coffee (regular or decaf), 1% or 2% milk, artificially sweetened fruit juice (the tip-off is “corn-syrup” in the label), sports drinks, soft drinks, alcohol (no more than 1 drink daily for women, 2 drinks daily for men)

Sugared soft drinks, milkshakes, excess alcohol