Taking a few cues from Mediterranean culture can be beneficial to your weight loss, as well as supporting your overall health.
The key to developing a good healthy eating plan is learning to integrate healthy fats into your meals in place of bad fats. Mediterranean cuisine does this well.
With simple yet filling dishes and a wide variety of foods to choose from, the Mediterranean diet is full of rich color and flavor.
It also has plenty of nutrients and antioxidants that help prevent heart disease and promote better overall health.
And the lowered reliance on saturated fats means that you can get all the full, varied flavor you love, without hurting your weight loss plans.
Healthiest Mediterranean Foods
The key ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine include fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oil, legumes, lean meats and whole grains.
With rich flavors and plenty of antioxidants, a Mediterranean diet offers great health benefits without sacrificing on taste.
There’s a reason why people living in Mediterranean regions are less likely to become obese, or to develop high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Eating foods that promote healthy heart function is a good way to support your body when you’re trying to lose weight.
Mediterranean Weight Loss Foods List
Here are some of the staples of healthy Mediterranean cuisine:
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene, which protects your heart and works to fight off infections.
Fresh, canned, or in paste form, tomatoes add a delicious flavor to any meal and can be eaten in a variety of ways, so they can be included in your daily diet without getting boring.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is the staple of Mediterranean cuisine, adding delicious flavor to all kinds of foods, especially vegetables.
It is rich in monounsaturated fat – the good type of fat that should be included in your diet in small amounts. It is also rich in antioxidants that help protect your heart.
Olive oil has been thought to be one of the key factors in the low heart disease rates of the Mediterranean region.
So don’t go overboard – but of all the cooking oils, olive oil is the healthiest choice.
See Also: Healthy Methods Of Cooking
Eggplant
Eggplant gives flavor and texture to a wide variety of dishes, and can be a good alternative to meat.
It contains fiber and potassium, which are important for supporting your body throughout the weight loss process.
The Eggplant skin contains a compound called chlorogenic acid, which has antiviral properties, giving you a boost to your overall health.
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Hot Peppers
Adding hot pepper into your diet gives you a flavorsome hit of vitamins A and C, along with fiber, folate, beta carotene and vitamin K.
Full of antioxidants, hot pepper helps improve your overall health, and can be eaten in a number of different ways.
Whether you prefer it fresh, roasted, or dried and ground into sauces and pastes, this is a great healthy way to add color and flavor to your dish.
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Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a fantastic source of protein, folate, calcium, iron and zinc.
Try to include some in your daily diet combined with grains and starches to keep your energy levels up while supporting your weight loss efforts and overall health.
Chickpeas are also a good source of fiber, which helps you to feel more full, and compounds that may help to reduce the risk of diabetes, cancers and heart disease.
See Also: List of Foods High In Fiber
Shrimp
Seafood adds rich flavor into a Mediterranean diet. Often, several kinds of fish and shellfish will be included in the same dish.
Some fattier types of fish, like tuna, are good to include occasionally as they supply omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for heart health.
And leaner types such as shrimp, squid and sea bass are great options for protein, along with plenty of other essential vitamins and minerals.
Broccoli Rabe
A Mediterranean diet is full of dark leafy vegetables, and broccoli rabe is a great one.
Packed full of vitamin C, potassium, calcium and fiber, broccoli rabe goes well with strong flavors like anchovy and hot pepper, so it can be included in a number of different dishes.
It also has plenty of carotenoids and cancer-fighting compounds. And, leafy greens are very low in calories, so you can fill up on as much as you like.
Couscous
Using whole grains like couscous in place of unrefined grains helps to lower the glycemic index of the meal, which means it makes you feel fuller for longer.
Couscous is also a good source of fiber, magnesium, vitamin E, and antioxidants. Filling and versatile, couscous is a great wholegrain to use as a base for all kinds of different meals.
