On the Mediterranean Diet? Here's What Not to Eat.
Find out which foods you should limit if you're going Greek.
AndreyPopov
You probably know the basics of the Mediterranean diet. But let's go over them, just in case. This way of eating typically includes fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, nuts, beans, legumes, whole grains and a moderate amount of red wine and dairy. The diet has been connected with heart health, memory benefits and even perks for the planet.
What foods aren't allowed on the Mediterranean diet? There are no hard and fast rules about this. However, here's a list of foods you should generally limit while eating Mediterranean-style meals.
Heavily processed foods
Let's be real: Many, many foods are processed to some degree. A can of beans has been processed, in the sense that the beans have been cooked before being canned. Olive oil has been processed, because olives have been turned into oil. But when we talk about limiting processed foods, this really means avoiding things like frozen meals with tons of sodium. You should also limit soda, desserts and candy. As the adage goes, if the ingredient list includes items that your great-grandparents wouldn't recognize as food, it's probably processed. If you're buying a packaged food that's as close to its whole-food form as possible — such as frozen fruit or veggies with nothing added — you're good to go.
Processed red meat
On the Mediterranean diet, you should minimize your intake of red meat, such as steak. What about processed red meat, such as hot dogs and bacon? You should avoid these foods or limit them as much as possible. A study published in BMJ found that regularly eating red meat, especially processed varieties, was associated with a higher risk of death.
Butter
Here's another food that should be limited on the Mediterranean diet. Use olive oil instead, which has many heart-health benefits and contains less saturated fat than butter. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, butter has 7 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, while olive oil has about 2 grams.
Refined grains
The Mediterranean diet is centered around whole grains, such as farro, millet, couscous and brown rice. With this eating style, you'll generally want to limit your intake of refined grains such as white pasta and white bread.
Alcohol
When you're following the Mediterranean diet, red wine should be your chosen alcoholic drink. This is because red wine offers health benefits, particularly for the heart. But it's important to limit intake of any type of alcohol to up to one drink per day for women, as well as men older than 65, and up to two drinks daily for men age 65 and younger. The amount that counts as a drink is 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
So what can you eat on the Mediterranean diet? Plenty! Here are some recipes to whip up:
Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York City area. She's a regular contributor to many publications, including EverydayHealth.com, ReadersDigest.com, NBCNews.com, and more. She also pens a recipe-focused blog, Amy's Eat List, where she shares easy, healthy recipes. Connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
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