Doing the Mediterranean diet? Dietitians reveal the 70 essential items you need ... trends now
The Mediterranean diet has been the darling of the nutrition world for the last 30 years.
The eating style common in regions like Greece, Italy and Spain typically involves fresh produce, lean meat like fish and chicken, and whole grains, while eating less red meat and sweets.
Research consistently shows that eating a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease by 25 percent, and premature death by 23 percent.
It's also been helpful for people trying to lose weight. A 2015 Harvard study revealed obese people lost between nine and 22 pounds while eating a Mediterranean diet for year.
Dietitians say that the Mediterranean diet is particularly easy to stick to as it flexible -allowing you to eat foods that might be off-limits in other diets, like cheese, Emily Kyle, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York said.
The latest iteration of the Mediterranean Diet pyramid was released in 2009 and incorporated the use of regional herbs and spices 'because they give regional identity to different dishes,' Sara Baer-Sinnott, who is credited with popularizing the diet, told DailyMail.com
But the loose guidelines can make shopping for groceries confusing. Luckily, nutrition experts have crafted a perfect shopping list.
Three experts - Ms Kyle, Kansas-based registered dietitian Cara Harbstreet, and Morgan Porpora, a registered dietitian based in New York- told Women's Health of their ultimate Mediterranean-diet shopping list.
Opt for light vegetables...and frozen is fine too
Summer squash is high in nutrients like Vitamin C, A and B6- as well as high in water and low in calories, according to the University of Wyoming.
The shopping list includes: apples, berries, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cucumber, dates, figs, grapefruit, grapes, kale, melon, mushrooms, onions, oranges, parsnips, peaches, pears, peppers, spinach, summer squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and turnips.
Though it's best if you can eat these foods fresh, dietitians say that you could also enjoy some them frozen.
These foods are especially rich in fiber and water, which might help your gut digest them slowly. 'Especially compared to a standard western diet, the composition of meals in a Mediterranean Diet is so much better for our gut', Porpora told Womens Health.
Also, fresh produce has plenty of antioxidants, which can help protect your body against stress, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Lots of pulses, nuts and seeds to control cholesterol
Walnuts are a recommended source of vitamins and fat on the Mediterranean diet
In the legume, seed and nut camp, the dietitians recommend the following: Almonds, barley, black beans, brown rice, cashews, chickpeas, fava beans, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, kidney beans, lentils, oats, peas, pinto beans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, rye, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts.
This colorful class of food is full of dietary fiber and protein and has been shown to help lower cholesterol.
Since these are plant products, they also contain a lot of nutrients like B vitamins, magnesium and copper, according to Dr Rani Polak, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Harvard Medical School.
Despite this, he wrote, relatively few American's incorporate this food group into their weekly diet.
