• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Kitchen Chalkboard

Learn together at the Chalkboard

  • Start Here
  • Learn With Me
  • Save Time
  • Save Money
  • Recipes

The Mediterranean Diet For Beginners

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Email this to someone
email
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter

I turned 40 this year.  And I was tired. I had two little kids running around and no time to focus on my health.  I was trying to survive. My birthday came about, and I thought it would be cute to try and do a backbend.  I could barely get up. Thankfully my girlfriends told me AFTER the fact that their girls watch Youtube videos of gymnastics fails, which include severe injuries from backbends. I needed a change.

Mediterranean Diet For Beginners

I was determined to get healthy. Now, I’m not the kind of drastic measure girl.  I love food, so the idea of trying a traditional, restrictive diet was not in the cards for me.  Not to mention that my carnivorous family would probably revolt if I made a massive immediate change. I knew that I didn’t want a diet per se, but more of a lifestyle change.

Then I remembered that my husband had mentioned the Mediterranean Diet in passing a few times. Boom! Let’s give it a go. As usual, he regretted those few words as I fully integrated the Mediterranean Diet within a few weeks.  Gone were his steaks, No helper Cheeseburger Macaroni dinners and in were fish, tomatoes and feta, a whole lot of feta. You would think he would choose his words more wisely around me by now.

Want to learn about how to do the Mediterranean Diet for beginners?

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

Jump Ahead To

  • The Mediterranean Diet Guidelines
  • Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet
  • Disadvantages of The Mediterranean Diet
  • What Foods are Included in the Mediterranean Diet?
    • Foods Suggested In Moderation
  • Mediterranean Diet Recipes
  • What Do You Think?

The Mediterranean Diet Guidelines

One attribute that makes the Mediterranean diet so appealing for beginners is that there are no strict rules merely guidelines on healthy eating.  It’s so attractive because it’s about a lifestyle, not a diet. A lifestyle involving food is something I am on board with. Here are some guidelines on the Mediterranean diet for beginners.

  • Eat mostly plant-based food (fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, legumes) 
  • Healthy fats are good
  • Eat fish 2-3 times a week
  • Limit processed foods
  • Limit your intake of sweets
  • Meals are to be eaten with family and friends and enjoyed
  • Physical activity is to be plentiful

Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet

Voted the number one diet for Overall Health several years in a row by U.S. News and World Report, the Mediterranean Diet is not so much of a dietary regime as it is a broad outline on how to eat.  Countless studies have touted its benefits. It’s known to increase good cholesterol, decrease bad cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lower triglycerides. 

According to Harvard Medical School, “past research has shown that this type of eating pattern can help lower cholesterol, help with weight loss, improve rheumatoid arthritis, and reduce the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and various types of cancer.”

Disadvantages of The Mediterranean Diet

Now there are some skeptics. They state that the foods it touts aren’t necessarily part of a modern Mediterranean lifestyle and, as a result, obesity is on the rise among children in the Mediterranean. The level of obesity among young boys in Southern European countries is even higher than in the U.S.  I took a pause. Is this a change that makes sense for my family? 

I needed to get some answers.  The studies showed that this diet had significant effects, so why the rise in obesity levels? Is this diet unsustainable? It turns out that the integration of processed foods into Southern Europe has caused rising obesity levels. 

After trying the Mediterranean Diet as a beginner for some time one major disadvantage was that my family got tired of eating the same foods. Trying to incorporate more ancient grains certainly helped with food variety. You can learn all about the seven most popular grains here along with how to use them.

What Foods are Included in the Mediterranean Diet?

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Fish
  • Olive oil
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Whole grains
  • Adzuki beans
  • Black beans
  • Soybeans
  • Anasazi beans
  • Fava beans
  • Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  • Kidney beans
  • Lima beans
  • Green peas
  • Snow peas 
  • Snap peas
  • Split peas
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Lentils
  • Roasted Soybeans
  • Barley
  • Brown rice
  • Buckwheat
  • Bulgur (cracked wheat)
  • Millet
  • Oatmeal
  • Popcorn
  • Whole-wheat bread, pasta or crackers

Foods Suggested In Moderation

  • Red Wine
  • Poultry
  • Cheese

Mediterranean Diet Recipes

You know what you should eat but, pulling it all together as you embark on the Mediterranean diet for beginners can be daunting. Check out the Kitchen Chalkboard’s Mediterranean Diet Pinterest Board for tons of meal ideas and inspiration to get you cooking. 

What Do You Think?

Have you tried it? Have you found it enjoyable? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Cooking!

Filed Under: Learn With Me

Previous Post: « Ski Vacation Meal Plan on a Budget
Next Post: Do Food Expiration Dates Matter? »

Reader Interactions

The BEST 7-Day Beach Vacation Meal Plan With Recipes

Stale Hard Taco Shells? Taco Tuesday is Not Ruined! Here’s 1 Quick Hack

Here’s Kid-Friendly Broccoli Dinner That’s Ready In 25 Minutes And Always A Hit

What Exactly Is Hot Honey? Plus 20+ Ways To Use It

Learn How To Get Kids To Eat Vegetables With These 4 Easy Tips

Misfits Market Review 2021 – Can It Save You Money?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search the site

About Me

Mother, Wife, Curious Cook.

Kristen is a food lover who thinks about lunch and dinner while eating breakfast, plans outings around where to eat, and never stops thinking about food. When not in the kitchen you can find me outside chasing my two boys around or inside watching Bravo.

Recent Posts

Stale Hard Taco Shells? Taco Tuesday is Not Ruined! Here’s 1 Quick Hack

Learn How To Get Kids To Eat Vegetables With These 4 Easy Tips

Want more? Sign up for our newsletter! No spam, we promise!

Footer

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress