May is Mediterranean Diet Month

May is Mediterranean Diet Month, a campaign started in 2019 by the Mediterranean Foods Alliance to celebrate the good-for-you foods associated with this region of the world.

If you haven’t tried this heart-healthy lifestyle endorsed by numerous nutritional and medical experts, May is the perfect time to start. According to the American Heart Association, a Mediterranean-style diet can boost both brain health and heart health and includes: 

• Lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds 
• Olive oil as a cooking oil and primary fat source 
• Low to moderate amounts of dairy products, eggs, fish, and poultry 
• Minimally processed, plant-based foods 
• Wine in moderation, usually with meals 

The Mediterranean Diet has been rated as the #1 best diet overall and #1 best plant-based diet by U.S. News and World Report year after year. Pros of the diet are that it offers a diverse variety of foods and flavors as well as being nutritionally balanced. 

The Mediterranean Diet also aligns nicely with two of Blue Zones Project’s Power 9^® - nine specific traits that lead to longer, healthier, happier lives: 

Plant Slant – a diet rich in beans, with some meat in moderation. 

Wine @ 5 – a lifestyle that includes 1-2 glasses per day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food, given that you have a healthy relationship with alcohol.    

To help you follow a Mediterranean-style of eating in May and every other month of the year, Eating Well has developed 30 Days of Mediterranean Diet Dinners.