Mediterranean diet plan

Spend on oil, grains, and greens instead of meat or fish.

Oil's well: Healthy olive oil is a key component of a Mediterranean diet plan.

#2: Seek out nutty, flavorful, and inexpensive whole grains.
What varieties does Pensiero like cooking with the most? She loves barley, wheat, and rye berries, and whole grain mixes. "Use them to thicken and add texture, flavor, and heartiness to stews, soups and casseroles; as stuffings or fillings (for example, for peppers); and in place of Arborio rice for risotto." More tips? Use whole grain polenta to replace mashed potatoes in stews and braises, and try wild rice (this one’s officially a “grass”) mixed into pilafs and added to soups.

#3: Don’t worry too much about buying pricey fish.
The cost of fish also comes into play in a Mediterranean diet plan. Pensiero asserts that in the Mediterranean, a limited but very fresh selection of fish can be accessed with better availability, quality, and market price. But according to another study published in the British Medical Journal, fish intake isn’t one of the crucial elements in the healthy, longevity-boosting Mediterranean diet. So buy what fish you can afford, and focus on adding fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts to your meal plans.

#4: Use meat as an accent.
Think Mediterranean, and use fish and meat as a complement to meals, rather than featuring them at the center of the plate. Think casseroles, risotto, pasta dishes, stews, and braises as the main dish instead. Spending less money on meat means you can afford more olive oil and fish!

#5: Load up on leafy greens.
Cooked dark leafy greens, a staple of the much-lauded traditional Cretan diet, pack quite the nutritional punch and can be bought relatively inexpensively (especially when they’re available at a farmer's market). According to Pensiero, collards, kale, chard, turnip greens, and spinach, all great sources of vitamins A and C, can basically all be cooked the same way. The only difference is that greens with thicker stems, such as kale, need more cooking time. Pensiero sautés greens in olive oil along with onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, adding a bit of stock or water near the end until it’s absorbed. And make a lot; any leftovers can be added to a next-day frittata. One of the chef’s favorite varieties? Cavolo nero (a.k.a. black-leaf kale or Lacinato kale), which is tangy and sweet.