This Dec. 12, 2010, photo shows Mediterranean barley vegetable stew in Concord, N.H. Vegan food is a celebration of produce, as is this stew.
Larry Crowe, Associated Press
When the new year rolls around, so do the resolutions to eat healthier. The Mediterranean diet may be the lifestyle change that you want to try.
According to some rankings, this diet is the best in the world. According to CNN, the Mediterranean diet was ranked first overall by U.S. News & World Report this year.
While the DASH diet and flexitarian diet ranked tied for second, last place went to the raw foods diet while keto, Optavia, SlimFast and Atkins were also ranked low, per CNN.
The best diet was selected by over 40 metrics. U.S. News & World Reports said that it looked at varying factors, such as whether or not all food groups were included, if the foods are widely available and if the foods can be adapted to personal or cultural preferences.
The Mediterranean diet ended up being the highest ranked.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating influenced by the cuisines of Greece and Italy.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Plant-based foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, are the foundation of the diet. Olive oil is the main source of added fat. Fish, seafood, dairy and poultry are included in moderation. Red meat and sweets are eaten only occasionally.”
Typical Mediterranean diet foods include hummus and vegetables, fish and vegetables, lentil soup and more.
Mediterranean diet meals
If you’re looking to try different meals on the Mediterranean diet, here are some meal options you could try.
Breakfast:
- Egg sandwich on whole grain bread with arugula and avocado.
- Oatmeal with fresh berries and almonds.
- Vegetable omelette.
- Hummus toast.
- Chia pudding.
Lunch:
- Lentil salad.
- Greek salad.
- Quinoa with vegetables.
- Hummus wrap.
- Vegetable soup.
Dinner:
- Roasted chickpeas and vegetables.
- Avocado chicken salad over greens.
- Baked fish with vegetables.
- Whole grain pasta with pesto and vegetables.
- Salmon with salad.
- Peppers stuffed with ground beef, rice and vegetables.