Even if we cannot grow our own food and live as people did from 40 to 4000 years ago, we can achieve the benefits of eating this traditional pattern today, through simple food choices. You can achieve your own version of the Mediterranean diet by following these guidelines:

We need to eat at least 5 serves a day of vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned), and two serves of fruit. Up the ante on vegetables by thinking about what you would do with them as the major part of a meal – as a stir fry or a baked dish. Have vegetables raw or cold leftovers in salads at each main meal or as a lunch dish with olive oil and lemon as a dressing.

Eat legumes weekly

Legumes are high in protein and an excellent substitute for our traditional daily meat intake. Try and have at least one meal per week based on chick peas, kidney beans, lentils, split peas or other legumes. Simple recipes are possible using the canned version.

Eat breads and cereals daily

Wholemeal or grain bread is easy to eat as a meal or snack…try and have about 4-5 serves per day. Don’t forget the less commonly used grains such as couscous and brown rice as well as pasta.

Eat fish more often

Tinned fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines are easy and taste good for a quick lunch or added to pasta for a main meal. Try and have at least two fish meals per week.

Use Olive Oil

In place of margarine or cooking oils, choose olive oil, the best quality you can afford.

Remember the foods that were NOT included by the Mediterranean people studied and consider whether you really want to include them in your eating pattern!

Appendix 1

Developed by Nutrition Australia the Healthy Eating Pyramid is a simple guide to choosing a healthy eating pattern, based mostly on plant foods. It fits within the Mediterranean way of eating, and encourages variety. The key principles are to:

• Eat most from the base of the pyramid which is plant foods including breads, cereal grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruits.
• Eat moderately from the middle section of the pyramid which includes lean meat, poultry, fish eggs and dairy products.
• Eat least from the top section of the pyramid, fats and oils and sugars.

Three important additions to the pyramid include the icons for water, activity and salt. Nutrition Australia advise all people to drink water – at least 8 glasses a day. Salt is already available in our diet in the many foods we eat which already contain salt. Reduce use of salt added to food, using other flavour agents such as lemon and herbs instead. And finally, be active. Exercise simply means moving your body, preferably for at least half an hour per day, the more vigorous the better. Your preference may be gardening to marathon running, it doesn’t matter a long as you are active every day.