12 things that surprised me after following the Mediterranean diet for over a year

I had a poor diet high in processed foods, red meat, and sugar, and low in vegetables and whole grains. Worse yet, I grazed all day, munching rather than sitting down to eat.

In July 2019, I made a radical change, cutting out all meat (except fish) and adopting a Mediterranean diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, seafood and in occasional dairy products.

Read on to find out the 12 things that surprised me the most since starting the diet.

The variety is endless, so she didn’t feel restrictive

I never thought I would be the type of person to find veggies exciting, but now I get it.

I am so excited and excited to plan, prepare and eat my meals in a way that I had never been before starting the Mediterranean diet.

The change was much easier than expected, as there is nothing boring or restrictive about eating this way – it never feels like deprivation.

I discovered all of these amazing and delicious flavor combinations that I had never experienced. For example, I’m obsessed with golden and red beets with feta, spinach, and quinoa right now.

It’s a constant learning process, and I’ve never been such an enthusiastic student, experimenting with different herbs and spices on fish and vegetables to see which ones work best. Last week I found out that the harissa rose practically made zucchini dance in my mouth.

My meals are also much more balanced, so I don’t need to snack like I used to.

I don’t miss red meat at all

I loved the steaks, cheeseburgers, bacon, and even raw red meat – one of my favorite restaurant dishes was steak tartare.

The story continues

I thought I would be really struggling without it, but surprisingly I don’t miss it at all. I also realized that my body wasn’t cut out for red meat and that intense bloating and stomach cramps don’t need to accompany every meal I have.

This was one of the almost instantaneous benefits that I noticed when I started following a Mediterranean diet. I no longer had stomach pain after each meal and the belt was no longer a source of massive discomfort.

But I really had to increase my intake of legumes, like lentils and chickpeas, in addition to taking fish and eggs a few times a week, to make sure I had enough protein in my diet.

It’s easy to order or prepare meals at home

It is true that preparing a dish, even a salad, takes more effort than opening a bag of crisps. But I was able to find good, easy meals on the Mediterranean diet.

I grew up in New York City, so take out is pretty much in my DNA, and I’m happy to report that when I’m feeling lazy or wanting to give birth, it’s just as easy to order dishes suitable for the Mediterranean diet that it is going for burgers or pizzas.

Vegetarian moussaka is the most comforting comfort food on a cold winter day.

Also, you can find pre-cooked (or frozen) quinoa, lentils, brown rice, and more, so if you’re in a rush you can have a healthy meal in minutes just by mixing a few ingredients and reheating them.

It can be a cheap alternative

Seafood, fish, avocados, and some types of olive oil can all be expensive. Fortunately, it is very easy to make economic exchanges while respecting a Mediterranean diet.

Canned tuna, beans and vegetables as well as frozen fish are all cheaper alternatives. Plus, making your own dips, like hummus, is easier and tastier than most supermarket alternatives.

Plus, you can cook and freeze meals in batches to save money and help them last longer.

You can also spend a lot on this food, especially if you go to local delicatessens

One of the reasons it’s so easy to stick to a Mediterranean diet is because it’s so readily available today.

A few blocks from my house there are two coffee shops that stock everything from homemade baba ghanoush and hummus to basic and refrigerator dishes like quinoa, feta, fresh fish, and halloumi. They also sell pre-made salads, grilled vegetable dishes, soups and more.

It’s quite delicious, but it’s also expensive.

Cooking your own meals is infinitely cheaper, but it’s good to know that you can get all the essentials at your convenience – or miss out and have a healthy lunch when you just don’t have time to cook.

I have discovered so many new ways to make vegetables exciting

I never understood how nice it can be to eat a plate of rainbow food, but now I understand. Every meal I prepare is full of yellows, oranges, reds, greens, purples.

One of the reasons I never enjoyed the full potential of vegetables is that I didn’t realize how versatile they are. I had mostly raw, chopped and tossed in a salad, or roasted before. And I often had leftovers from my weekly box of vegetables that I wasn’t sure what to do with.

I now spend my days doing all kinds of exciting things with vegetables – charring, mashing, grilling, mashing, mixing them into soups, stuffing them, steaming them, using them as a garnish.

Instead of just mashing potatoes, I now mash butter beans or mash cannellini beans. Mashed beets have become a favorite dip when I want a hummus alternative. And the green pepper – which I really don’t like raw – has become my top choice for an omelet filling.

There is not just one Mediterranean diet

I think one of the biggest misconceptions I had about the Mediterranean diet before I started following it was that it was pretty limited.

I hadn’t really appreciated the wide geographic variety of foods available which were super easy to cook, wonderfully tasty, and all fell under the “Mediterranean” umbrella.

While a Mediterranean diet can be Greek, French, Spanish, and Italian, it is also Turkish, Lebanese, Israeli, and Moroccan. For example, the cookbooks by chef Yotam Ottolenghi are a delicious introduction to the wide variety of Mediterranean cuisine.

I have learned so many new ingredients and herbs, which have really helped me expand my cooking repertoire and add tons of flavor to dishes, without excess salt.

You can get sick from fish – I definitely did

If you are following a Mediterranean diet, you can expect to eat a few servings of poultry or fish per week because, alongside eggs, this can be a great way to add protein to your diet.

I quit eating white meat, but love fish, eggs, and seafood.

A few servings of fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel or sardines are recommended in the Mediterranean diet, but last summer, after going into a routine of salmon with veg every other day – because it is so easy to cook – i really hit a wall.

I felt bored and uninspired by the fish. There is really too much salmon.

I tried to cook the fish in different ways: steaming, barbecuing, frying, turning it into pate. It helped, but in the end I had to take a break for a few weeks and get my protein from eggs, chickpeas, and lentils instead.

My kids and hubby love it too

One of the biggest benefits of this diet is how much my family enjoys it.

My husband was a voracious meat eater, but he didn’t complain when I presented him with portobello “steaks” and mashed buttered beans the other night. In fact, he loved it.

My kids – ages 10 and under – already know fruits, vegetables and whole grains better than I was in my 20s, and they’ve tasted everything from golden beets to passion fruit.

They are also very excited to cook food with me so they take advantage of it by learning all about the cooking process and where these foods come from.

Olive oil is now my favorite ingredient

Thick salad dressings, filled with cream, mayonnaise, salt, and lots of artificial ingredients, were a requirement for me if I was going to eat lettuce or spinach.

Now I am completely obsessed with olive oil and look forward to making different types of salad dressings with it – adding apple cider vinegar, adding a spoonful of mustard, combining it with sage leaves. .

I use the cheapest for cooking and extra virgin olive oil for a dressing base and a fish marinade.

I even have garlic and chili varieties, which are amazing for drizzling over eggs or roasted vegetables.

My skin has improved since I started the diet

My skin was angry, inflamed and sore.

I have rosacea, redness, dryness, and acne, an unsightly combination that led me to protect myself from photos and hold my babies in front of my face to cover my red cheeks and recurring breakouts.

The Mediterranean diet is full of anti-inflammatory foods – fish rich in omega-3s, green vegetables, nuts, fruits, and olive oil – and although I didn’t start eating this way for my skin, I did. was blown away by the results.

My skin has improved dramatically over the past year and a half. It’s really calmed down and sometimes, very occasionally, it even gets that hint of a healthy glow from within.

It helped me discover the love of cooking

The main reason I’m a convert to the Mediterranean diet is that it makes me feel good, inside and out.

I now have a healthier, happier relationship with food. I love the fact that I know what I feed myself and my family, and I love to cook in a way that I have never done before.

As someone who never learned to cook while growing up, I never thought that chopping vegetables or sprinkling herbs in a pot would be one of the activities I enjoy doing with my family.

Making this lifestyle change not only expanded my repertoire of ingredients and dishes, it helped me discover the simple pleasures that cooking and eating well can bring.

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