Tracy Parker, a dietitian and nutrition lead at the British Heart Foundation, has explained which ingredients you can use at home to take advantage of the popular diet
Matt Davies Trendswatch Reporter
05:00, 22 Oct 2024
A dietitian shared a simple version of the diet that doesn’t require lots of ingredients(Image: andresr/E+/Getty Images)
A simple four-ingredient breakfast could be just the thing you need to boost your heart health and tackle high blood pressure and cholesterol.
That’s according to dietition Tracey Parker, who works as the nutrition lead at the British Heart Foundation who praised headline-grabbing Mediterranean diet. The diet – packed full of grains, vegetables and fruit – can help people lose weight, provide benefits to their heart health and stave off diabetes, according to Healthine.
It’s also focused on things like legumes, nuts, seeds, and heart-healthy fats, drawing inspiration from the diets of people living in countries near the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy or Greece.
In addition to these foods, it’s also worth incorporating beans, fish, white meat, low-fat dairy and fat from unsaturated sources, which could include things like olive oil, reports the Telegraph.
A typical breakfast could have just four ingredients, including Greek yoghurt(Image: Hispanolistic/E+/Getty Images)
Tracy shared a simple version of the Mediterranean diet with the publication that doesn’t require lots of ingredients.
She said a typical breakfast could include just four ingredients: Greek yoghurt, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds. Meanwhile, a decent lunch option could be lentil soup with wholegrain bread.
When it comes to teatime, a meal of baked salmon with brown rice and mixed vegetables will align with the diet. Also, if you fancy a snack in between meals, you can tuck into hummus, vegetables, fruit or nuts.
According to Harvard Health, the Mediterranean diet can limit an individual’s risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, specific cancers and even depression.
The Mediterranean diet incorporates grains, vegetables and fruit(Image: Rosemary Calvert/Stone RF/Getty Images)
It advised people to only occasionally eat red meat, opting instead for chicken and fish, as well as cutting out sugary drinks and eating less desserts that are high in fat and sugar.
Meanwhile, NHS University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust says the diet can provide a better balance of gut bacteria and boost your mood and improve sleep.
It did, however, warn people that the diet has a lot more fibre than people may be used to consuming, meaning they could experience bloating, gas and bowel habit changes.
However, these symptoms can be addressed by slowly raising the amount of veg, fruit, grains and pulses over several weeks and ensuring you stay sufficiently hydrated.
It also warned people that they should inform their doctor or healthcare team if they intend to make major changes to their diet because their medication may need to be reviewed.
Dining and Cooking