The Mediterranean Diet—Kid Style

The Mediterranean diet is a common diet plan followed by many adults, but did you know that it is simple to make this plan for children as well? The Mediterranean diet was developed in order to prevent against heart disease, cancer, and to potentially extend lifespan. Consisting of fruits, vegetables, unsaturated fats, beans and fish, this diet is sure to make your entire family's taste buds tingle. The information below will have you preparing delightful Mediterranean styled meals for your family in no time!

Western styled meals put a focus on meat as the main component of meals; however, the Mediterranean diet uses fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains as building blocks instead. These foods contain many vitamins and minerals along with providing energy through carbohydrates and fiber for easy digestion. The Mediterranean diet minimizes consumption of meats, such as red meat and chicken. Plant proteins, such as beans and lentils, replace these proteins. Beans are packed full of nutrients like potassium, iron, and magnesium along with being low in fat. 

The key component of this diet is fish because it contains omega-3 fats that are beneficial for your heart and can aid in cognitive health as well. Tuna is a delicious example of fish, and kids are sure to love it. As mentioned before, the Mediterranean diet focuses on decreasing saturated fats by incorporating unsaturated fats. Try replacing your saturated fats, such as butter, with olive oil. Seeds and some nuts also contain unsaturated fats, and they can be included into kids' diets by having them make their own homemade trail mix. Lastly, dips such as hummus are Mediterranean styled and are delicious with fresh vegetables. Hummus is made from chickpeas which are classified as beans and contain all of the nutrients as discussed previously. 

Don’t let the word “diet” steer you away from incorporating the Mediterranean diet for you and your family. This meal plan and style of cooking will have long lasting benefits on the heart and brain. Mediterranean styled cooking is sure to not only be delicious to you, but your kids are sure to love it as well!

Find out more information about incorporating the Mediterranean diet in your families’ lifestyle at: https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-and-prep/cooking-tips-and-trends/make-it-mediterranean