Eating the Mediterranean way

Want to try the Mediterranean diet? These tips will help you get started:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Each day, aim for 2 to 3 servings of fruit and four or more servings of vegetables. One serving of fruit equals a medium piece of whole fruit or one cup of chopped. One serving of vegetables equals two cups of leafy produce, one cup of raw veggies, or half a cup of cooked vegetables.
• Choose whole grains. Switch to whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta. You also can try other whole grains, such as bulgur, barley and farro. If you eat about 2,000 calories a day, aim to have at least 3 ounces of whole grains. You can get 1 ounce from a slice of bread, a cup of ready-made cereal, or half a cup of cooked rice or pasta. Read the Nutrition Facts label to find out how much of a product is in one serving.
• Use unsaturated fats from plants. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats may help lower the risk of heart disease. For example, you could replace butter with olive, canola, or safflower or sunflower oil in cooking or at the table. And instead of putting butter or margarine on bread, you could use nut or seed spreads on toast or on an apple.
• Eat more seafood. Eat fish or shellfish 2 to 3 times a week. Children and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding may want to limit certain types of fish due to mercury levels. One serving of fish is around 3 to 5 ounces for adults. That's about the size of a deck of cards. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends smaller servings for children twice a week.
• Fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Stay away from deep-fried fish.
• Get nuts. Each week, aim to eat four servings of raw, unsalted nuts. One serving is a quarter of a cup.
• Enjoy some dairy. Some good choices are skim or 1% milk, low-fat cottage cheese, and low-fat Greek or plain yogurt. Limit how much cheese you eat. One serving is about the size of four dice. And cut back on higher fat dairy. That includes whole and 2% milk, butter, margarine, and ice cream.
• Reduce red and processed meat. Eat more fish, poultry or beans instead. If you eat meat, make sure it's lean and keep portions small. And before you cook it, first try to remove any fat you can see.
• Spice it up. Herbs and spices boost flavor and lessen the need for salt.

The Mediterranean diet has a lot of flexibility, so you can make it a delicious and nutritious way to eat. Follow this eating pattern long-term to get the most of out of it.