The health benefits associate with maintaining a Mediterranean Diet are well documented, but what key foods should you be eating? Start with the six below and you will never be far from a perfect, healthy Mediterranean meal.  Number 6 may surprise you with just how healthy a food source it is!

1. Green Leafy Vegetables:  I was never a big vegetable fan as a kid and yeah, my mom would always threatened me with “You’re not leaving this table till you eat your vegetables.”  Mom knew what she was talking about and tops on the list of favorites is spinach, broccoli, broccoli rabe (yeah, with lots of garlic) kale, cabbage and turnip greens.  Greens are the number one food you can add to your diet to improve your health.

2. Beans, Legumes: Beans and Legumes, which is another name for beans, peas, and lentils, are all good sources of fiber, protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and B vitamins. This group also includes chickpeas, baked and refried beans and soy milk. Other great choices are kidney beans, borlotti beans and black beans.  These foods all contribute to a healthy heart and help in the fight against cancers.

3. Nuts: Go nuts!  I cannot really say one nut is better than another, as they all contain omega-3 fatty acid, unsaturated fats, fiber and vitamin E.  This is all good news for your hearth as nuts help lower cholesterol and stop the development of plaques in you arteries. Nuts are also a source of L-arginine, which can help improve the flexibility of the artery wall.  A perfect snack food, you should be adding walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts to you daily diet.

4. Berries: No surprise here as berries of any kind have been shown to be perhaps the healthiest foods available.  High in antioxidants, berries are considered the number 1 food source in the fight against cancer.  Blueberries, strawberries, black berries and cherries are my favorites and a great breakfast food.  You should also look into bilberries.  Similar to blueberries but about half their size, bilberries help in the fight against diabetes, and contain components that help with circulation problems such as hemorrhoids and varicose veins.

5. Couscous: Is it a grain, is it a pasta or is it something totally its own?  However the debate ends, couscous is good food.  A real Mediterranean treat that has its roots in North African

Couscous (Photo credit: tamaynala)

cuisines.  Couscous contains a good amount of fiber and protein with no sugar or fat.  It also contains enough selenium to almost complete your daily requirement.  Cook up a bowl of couscous, add some berries and nuts and you touched on 3 of our 6 top foods.  With couscous however the possibilities for a healthy meal are endless.

6. Tomatoes: An easy choice for my top 6 is tomatoes.  They’re good, sweet, tasty and full of health benefits that I’m sure many are not aware of.  Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A, C, K, folate and potassium. They are low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. Tomatoes also provide thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, all of which are necessary for good health.

Now some surprising news when it comes to tomatoes.  They’re good for your skin.  Components in tomatoes help prevent sun damage that can cause wrinkling and fine lines.  Tomatoes help build bone mass and is a great way to fight osteoporosis.  Tomatoes help keep your blood sugar in balance and have antioxidants to fight certain cancers.  High in vitamin A, tomatoes can improve your vision and keep a healthy shine to your hair.

Tomatoes are high in bioflavonoids and carotenoids, which are known anti-inflammatory agents.  This can help chronic back and joint pain.  Tomatoes also aid in digestion and if the seeds are removed help prevent attacks from kidney and gall stones.  Makes me want to run out for a tomato sandwich.

There you have it, my top 6.  There are many other great foods that compliment the Mediterranean Diet, but these 6 give you a good sound base and a great starting point.

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