The Red, White, and Green

We’ve all heard that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world; the Italian island of Sardinia, for example, is home to some of the longest-living people on earth. But as with the introduction of most ethnic cuisines to this country, something always gets lost in the translation (General Tso’s chicken, anyone?).

My friend recently confessed that for years she thought she had been following a Mediterranean diet; then a month ago, she started the nutrition part of her nursing school curriculum and realized that she had had it all wrong.

“I always thought that the Mediterranean diet included lots and lots of fish,” she says. “After all, fish is good for you, right? Well, it turns out it’s actually a mostly vegetarian diet: whole grains, legumes, lots of fruits and vegetables, cheese, and, of course, red wine and olive oil. Fish is eaten occasionally, and meat even less often than that.”

Interestingly, recent research shows that it’s this “little meat” aspect that is partially responsible for the diet’s link to a longer life. In a paper published last week by the British medical journal BMJ, Harvard School of Public Health researchers trying to uncover the best parts of the Mediterranean diet reported that low consumption of meat and meat products accounted for 16.6 percent of the diet’s health benefits — and proved to be as important as consuming lots of vegetables (16.2 percent). (You’ll be pleased to know that the researchers discovered moderate alcohol consumption to be the most important factor.)

So for those who want to give Meatless Monday a try but can’t fathom a whole day without meat (or for those inspired by MM to embrace vegetarian eating the rest of the week), take a cue from our friends in Southern Europe: try thinking of meat and fish as a flavoring or side dish, not the main event. I always think of the panini I encountered in Italy: a few translucent slices of prosciutto in between a small crusty loaf. Contrast that to a typical American deli sandwich, which is piled with more meat than most Italians eat in an entire week.

Don’t forget the red wine!

–Jennifer Grayson

More Meatless Monday posts:
Meatless Monday catching on worldwide
Meatless Monday includes fish?
Meatless Monday: What’s for dinner?
Can’t afford a Prius? Try Meatless Monday

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