You are probably already familiar with one of the world’s most popular diets. The Mediterranean diet encourages an eating plan rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and healthy fats like nuts and olive oil. It even allows some dark chocolate and red wine here and there! The Mediterranean diet limits red meat, processed foods, and added sugars.
Registered dietitians, nutritionists, and doctors tend to praise the plan for its benefits for heart health and weight loss. But, you can make one minor tweak to this diet to make it *even* healthier, weight-loss-friendly, and better for the environment: the green Mediterranean diet.
To learn more about the green Mediterranean diet, how it differs from the standard Mediterranean diet, and if it is an effective weight loss diet, we spoke to Mary-Ellen Sabat, a nutritionist, personal trainer, and founder of BodyDesigns by Mary, and Melissa Baker, a registered dietitian-nutritionist from FoodQueeries. They said the green Mediterranean diet is beneficial for weight loss because it is high in fiber, low in saturated fat, and loaded with healthy carbohydrates. Read on below to learn more!
Green Mediterranean Diet:
The green Mediterranean diet is a new take on the standard Mediterranean diet that may provide additional heart and weight loss benefits. It’s still based on the foods promoted in the Mediterranean diet but the green Mediterranean diet scales even further back on all meat (not just red meat) in favor of plant-based foods. Experts believe that the green Mediterranean diet may help lower blood pressure, decreases insulin resistance, and reduces visceral fat.