Transition to a Whole Food Mediterranean-Style Diet

So you want to start eating a Whole Food Mediterranean-Style Diet, but don’t know how to do it? Don’t worry, we got you covered!

This document is designed to help people who, like I was, accustomed to eating the Standard American Diet (SAD). 

Wishing you healthy and happy eating!

-Miguel Ramos
  Thrive-in-5 Principle Instructor

General Tips

Eating a Whole Food Mediterranean-Style Diet is not only healthy, but it can be absolutely delicious! However, it is not yet the standard way of eating in our society, so we need to put a little extra thought into our food choices. 


Don’t think about eating this way as having to give up foods that you like. Rather think about foods in niches, each niche satisfies specific needs. There are always many healthy and unhealthy  options for each niche. In fact, there are healthy options for each niche that are so good for you that you can eat multiple servings and just make that your meal. That means that you could eat dessert first and even skip the main entree! Here are some examples:

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies → This is in the soft, sweet, baked good niche.

  • Ice cream → This is in the cold, sweet, comforting dessert niche.

  • Nachos → This is in the crunchy, warm, comfort food niche

    • The first time my wife asked me to make healthy nachos, I was stumped. Cheese that is high in saturated fat is central to nachos, while vegan cheeses are very processed and most are pretty yucky in my opinion. So I thought about what “need” the cheese is meeting. It is warm, fatty, but has a fairly neutral flavor. So I made a sauce of cashews blended in water with garlic and onion powder. I made the rest of the nachos the same way as normal (tortilla chips, pico de gallo, black beans, etc), drizzled some of my cashew sauce on top, and then put it in the oven. Barbara loved the new recipe and it is now one of her favorite winter meals. 

Avoiding junk food

Video: How to Resist Junkfood

Video: This ONE Change will get your kids eating vegetables (Anne's Website) Note that Anne's website promotes a vegan diet. Although Evidence-Based Nutrition does teach a vegan diet, all of her tips and recipes fit within the dietary guidelines.

Restaurants

I have been able to find healthy food options in almost every restaurant I’ve been to, but there have been times where I have needed to get creative. Here are some tips:

  • Ask for vegetarian or vegan options

    • Although vegan isn’t the same thing as a Whole Food Mediterranean-Style Diet, this is typically the best way to start. Many restaurants even have a vegan/vegetarian menu that they only provide if it is requested.

  • Diners, bars, & steakhouses

    • I find that most of these restaurants have a baked potato on the menu. I start with that and then try to add other items, like beans, broccoli, mushrooms, etc. Once I was at a bar that insisted they did not have a single healthy option, but by the time I asked about all of the individual items I could put on a baked potato, I had a healthy, complete, filling, and delicious meal.

  • Italian

    • Request marinara sauce

    • Ask if they offer a whole wheat or bean based noodle option

    • If they don’t have a healthy noodle option, then request a bed of broccoli to replace noodles

  • Mexican

    • Ask for no meat, no cheese, no cream, and more beans for almost any dish. Just be sure to verify the beans do not contain lard.

  • Chinese

    • Most Chinese restaurants add a lot of oil and sugar to their dishes. However, you can usually find an option that is pretty healthy if you ask for the dish that has the most vegetables. One example is a “Buddha Delight”. 

    • Ask if they offer brown rice rather than white rice.

  • Cuisines that have traditional foods that align with a Whole Food Mediterranean-Style Diet: 

    • Ethiopian - this is one of my favorites. The flavors and textures are really fun. Ask for a vegetarian tasting platter

    • Indian/Nepalese

    • Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and other Asian cuisines 


Searching for recipes

When I started eating a Whole Food Mediterranean-Style Diet, I realized that I couldn’t use 98% of the recipes I had collected over the years. However, I have found that you can find a healthy version of just about any recipe by typing “WFPB ____ (name of recipe).” WFPB stands for Whole Food Plant Based. I have found that adding that acronym to the search term provides better results because the term “Mediterranean” will limit the results to just food from the Mediterranean region.


Here are some of my favorite recipe websites:

Sauces Transform the Food

Learning to make sauces is a fundamental cooking skill that elevates any dish. Sauces add flavor, moisture, and richness, transforming simple ingredients into something special.  They enhance the taste and presentation of food, tying together different elements on a plate.  


If you want to jump in and make some sauces, check out these two videos:

Sauce Principles

Sauces typically have the following elements at differing amounts: sweet, sour, savory, and creamy.


For example, salad dressings typically have more sour and sweet elements (e.g. Passion Fruit Dressing). Whereas a main course may have more savory and creamy elements (e.g. Roasted Red Pepper Pasta). There aren’t hard rules, so experiment and have fun.


Sour: This element is more important than most people realize. We may not think of a marinara sauce or a ranch dressing as sour, but without the sour elements (tomatoes and vinegar respectively) the sauce would taste bland. You can think of the sour element being what “brightens” the flavor. Here are some ingredients that you can use to add sourness:

  • Lemon juice

  • Vinegars

  • Wine


Sweet: Even sauces for savory dishes need some sweetness, think of a hot sauce or a mexican salsa. There are sweet notes that provide a contrast to the rest of the food. 

  • Fruit is the best way to add sweetness. Here are some examples”

    •  Cherries

    • Mangoes

    • Dates

  • Cooked vegetables can also add sweetness

    • Caramelized onions

    • Roasted carrots

    • Roasted bell peppers


Savory: Salt can enhance the flavor of the other elements. However, you don’t just have to add salt to provide the right level of savoriness.

  • Liquid Aminos

  • Soy sauce

  • Pickles

  • Ponzu sauce


Creaminess: Elements that add creaminess help round out the flavor and can make a sauce feel satisfying. This is not a necessary element, but when it is present it can add a comforting richness.

  • Nuts and seeds (tahini is one of my favorites, such as in the Lemon Tahini dressing)

  • Beans, such as chickpeas

  • Soy and other plant milks

  • Soy yogurt is a great option and also adds some sour notes



Meal Services


https://sprinly.com/ - Precooked meals

Breakfast

Cold Cereal

There is a large spectrum of pre-packaged cereals, ranging from pretty healthy to processed junk food marketed to look like it is a good choice.


Here are some healthy alternatives to packed cereal:

  • Oatmeal

    • Oats are a whole grain and area a great way to start your day. Avoid instant oats as they are more processed. If you want to ramp up the benefits for your good-gut-bacteria, then use steel-cut or whole oat berries. Oatmeal can be made very quickly and you can make a variety of flavors. Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

      • Apple, orange zest, and vanilla (I usually add date sugar for sweetness)

      • Any berry that is in season with some bananas

      • Apple, dates, and pumpkin-pie spice

      • Cherries (I usually use frozen because you can find them year round), cacao powder, and almond extract

    • If you are buying oatmeal, LeafSide makes some great WFPB options that you just need to add water to. Berry Medley is my favorite meal that they make.

  • Granola

    • If you want the crunch of cereal, then make this granola recipe I’ve been working on.

    • Unfortunately, most off-the-shelf granolas use processed sugars, oils, and other not-so-healthy ingredients. PlantStrong is the only company that makes WFPB granola that I have found. Another good option is Michelle’s Muesli.

  • Mug Muffins

    • This is my wife’s favorite breakfast. They taste like chocolate cakes, but they are full of fruit, beans, and nuts.


Green Smoothies

Green Smoothies are a great way to start the day with leafy greens. Here a few quick and simple green smoothie recipes. I recommend adding enough fruit for the flavor to be enjoyable. That may mean that you start with just adding a little bit of green leafy vegetables. Over time your palate will change and you will enjoy a larger portion of greens.

Lunch/Dinner

Sandwiches

Sandwiches don’t have to be just bread, meat, and cheese! If you use a foundation of a healthy bread, then you can add a few or many of the following elements:

  • Sauce

    • Hummus

    • Babaganoush

    • Mustard

    • Avocados

  • Crunch

    • Green leafy veggies 

    • Cucumbers

    • Pickles (sugar free and low sodium are best)

    • Sprouts

    • Cole slaw

  • Fillings

    • Tomatoes 

    • Olives

    • Beans

    • Cooked cabbage

    • Tempeh

    • Rofu

Pizza

I used to think that you couldn’t have a pizza without cheese, but I’ve realized that pizza doesn’t need cheese to be our favorite meal of the week. And it isn’t just me. When I went to Italy last year, I found out that traditionally pizzas have no or little cheeze on them.


If you are at a restaurant, you can easily order a veggie pizza with no cheese.


If you are cooking at home, there are great pizza dough recipes that are healthier than a white flour crust.

Spaghetti

Spaghetti is a very easy meal to make healthy. Just use a whole grain or bean noodle and combine with a marinara sauce. I recommend mixing other vegetables in the marinara sauce to increase the nutritional content. Here are some recommendations:

  • Sauteed leafy greens cut into small pieces

  • Sauteed mushrooms

  • Sauteed onions

  • Sauteed squash (zucchini, summer, etc)

  • Edamame, peas, white beans, garbanzos


Roast

A pot roast was a favorite Sunday dinner for my family growing up. It isn’t difficult to swap out some of the ingredients to make a it a nutritious meal:

  • Meat → mushrooms, tempeh, or tofu (my favorite is mushrooms)

  • Gravy mix  → most gravy mixes are just cornstarch and seasonings (plus a bunch of processed additives), so replace it with seasonings.

  • Cream of chicken soup  → you can leave this out entirely, or if you want a creamier base, add soy milk or make your own cashew cream.


Desserts

Eating a Whole Food Mediterranean-Style Diet doesn’t mean that you have to give up your sweet tooth. In fact, I have found that I’ve really been able to embrace my sweet tooth since eating this way.

Cookies

Ice Cream

There is something so comforting and delicious about ice cream. However, commercial ice creams are very high in saturated fat and sugar. The good news is, you can satisfy your craving for the ice cream niche. 



Milk Shakes

You can replace the cow’s milk with a plant-based milk and ice cream with frozen bananas or any of the ice cream options above. 

Drinks

The healthiest thing to drink is water . . . period! 


We should get used to drinking water and eliminating all of the other drinks that are being sold to us. Sodas, juices, and sweet drinks are big business because they are cheap to make and people are willing to pay for them.




Individual Ingredients

  • Bread

    • Ezikiel brand is great

    • If you live in the Salt Lake Valley, then Village Baker and Nature’s harvest have health (and very unhealthy) options.

  • Sugar 

    • Date Sugar - The great thing about date sugar is that it isn’t sugar, it is crushed up fruit. That means it has many nutrients and fiber. I find that date sugar works great for baking and other cooking.

    • Date Syrup - Usually best for drinks because it dissolves, but can also be used in cooking. Keep in mind that it has a deeper flavor, similar to molasses. 

  • Eggs - Some people avoid eating eggs due to their saturated fat or their high cholesterol. To learn more about cholesterol visit our 

    • Eggs are used for a variety of reasons in cooking – leavening agent, binder, emulsifier, or thickener. Depending on what purpose eggs have in your food, you can select an alternative option. Here are some examples:

      • If you just want scrambled eggs in something, like in a breakfast burrito, Just Egg is something we have used and most people can’t tell the difference.

      • If you are baking, then a “flax egg” can be used for most recipes.

        • Recipe: Mix one tablespoon ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water. It may be helpful to let it thicken for 15 minutes

      • Leavening - For most baked good you can add baking soda or baking powder if you have a good binder ingredient. 

  • Oil

    • Since oil is so calorie dense, I try to leave it out or reduce it as much a possible. I find that most food is just as good without it.

  • Cream

    • Soy Milk - I prefer options that don’t have a bunch of additives. The Trader Joes brand only has two ingredients, just like Edensoy.

    • Cashew cream

  • Nut Butters

    • Many nut butters have added oil, and sugar. There are options that have fewer ingredients.

    • If you own a powerful blender, like a Vitamix, then you can make your own nut butters by blending the nuts. No other ingredients are necessary.

  • Sauerkraut


Camping

  • LeafSide meals make for great backpacking meals because they are light and you just need to add water.


Recipes

Here are some of my favorite recipes. 

Breakfasts

Main Courses

Side Dishes


Salad Dressings

Snacks


Desserts


Fun Garnishes


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