The Jewel of the Mediterranean

You hear about it all the time: the Mediterranean Diet. With an emphasis on plants, lean proteins, olive oil, nuts and seeds, the Mediterranean Diet has been linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease and longer lifespans.

But how do you incorporate the Mediterranean principles into your Western lifestyle? A new book has set out to help you do just that: The Mediterranean Diet for Dummies Cookbook by Registered Dietitians Wendy Jo Peterson and Meri Rafetto has just been published – and it’s a one stop shop for all of your Mediterranean diet needs!

Filled with tons of helpful tidbits on incorporating more plants and healthy fats, this book has it all: from the latest evidence-based knowledge about the health benefits, to useful recipes and cooking tips.

Here’s a delicious recipe from the book, incorporating the high fiber fava bean (10 grams of fiber per cup!):

Fava Beans in Tomato Sauce
by Wendy Jo Peterson, MS, RD, CSSD

  • Sautee one cup chop onion and garlic in a skillet
  • Add one 14.5 oz can of rinsed and drained fava beans and one 14.5 oz can no added salt stewed tomatoes
  • Add 2 Tbs fresh chopped parsley
  • Simmer for 5 minutes or until tomato liquid evaporates
  • Sprinkle with feta cheese & enjoy!

To learn more about the Mediterranean Diet, check out the Cheat Sheet created by the authors and click here.