The Mediterranean Diet 228�

DIET� Newly Revised and Updated Marissa Cloutier, MS, RD and Eve Adamson Recipes by Eve Adamson Produced by Amaranth This book is dedicated to Michael and Sophie. Wishing you both good health and a long, happy life. —M. C. To my children, Angus and Emmett, that they may learn to eat well, live well, and take their health into their own hands. —E. A. ojPCmlpM� Contents Introduction 1� Part I: The Benefits of Eating Mediterranean 13� 1: Mediterranean Magic 15� 2: A Recipe for Wellness 39� 3: Olive Oil and Other Fats:� What You Need to Know 67� 4: Vegetables: The Heart and Soul of the � Traditional Mediterranean Diet 93� 5: The Fruits of Good Health 122� 6: The Grains, Legumes, Nuts, and Seeds � of the Mediterranean 147� 7: Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dairy, and Egg � Consumption the Mediterranean Way 171� 8: Embracing the Mediterranean Lifestyle 205� Contents� 9: Losing Weight and Living Well � on the Mediterranean Diet 228� Part II: Recipes for Enjoying the Mediterranean Diet 247� Mediterranean Snack Food: An Art Form, a Meal 249� • Tapas (Appetizers) 251� • Salads 270� • Soups and Stews 278� • The Main Course 286� • Desserts 306� Resources 317� Searchable Terms 323� Acknowledgments About the Author Cover Copyright About the Publisher ojPCmlpM� Introduction� If you grew up with a television set, you’ve probably seen the familiar scenario: a family gathered around the breakfast table, their plates piled high with eggs, bacon, sausage, maybe even a breakfast steak and a formidable stack of pancakes made with that ubiquitous box of handy biscuit mix. A bottle of maple-flavored syrup and a stick of butter (or tub of margarine) adorned the center of the table. A large glass of whole milk and a small glass of orange juice stood sentinel in front of every plate. A mother, coiffed and smiling, urged the family to finish the “nutritious” breakfast, that “most important meal of the day!” One has to wonder how Americans got the idea that bacon and pancakes for breakfast made for a healthy meal. And what about dinner? America’s “ideal” dinner in the 1950s and 1960s consisted of a large hunk of meat and a baked po- tato with butter and sour cream, along with a stack of packaged white bread and butter and possibly a small bowl of iceberg lettuce and a few carrot shreds on the side, or a few spoonfuls of overcooked, heavily salted, buttered vegetables. We all thought this sort of “home cooking” made us 2 The Mediterranean Diet strong and healthy, didn’t we? Not to mention, we got pretty accustomed to that comfort-food taste. So why on earth would we want to switch to unadorned, whole-grain cereal and fruit for breakfast, or salads and veg- etable soups for dinner, with (the horror!) no cream and butter to help them go down? Why would we want to eat whole-grain bread when the neat white stuff is so cheap and readily available (and presliced!)? And why would we give up that big dish of ice cream, slab of cake, or wedge of apple pie à la mode for dessert in favor of a bowl of fruit? Then again, why would we want to eat in a manner that has made America one of the leading countries in the num- ber of heart attacks per year? Surely Mom’s home cooking hasn’t been killing us off—or has it? The irony of the situation is that while 1950s Americans were happily downing forkfuls of high-fat, highly refined fare in enjoyment of their prosperity, at the same time in his- tory, the people living around the Mediterranean Sea, in re- gions less wealthy and with food budgets far lower, were eating what scientists and researchers have recently discov- ered is one of the healthiest ways to eat in the world. Today, as Americans struggle to retain or regain their coronary health, they are turning to the latest, cutting-edge research for guidance, and that research is pointing with increased frequency toward the traditional cuisines of the working class in the Mediterranean region as seen during the 1950s and 1960s and before. Sometimes, progress means looking backward—and, in this case, to another continent. The problem is, Americans love their food, and aren’t quick to adopt any program, guideline, or advice that takes them away from their beloved burgers and fries. But let’s give the traditional Mediterranean diet a second look. What is so special about the traditional Mediterranean diet? Why, for the past forty years or so, have researchers been excited about the traditional dietary habits of the people around the Mediterranean Sea? Aren’t eating habits from so many years Introduction 3 ago outmoded today, when so many cutting-edge food prod- ucts line our supermarket shelves? Isn’t progress the name of the game? Those frozen dinners don’t taste too bad... First, let’s look at how Americans have developed their ideas about nutrition and what makes for a healthy meal. Without an understanding of how our own preconceptions developed, a change in diet probably won’t be effective. Why do we eat what we eat? And how do we know what to eat now? What does the research say? j THE GOLDEN AGE OF NUTRITION In the early part of the twentieth century, nutrition science was in its infancy but growing fast. Many exciting and significant advances in nutritional knowledge were made be- tween 1910 and 1960, particularly the discovery of specific nutrients and their biochemical relationship to human health. What was required to maintain health and support growth and reproduction? And what would happen when certain nutrients were missing? These were the questions that concerned nutrition scientists of the day. During this period, scientists learned that without vitamin C, people develop scurvy; without vitamin A, night blind- ness. Vitamin D deficiencies lead to rickets in children, thi- amin deficiencies to beriberi, niacin deficiencies to pellagra, and calcium deficiencies to stunted growth in children and osteoporosis later in life. Iron deficiencies lead to anemia, iodine deficiencies to goiter, and zinc deficiencies to growth failure in children. These conditions are classics in nutrition science today, and have all led to an understanding that a certain nutrient profile is necessary for health. The emphasis of research was on what might be missing from our diets that could compromise our health. One significant example of this research emphasis was the work of several British investigators, including Corey 4 The Mediterranean Diet Mann and Boyd Orr. In the first half of the twentieth century, these two researchers attempted to remedy the problem of why the working classes in northern England and Scot- land—the groups reproducing at a higher rate than the aris- tocracy—seemed to be getting shorter and thinner. The government of Great Britain was concerned. Prominent was the notion that the “lower” classes were simply genetically inferior, but how could Britain compete in an increasingly global world as a colonial power if their very genetic stock was degenerating? Was there anything they could do to re- store the working class? Was the answer within the realm of human control? Mann and Orr embarked on an investigation to determine whether anything could be done to induce growth in short children. Sure enough, the results of feeding studies using short children as subjects revealed that feeding butter and sugar induced weight gain but no height increase; children fed milk or meat supplements, on the other hand, grew taller. The British working class wasn’t genetically lacking—it was malnourished! Public policy began to evolve in con- junction with farmers and social activists to provide milk in schools, milk and orange juice to pregnant and nursing mothers, and, once World War II began, milk and meat ra- tions equally to all classes. Food production became a major priority for many nations, not just Great Britain. “Avoid deficiencies” was the battle cry. Once the war hit and the possibility arose that the enemy might be able to prohibit the importation of food, food production and rationing took on an even greater importance. Great Britain’s agricultural policy shifted to emphasize the production of milk and meat to ensure the welfare of children, the “nation’s future.” Agricultural autonomy became a matter of national survival as well as national pride. Unfor- tunately, this meant that much of the farmland that was used to grow crops such as oats, flax, and winter wheat were cleared to support the increasing meat and dairy industry. Introduction� 5 j POSTWAR NUTRITIONAL PRIORITIES Since World War II, efficient food production has been the order of the day for developed countries all over the world. Science applied to farming methods in the form of pesticides, fertilizers, growth regulators, and genetic selection has re- sulted in higher yields from crops, more efficient production of livestock and dairy herds, and agricultural policies that distinguish farmers from all other business industries. Farm- ing became big business—ultra-efficient and a major money- maker, too. The second major development since the war was in the area of food processing. Processed food—in cans, in dried form, and otherwise packaged for our convenience—is a rel- atively new phenomenon. Packaged food, often enriched, seemed to be a cheap and efficient way to feed the masses. Because the current climate emphasized the need for calo- ries and the inclusion of all the required micronutrients (to prevent stunted growth, for example, or a range of other health problems), the food industry’s invention and production of ready-made foods seemed to represent a revolution in nutrition.

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