What’s the First Stop on Your Mediterranean (Diet) Holiday?

Ah, summer!

In Massachusetts, one of the pleasures of the coming season is the abundance of local, delicious, fresh and healthy foods—blueberries, strawberries, snow peas, lettuce, kale, rhubarb, spinach, corn, peaches and so much more. For those seeking the health benefits of the popular Mediterranean Diet, there’s no need to jet to Athens. A Metrowest staycation, filled with visits to local Farmers Markets to buy staples for this meal plan, can build fun family memories, too.

Why enjoy the pleasures of the Mediterranean Diet from your Framingham kitchen? This natural, wholesome mix of foods like fresh vegetables, fruit, fresh fish, whole grains, legumes, and olive oil has been linked to many powerful health benefits. Research indicates that it may help prevent heart attacks, and stave off cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease and even depression.

Why does saturating this diet with locally grown foods makes it even healthier? Fresher and riper food is not only bursting with more flavor; when these treats are ready to eat, they are particularly concentrated with disease-fighting vitamins and minerals. Moreover, our bodies often react best to foods from local soil—which is why “local honey,” for example, can be more therapeutic for some individuals when it’s from Massachusetts as opposed to California.

Are you ready to combine the best of Metrowest Boston with the best of the Mediterranean region? Whether you’re packing a picnic lunch, hosting friends for appetizers on the deck, or planning a July 4 barbecue with a Mediterranean twist, here are some tips to send you cruising toward healthier eating.

• Make visits to local farmers markets your new summer adventure! FarmersMarketOnline can become your new “travel planner,” giving you information on our own Framingham Farmers Market and those in nearby towns like Ashland, Natick, Wayland and Westborough.
• Combine the best of our local summer vegetables—lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, broccoli or asparagus—with olive oil, a Mediterranean Diet staple. Add one to two teaspoons of olive oil (with lemon for a dressing) every day to your salad, or on steamed vegetables, or in place of butter. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat which may help regulate your cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Dive into the fresh peaches or locally grown blueberries that our summers are famous for. Your diet should include 1.5 cups of fruit every day to improve digestion.
• Are you bringing a picnic to a Framingham Summer Concert on the Village Green? Include a grain-based side dish, such as couscous, and load it with diced local vegetables in a variety of colors.
• Do you love summer barbecues? Get plenty of Omega-3 (heart-healthy) oils by grilling fattier fishes, like salmon or tuna. Add them to your salads, or have salmon for dinner with rice and vegetables. Enjoy fish (grilled, broiled or baked) twice a week or take a daily fish oil supplement providing 1,100-1,600 milligrams of Omega-3.
• Give your breakfast a local flavor, too. Add vegetables and olive oil to your scrambled eggs, cooked on the stovetop or your microwave. Rushing out the door? Don’t forget a piece of fruit to eat on the train.
• Incorporate other healthy fats from avocado, nuts, and seeds. (Watch portions, though.)
• Are you looking to lose those last few pounds before you put on a bathing suit? Eating staples from the Mediterranean Diet, such as vegetables, will give you a chance to shed it deliciously. Depending on your food choices, preparation methods (such as steaming), and portion sizes, meals based on the Mediterranean Diet will have fewer calories, less salt and added sugar, more fiber, and less saturated/trans fat than traditional meals without sacrificing flavor.
• If your summer isn’t complete without weekly (or more) trips for ice cream, sip homemade smoothies on your porch instead! Here is a Berry Protein Shake recipe (yielding one serving) taking advantage of our bountiful harvest of summer fruits: Combine these ingredients in a blender and puree thoroughly until smooth: 12 oz. water; ½ cup frozen berries (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry); ¼ cup fresh or frozen banana; ¼ cup fresh or frozen kale or spinach; 1 tablespoon avocado or flaxseed powder; 1 scoop protein powder; and 1 tablespoon fiber powder.

Yes—it would be great to spend the summer in Greece, but the Mediterranean Sea does not have to be lapping at your feet for a wonderful vacation. Visit the region’s Farmers Markets for a healthy, fun-filled, summer experience to savor.

Cindy Crowninshield, RDN, LDN, HHC is a licensed registered dietitian and nutrition educator in private practice in Ashland, MA. Cindy teaches individuals about the nutrition connection to symptoms and health issues. She empowers patients of all ages to organize themselves in health and wellness through a whole foods approach and making healthy lifestyle changes—using highly individualized nutrition plans. Visit www.CindyCrowninshield.com for more information.