The month of May is one of our favorite months! The warm weather arrives, birds start chirping, kids play outside, and we can’t help but feel happy and healthy. Another great aspect of May? It’s the Mediterranean Diet Month! We love the Med Diet and some of its staples like olive oil and hummus. The Med Diet really show us how cooking can be simple, super delicious, and provide us with energy the natural way! So we’re gonna share a few great things about it this month.
If you haven’t jumped on the Med Diet band wagon, it’s time to get on board! We’ve got some simple switches you can make everyday when you cook and when you eat to decrease calorie and fat intake while increasing your Med Diet lifestyle habits:
Swap Out: |
Try Instead: |
|
SEASONINGS – |
salt |
dried and fresh herbs |
VEGGIES – |
boiling |
steamed, roasted |
PROTEIN – |
beef |
fish |
FATS – |
butter |
olive oil |
SALAD – |
iceberg |
arugula |
SPREAD – |
mayo |
hummus |
GRAIN – |
white rice |
quinoa |
With these simple switches you can become a pro at the Med Diet in just a few meals!
One of our most favorite aspects of the Med Diet is hummus! Hummus on whole grain crackers, on veggies, on sandwiches, anything hummus works for us! Best part? We think homemade hummus is always better than store bought, and its super easy to make!
Hummus by the Twins
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup of water
- ½ can artichoke hearts
- 2 tbsp of sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- ½ cup of roasted red pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp canned chipotle chilies, diced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Blend all ingredients together, except the water, in a food processor until smooth. Add water until hummus is the consistency you desire. Enjoy!
Makes 20 servings, Each 2 tablespoon serving has 60 calories, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and 100 milligrams of sodium.
Love pizza? Try this Mediterranean Pita Pizza!
How can you transform your cooking style and diet to fit the Med Diet?