By Luisa Siniscalchi
The Mediterranean diet encourages nutritious foods like vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains while limiting processed ingredients and added sugar. Following a healthy Mediterranean diet can help increase weight loss, enhance heart health, reduce inflammation, and protect against type 2 diabetes. Get started on a Mediterranean way of eating with these tips:
Eat lots of vegetables.
Eliminate fast and processed foods
Eat seafood at least twice a week.
Use healthy fats (extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, olives, avocados).
Avoid sugary beverages and sweets, drink water and eat fruit instead.
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
- 1 zucchini, sliced 1/8 inch and quartered
- 1 summer squash sliced 1/8 inch and quartered
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 bell peppers (red, yellow, green, or orange), sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4-5 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Juice of ½ of a lemon (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Put all cut vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
- Add olive oil, garlic, thyme, oregano, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- On 2 baking sheets spread the vegetables out in an even layer.
- Cook the vegetables for 30 to 35 minutes or until they are soft.
