How to Use the Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid

The Mediterranean diet is based on a Grecian diet, specifically the food that natives of Crete, Greece and Southern Italy consume. It is a diet that places an emphasis on fresh fruit, plant foods, olive oil and dairy products, and has been known to prevent strokes and heart disease among other things. The Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid serves as a guide to show which foods to eat to stay within the diet plan.

Instructions

How to Use the Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid

• 1

  Eat eight servings of grains a day, such as rice, potatoes and bread . The Mediterranean diet emphasizes this in the pyramid. Cheese and yogurt should also be consumed daily.

• 2

  Enjoy three servings of fruit and six servings of vegetables a day. Beans, legumes and nuts are also an important part of the diet, and should be included in the diet every day.

• 3

  Consume olive oil daily, whether it is through cooking or served over salad or fresh vegetables. This is where most of the fat in the diet comes from, but it is a healthier monounsaturated fat.

• 4

  Eat meat or "soy meat" weekly. It is recommended to eat fish almost daily, but red meat is only allowed once a week at the most. Consumption of red meat once a month is ideal. Eggs should also be included in the diet, but on a more sparing basis; weekly instead of daily.

• 5

  Drink wine daily, but in moderation. One following the diet should drink no more than 1 to 2 glasses of wine a day. Also, it is important to drink six glasses of water a day.

• 6

  The diet pyramid includes sweets, but consume them in moderation. The Mediterranean Diet allows sweets weekly, but not daily.