What’s so great about Mediterranean diet?

Healthful eating is important at any age to lower the risk of obesity and keep the heart and everything else inside the body functioning well. This becomes especially crucial later in life, because good nutrition helps reduce the risk of chronic conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

Being smart about what you eat also can affect your mood no matter your age — ultra-processed foods that include hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup, for instance, can increase the risk of depression — and some studies even suggest that healthy eating patterns can help delay or prevent developing dementia as we get older.

One way to improve your health while also eating some really wonderful foods, said Natalie Bruner, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with St. Clair Health, is to follow the Mediterranean style of eating.

Often referred to as the Mediterranean diet, it’s not so much a “diet” in the traditional sense, which is often defined by a bunch of hard-and-fast rules such as calorie counting and macro-tracking what you put in your mouth each day. Eating Mediterranean style is more of a lifestyle.

Patterned around the foods eaten by people who live in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea — think Italy, Greece, Spain and Northern Africa — it puts a daily emphasis on plant-based dishes and heart-healthy, unsaturated fats such as olive oil instead the refined or hydrogenated oils that are so common in fast food meals and snack foods.

The diet also emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods such as beans, seeds and legumes, antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, and moderate portions of lean protein like chicken and seafood, with only the occasional serving of red meat.

Fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, is especially key since it can help reduce inflammation and pain caused by arthritis, which is common in seniors, as well as improve cholesterol levels.

“It’s not a diet that’s restrictive,” Bruner said. “You’re eating everything that’s good for you, which is great.”

Dietitians and nutritionists generally don’t like to characterize food as “good” or “bad” because that can lead to restrictive behaviors, she said. Yet multiple studies have shown that those who follow the Mediterranean diet have better cognitive function and brain health in old age, she said.

Because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and its effectiveness at preventing obesity, there also are a lot of heart health benefits, along with the prevention and progression of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with lifestyle and diet.

For instance, according to a 2023 study in the medical journal Heart, women who follow a Mediterranean diet more closely than others had a 24 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease. They also had a 23 percent lower risk of mortality.

So what’s the best way to get started?

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, one of the easiest ways to get the naturally occurring polyphenols that help control blood pressure and blood sugar levels — and fight infection that can lead to chronic disease — onto the plate is to incorporate the “colors of the rainbow.” Because different fruits and vegetables contain different nutrients, “if you restrict one thing, you might be deficient in another,” Bruner said. The more variety, the better chance you’ll get all the dietary micronutrients you need.

If you’re a picky eater, try to incorporate something you’ve never had before each week, and also don’t be afraid to give another try to something you think you dislike. “Sometimes it takes our bodies multiple times of being exposed to something before we like it,” she said.

We also tend to lose our savory taste buds as we age, with sweet being the last to go, which is why a lot of older adults crave sweet and sugary items like candy and ice cream instead of foods marked by herbs and spices.

“It’s just the way we taste foods as we age,” Bruner said.

Encouraging an array of fruits, which tend to be both lower in calories and higher in fiber, can help satisfy those cravings.

Healthy proteins are another concern. The need for protein increases as we age to maintain lean muscle mass, yet it’s something a lot of older adults lack. “What they really want is refined carbs, which is opposite of what our bodies need,” she said.

If you don’t care for fatty, cold water (and good-for-you) fish like salmon, trout or tuna, choose a skinless, lean poultry like chicken or turkey and then reach beyond the salt shaker into your spice cabinet to make it sing. Potent flavorings like cloves, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and turmeric not only please waning taste buds with intense flavor but add a punch of antioxidants.

Remember, too, that grains, beans and lentils can play a starring role when it comes to adding protein to plant-forward salads, sides and main dishes. They’re also often cheaper than chicken or fish.

“The overarching theme is incorporating whole foods and cutting back on ultra-processed foods,” Bruner said.

Cutting back on stress and staying active also help to keep people healthy into old age in large numbers, so be sure to move on a daily basis.

Above all, set small goals, especially if you’re used to following an ultra-processed diet.

“You are not going to make these changes all at once,” Bruner said. “But making small changes can help you substantially follow a healthy lifestyle.”

Salmon, Avocado, Grapefruit and Watercress Salad

Serves 4 to 6. “More Mediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes” by America’s Test Kitchen (2022)

1 pound skin-on salmon, 1-inch thick

1 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

¾ teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 red grapefruits

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 ounces (4 cups) watercress, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted and sliced ¼-inch thick

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn

¼ cup salted almonds, toasted and chopped

Adjust oven rack to lowest possible position. Place foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on rack and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels, rub with 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Reduce oven to 275 degrees.

Carefully place salmon skin side down on prepared sheet. Roast until center is still translucent when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 6 to 8 minutes. Let salmon cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Flake salmon into large, 2-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, cut away peel and pith from grapefruits. Holding fruit over bowl, using paring knife to slice between membranes to release segment. Measure out 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice and transfer to separate bowl.

Whisk shallot, vinegar, mustard and remaining ½ teaspoon salt into grapefruit juice. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Arrange watercress in an even layer on platter. Arrange salmon pieces, grapefruit segments and avocado on top of watercress.

Drizzle dressing over top, then sprinkle with mint and hazelnuts. Serve.

Turkey Meatballs With Lemony Brown Rice and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Serves 4. “More Mediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes” by America’s Test Kitchen (2022)

1 slice hearty sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces

1 large egg

4 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin, divided

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided, plus 2 tablespoons juice

½ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 pound ground turkey

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and sliced thin

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pulse bread in food processor to fine crumbs, 10 to 15 pulses; transfer to large bowl.

Stir in egg, 3 tablespoons scallion greens, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add turkey and gently knead with your hands until mixture is combined.

Using lightly moistened hands, pinch off and roll turkey mixture into heaping 1-tablespoon-size meatballs and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. (You should get 20 meatballs.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Stir rice into fat left in skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until edges of rice begin to turn translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in scallion whites and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, remaining ½ teaspoon lemon zest and lemon juice and bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Return meatballs to skillet and add any accumulated juices. Cover and cook until rice is tender and meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Take off heat, scatter tomatoes over rice and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan, remaining scallion greens and remaining parsley. Serve.