The trouble with eating healthfully is that it just costs too much, right? Sorry; that excuse just bit the dust. The Mediterranean diet — the world’s healthiest way of eating — isn’t the world’s easiest way to drain your wallet. That’s a fact confirmed by a recent Public Health Nutrition study.
This diet (and our YOU: Diet, which is the same thing tweaked for American and Canadian eating preferences), is full of ingredients, including seafood and olive oil, that you can spend quite a bit on if you choose to. But you also can slash the cost. And we mean at the supermarket, not just at the doctor’s office, although the savings there are huge, too. That’s because the Mediterranean diet’s ample produce, whole grains, fish and olive oil components are overflowing with vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals as well as good-for-you monounsaturated and omega-3 fats. These nutrients can fight diabetes, depression, metabolic syndrome, obesity and memory loss. And that’s just the beginning. The Mediterranean diet also can slash your risk of heart disease by 29 percent and stroke by 13 percent. What’s more, it can cut the odds of prostate, endometrial, pancreatic, breast and colon cancers by 10 percent to 25 percent, and help you live younger and longer with less disability.
So how do you get the savings? Use these rules:
1. Don’t always get fresh. In season, fresh fruits and veggies are a bargain. But out of season, it can seem cheaper to get a plane ticket and pick it yourself. Instead of bypassing off-season produce completely, hit the frozen food aisle, where the prices are a whole lot easier to swallow. You won’t sacrifice nutrition: Frozen fruits and vegetables are flash frozen right after they’re harvested. So they’re picked at the perfect point of ripeness, and lose fewer nutrients than their fresh counterparts that sat in a truck for a few days (and then for a couple more on store shelves). Another bonus: They don’t spoil, so there’s less waste (and less cleanup in your crisper drawer. Yes, we know what’s in there, even if you don’t).
2. Go fishing. You won’t find your average Mediterranean chowing down on a double cheeseburger. When it comes to protein, our Mediterranean friends often favor fish, loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fats. If nothing’s on sale at the fish counter, go to the canned aisle for tuna, salmon and sardines. They’re often overage of the fresh catch, packed with omega-3s that keep your arteries, joints and brain in good shape for a fraction of the cost of fresh fish.
3. Load up on legumes. Fish isn’t the only lean protein Mediterraneans favor. The other is beans. In fact, a bean- and vegetable-heavy diet may be responsible for the low rates of breast and prostate cancer in Mediterranean countries. While canned beans are a bargain, dried — for as little as 15 cents a serving — are a steal.
4. Be a sale sleuth. What do canned tomatoes, whole oats, quinoa, frozen veggies and whole-grain pasta all have in common? Stores love to put them on sale. Scout out your supermarket circular and stock up whenever they’re on special.
5. Don’t forget the vino. One of the best parts of the Med diet is a little red wine every night. That’s one daily glass for women and two for guys. Rich in health-promoting polyphenols, red wine keeps your heart healthy by zapping inflammation and also by thinning your blood so it’s less likely to clot. But that doesn’t mean you can only pop the cork on a fine bottle of cabernet. A more reasonably priced chianti or beaujolais will do the trick, too. Salud!
The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of “YOU: On a Diet.” Want more? See “The Dr. Oz Show” on TV (check local listings). To submit questions, visit realage.com.
