Best Way to Diet in 2019: Go Mediterranean, apparently!

[Windybob]

USA News has re-ranked the world's best diets according to their panel of nutritionists, and the Mediterranean Diet comes in at #1 overall!

Things I like about it from what I've read is that it's really more about diet adjustments rather than sticking to any strict regimes. That, and you're encouraged to drink a glass (but only one) of red wine with a meal.

There's a guide here which comes with a free printable shopping list (attached) and a bit more information.

Hardest part for me will be trying to eat more fish and seafood. It's something I usually do and am not the biggest fan of the stuff. Plus, it can be quite pricey.

Thoughts?

I do like the Mediterranean way of eating and as a family we loosely aspire to follow it although I don't always succeed! I particularly like the emphasis on everything in moderation and the fact that it allows/encourages the consumption of plenty of wholegrain carbs and healthy/unsaturated fats (2 things I really struggle with cutting out), as well as lots of fruit and veg. It helps that I really love fish so that part is great for me - which fish do you like/not like OP? Do you find fish hard to cook or is it purely the taste/price that's an issue? Oily fish are really important in this diet so I eat a lot of smoked salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines which are relatively cheap (I buy value smoked salmon trimmings and tinned sardines). I tend to have them for my lunch and then fish based dinners with white fish or salmon fillets or shellfish a few times a week...

However I do sometimes struggle with eating as many beans/pulses/legumes as you are meant to, particularly when cooking for the family - I think many UK children aren't in love with lentils etc, although it's perfectly possible to make them very tasty they don't feature heavily in a lot of the 'familiar' dishes- plus it makes us all gassy sorry TMI! So would really appreciate any thoughts anyone can offer on that front!

Also as I'm sure others will be along to point out, I don't think I would lose any or much weight purely by following the Mediterranean diet without either some kind of calorie restriction or cutting out carbs or fat, I suspect for many people this is the case...

Things like mackerel and sardines I quite dislike due to their strong taste: and those are the oily fish I should be going for!! Maybe I should try more salmon though as I don't mind that, especially if there is a value range for it. Salmon is always something I've considered quite pricey, but maybe that's an old misconception I have.

I think it's more that because I was never raised eating much fish, it's not something my pallet is used to. So maybe I should just try to push pass the prejudice and see how it goes.

Yeah, the guide I linked to also mentioned being on a definite calorie deficit to ensure you lose weight. But it does seem to stress physical activity too, which will help. But I think I'll struggle with is getting more activity in! I know "I don't have the time" is a poor excuse, but it does make things tricky if you're on a tight schedule. Guess I should just try harder!

With the pulses problem, I suppose eat what works best, and cut out what doesn't. Diet does seem quite flexible. But I'll let others chime in with their ideas on this, as I don't really have many! I'm sure there must be some way to make them less gassy, but might be a bit of work.