“Eliminate carbs!” “Fruit is full of sugar!” “Cleanse your liver with olive oil!” How much dieting tips can one stressed out human take? Yet, here comes one diet that has been widely approved by doctors and that’s bringing with its name the ocean breeze and sunny warmth. Yes, we are talking the Mediterranean diet. You might have noticed it has been all over the news lately, due to yet another set of studies proving it’s good for your heart, bones and brain. In the world where stories of new “revolutionary” (most of them, sadly, fad) diets pop up one after another, Mediterranean system of nutrition has been steadily accumulating evidence of its efficiency, be it seniors or young people.

Here are five steps to introduce Mediterranean diet meal plan in your lifestyle:

1) Make your cooking simple and plant-based with a focus on whole grains, legumes and seeds. This means, you can still have your pasta, pizza and toasts, just make sure they are whole wheat! 

2) Add fresh fruit and vegetables to each serving of food. This nutritional advice hasn’t changed in the past hundred years or so, but sometimes it’s easy to forget the most basic things. Off you go to your local market! A Mediterranean diet recipe may look as easy as a simple Greek salad! 

3) Don’t be afraid of fats - by fats we mean the healthy ones found in vegetable oils, avocados and nuts.

4) Cheese is good for you! Whether it’s feta or gruyere, you’re free to have up to two servings a day. Sorry, American cheese and Mini Babybells are a no-no.

5) Be very particular about meat and fish. Fish gets a 100% green light, as does lean non-red meat. Eggs are OK 3-4 times a week. Red meat should be reduced to 4 servings a month. This last suggestion might be tricky for all you vegan and vegetarian fine fellows, so our first and most important advice is go see a good doctor to figure out some healthy plant-based alternatives.

The one downside of this diet is, it might come at a high price to your budget. These days it’s unfortunately cheaper to buy a double cheeseburger than a load of fresh produce for one meal. We at Elimento believe that good nutritious food should never be expensive. So while we can’t help you with mozzarella or fresh olives, our pantry section - with organic olive and nut oils, organic raw nuts, seeds, beans and whole grain flours - is super affordable.

We've picked these 10 foods under $10 for Mediterranean diet food list.

Everland Organic Sunflower Seeds

Elimento Organic Long Brown Rice

Everland Organic Whole Wheat Flour

Everland Natural Avocado Oil

Everland Organic Red Quinoa

Everland Black Mission Figs

Everland Organic Red Wine Vinegar

New World Untoasted Almond Butter

Everland Organic Tomato Pasta Sauce

Everland Organic Rolled Oats