Happy New Year!

As the New Year approaches, the word "resolution" always seems to comes up. The idea of making a change in the New Year definitely resonates with people! 

The New York Times gives some great advice on helping you keep your resolutions for the New Year -- Pick the Right Resolution: You’ll give yourself the best shot at success if you set a goal that’s doable — and meaningful too.

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/smarterliving/resolution-ideas 

Last year around the beginning of 2022, I received a nice note from a customer  Madison WI customer named Tony. In Tony’s note, he told me about making a New Year's resolution the year before to create a healthier lifestyle for himself and his family. 

During Covid, Tony gained 20 lbs and so did his wife. They were feeling pretty awful. Instead of going on a fad diet, Tony asked a doctor friend for some advice on a sustainable eating plan for his whole family. His friend suggested to start following the Mayo Clinic approved Mediterranean Diet, and to take the family for a walk with the dogs every day. His Mom gave him her Mediterranean Diet Book from 2008, and they both ended up feeling healthier, happier and more than 20 lbs lighter.     

In Tony's note, he thanked us for making his family meal preparation easier. Tony’s Mom introduced Tony to Salad Girl’s Crisp Apple Maple when he was in high school. He and his wife, both working artists in their 30’s with little kids and dogs, liked the simple, healthy convenience of using Salad Girl’s Mediterranean-style vinaigrettes on salads and for marinating seafood and chicken. Their favorites are the Citrus Splash, Lemony Herb, and our Pomegranate Pear Vinaigrettes -- definitely Mediterranean flavors and on the Mediterranean meal plan! 

Tony talked about the ease of getting and staying healthy by preparing the simple Mediterranean plan meals, filled with healthy foods that really do taste good. All of the ingredients on the Mediterranean diet are always available in his Wisconsin Co-op year round. 

His lovely note made me so proud, and it got me thinking how sensible, smart, and helpful the Mediterranean plan really is, especially for folks who are tired of drastic weight loss measures and just wanna find a way to eat healthy and stay healthy.

So, I did a little research and found the Mediterranean book Tony mentioned and added a couple of my own picks:

•  The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners: Meal Plans, Expert Guidance, and 100 Recipes to Get You Started by Elena Paravantes RDN, Dec 2020.
• Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food by Sheela Prakash, Sept 1, 2020.
• Tony’s Mom's pick: The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: A Delicious Alternative for Lifelong, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Dec 2008.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins writes “The Mediterranean diet is a delicious and sustainable way to live and eat full of the flavorful foods we have eaten when on vacation in Greece, Spain, France, Southern Italy, Turkey, Morocco." 

The word “diet” in Greek means “way of living.” 

So, back to resolutions: I am resolving to follow Tony’s journey with Jenkins. Since I can't afford to travel to Greece, Spain, Southern Italy, and Morocco, I will vicariously take this culinary journey right here in the Midwest by incorporating the colors and flavors of the Mediterranean right here in my own kitchen. I will be devoting 2 or 3 recipes a month to Cooking and Eating Midwest Mediterranean Style!  Come along, follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 

So what does Midwest Mediterranean Style mean? 

• Little to no processed foods
• High intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and whole grains.
• Using Organic Monounsaturated High Oleic oil like organic high oleic sunflower oil, organic olive oil, organic canola oil 
• Moderately high intake of fish-grilled, baked or roasted
• Low to moderate intake of dairy (mostly in the form of yogurt or goat cheese)
• Low intake of meat and poultry
• A low intake of refined white sugar
• Regular but moderate intake of red wine, generally during meals (I don’t, but Jim does!)
• Exercise that is doable, like Tony’s family walks :)

 Let's eat healthier together in 2023!