May is International Mediterranean Diet Month – the perfect time to implement changes in your eating habits.

One benefit of the Mediterranean regimen: you’ll consume foods that contain healthy fats and less cholesterol, such as monounsaturated fats like olive and canola oils and polyunsaturated fats, which are found in corn oil and flaxseed. The diet features simple, easily found foods including fish, shellfish, high-fiber whole grains, beans, lentils, legumes, vegetables, fruit and Greek yogurt.

Practical tips to implement this way of eating:

• Always eat breakfast. Fiber-rich foods such as whole grains and protein such as Greek yogurt fill you and help sustain you longer than sugary, empty-calorie breakfasts.
• Make meat less of a main attraction by adding it as protein to grains or vegetables.
• Eat seafood twice a week, selecting omega-3 fatty and acid-rich sources such as salmon and tuna.
• Cook a vegetarian meal one night a week. Build your meal around beans, whole grains and vegetables.
• Eat lots of fresh veggies in different forms – cooked or eaten at the peak of freshness.
• Feature the healthy fats in your meals: avocado, nuts, olives, sesame seeds and the preferred oils.

You‘ll be eating the Mediterranean way in no time!

-sl (Sara Lopinski is a registered dietitian for SIU School of Medicine)