Alright. So now you’ve really adapted into the Mediterranean diet, what’s next? Well, you’re going to need several kitchen tools to help you prepare the Mediterranean-style recipes as close to the originals as you possibly can.
In the 60+ years the Mediterranean diet has been a household name, a lot of people are now aware that it is probably one of the healthiest ways of eating food. Some people go as far as calling it the Mediterranean lifestyle, because it’s more than just a diet pattern like those other fad diets that can feel restrictive and short-lived – it’s a lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet places an emphasis on being wholesome, sensible, and sustainable. And you can transition into this diet plan for the rest of your life.
Okay, yes, I admit while I used some flowery words to describe what the Mediterranean diet is, it doesn’t quiet tell you exactly how to begin. So I feel like I owe you an apology and to make up for that flashy introduction, let me get straight to the point. The concept is simple: to heavily reduce the intake of sodium, sugar, and artificial additives, and eventually become more health-conscious when it comes to food consumption. Beyond what you’re putting on your plate, there’s plenty of cookbooks, kitchen tools, and more to help you on your culinary adventure.
Here are 10 kitchen tools to prepare the best Mediterranean diet recipes:
1.) A New Recipe Book for Inspired Cooking
The first of the kitchen tools you’ll need in order to begin eating Mediterranean-style foods is a recipe book (or several) about it. We could recommend to you our Blog section; however, we figured that there’s already hundreds of websites that talk about Mediterranean diet recipes, so we took a different approach in talking about the Mediterranean lifestyle. Of course, there are hundreds of books that you can find on Amazon and other sites, but you can also find interesting recipes from blogs that talk about Mediterranean diet recipes.
2.) Olive Oil
About 90% of all traditional Mediterranean diets are cooked using extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). There have been numerous studies that suggest olive oil can reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, and it’s probably due to its rich antioxidant content as well as the healthy monounsaturated fats it contains. There’s also a lot of thing you can do with the olive oil and they include marinating seafood, making salad dressings, and topping dips like baba ganoush. A healthy drizzle of EVOO is never a bad idea on this diet.
3.) One of the Trusty Kitchen Tools is called the Blender
It would be difficult to prepare Mediterranean diet recipes without a quality blender. It’s useful for making a making a fruit-filled smoothie for breakfast or some creamy hummus as a snack, or any other Mediterranean diet recipe that requires its use. You can also use it to chop vegetables to include them in sauces and side dips. Using the best kitchen tools to prepare Mediterranean-style foods will make cooking easy and you’ll enjoy your food, because you didn’t have to put so much effort in preparing them.
4.) Red Wine
Well, red wine may not be classified as one of the kitchen tools that you need to make Mediterranean diet dishes, but you do need it nevertheless. It is now a known fact that the reason why there are more people following the Mediterranean diet is because it allows for moderate wine drinking. In some parts of Europe like Italy and Greece, you will see people commonly drink red wine like you drink water. However, they don’t gulp down on it, no, they key to their long life is in moderation. This diet recommends men to drink 1 – 2 glasses a day, while only 1 glass a day ought to be enough for women. If you’re already a regular drinker or someone who takes more than they should, then you should probably consider what the Mediterranean diet recommends and reduce your taste for liquor.
5.) Garlic Mincing Tool
There are many essential kitchen tools for the Mediterranean diet, but this one is a must-have because of its ability to provide robust flavor along with fresh herbs, citrus, and spices. Garlic is known for its health and medicinal benefits since the ancient times, and new studies even suggest that it can also help reduce CVD (cardiovascular diseases) risks and improve your immune system. I know it’s tedious mincing garlic to put into your food, but you’re going to have to get used to it because you’re going to eat it daily with this diet, whether raw or cooked. Minced garlic is used to make salads, dips, and snacks. With this garlic mincing tool you can easily make dishes that require minced garlic as one of their ingredients.
6.) Seafood, Chicken, and other White Meats
Being seafarer civilizations, the countries that lie in the Mediterranean basin would often have fresh seafood supply on a daily basis. This diet places a big emphasis on eating fish like salmon, blue and albacore tuna, mackerel, and even sardines and anchovies. These types of fish are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids – it’s a special kind of fat that the body needs, because it cannot produce it on its own. In the food hierarchy of the Mediterranean diet, plants are placed on the top position, while fish and seafood are in second place, and poultry, eggs and dairy are on the bottom position.
7.) Citrus Juicer
Another handy kitchen tools is the citrus juicer and since you’ll need a significant amount of citrus juice for all your Mediterranean diet recipes, then you’ll definitely need one in your kitchen. Of course, there are dozens of different brands and models of a citrus juicer, but pick one that’s the most efficient when it comes to extracting the juice from the citrus fruits. Whether you’re whipping up salad dressing or infusing your fish with the juice and zest, a well-made citrus juicer can become your secret weapon in preparing the best Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
8.) Air Fryer
Eating healthier food is your primary directive when you follow the Mediterranean diet and the air fryer is certainly one of the kitchen tools that can make that happen. With the air fryer, you’ll be able to make vegetables and lean proteins that are healthy, full of flavor, and easy to prepare. You can cook a variety of foods with the air fryer including tender chicken breast, zucchini and acorn squash delicious snacks such as crispy chickpeas and roasted almonds (these snacks are a great source of vitamin E and calcium). Oh! And don’t forget to add some olive oil when you fry foods, as EVOO is still important when frying foods even in a cutting-edge device as an air fryer.
9.) Olive Pitter
If you’ve guessed that olive oil comes from the olive fruit, then congratulations – you’re right! There are plenty of Mediterranean dishes that require this fruit as an ingredient, so you definitely by this from the grocery. The olive fruit and olive oil both share anti-inflammatory properties and are rich in healthy unsaturated fats (obviously), which have been proven to lower CVD (cardiovascular diseases) risks as well as bad cholesterol levels. You can enjoy eating olives as snacks together with some fruits and nuts, or also enjoy them in salads.
10.) Plenty of Flavorful Seasonings
Since salt and other artificial seasonings are banned in the Mediterranean diet, you’ll need to stock up your pantry with a few seasonings that source their inspiration from Greece, Sicily, and Italy. The sodium in your salt can speed up the process of you developing CVD and you don’t want that, do you? Meanwhile, artificial seasonings are also loaded with chemicals that will basically make you unhealthy – only the recommended Mediterranean herbs and spices ought to be found in your pantry.
You can read more about Avalon Pockets Menu: Best Mediterranean Spices and Herbs
To find out what kinds of herbs and spices to buy.
One Response
Thanks for sharing this!