legumes – Mediterranean Diet https://www.mediterraneandiet.com Original Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle Sun, 26 May 2024 12:30:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.8 Legumes, one of the most important foods of the Mediterranean Diet https://www.mediterraneandiet.com/2013/01/09/legumes-one-of-the-most-important-foods-of-the-mediterranean-diet/ https://www.mediterraneandiet.com/2013/01/09/legumes-one-of-the-most-important-foods-of-the-mediterranean-diet/#respond Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:06:57 +0000 http://www.mediterraneandiet.com/?p=2164 … Continue reading →]]> Updated on March 14, 2017


March 14, 2017
Best legumes and grain can replace meat and other sources of proteins.
Posted by Updated on March 14, 2017

Collage with the best types of legumes

Let’s return to the best legumes!

A few days ago, we talked about how the economic crisis is making some people return to the Mediterranean Diet. Not everybody agrees with this assertion. The reason is that this lifestyle is considered elitist, select, expensive or sumptuous.

The healthy legumes are between the most popular and cheapest food in the Mediterranean region, Not very long ago, legumes were the main dishes and sometimes the only dish. Life depended on a healthy pot of legumes… and on what your budget and your health allowed you to add to the pot.



Thousands of years ago, when meat, eggs and even fish was scarce, man learned that an adequate combination of legumes and grain could replace the missing food. They did not know much about nutrition, but this was an instinctive way to add the eight (or nine in case of children) essential amino acids to the diet.

Lentils with rice and baked beans on toast are two of the most known and consumed Vegan food combinations. The first one comes from the Mediterranean culture and the second, from the Anglo-Saxon one. And there are hundreds more coming from all over the world. They include many species and varieties of legumes as peas, soy, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts, etc., combined with the regional grains as corn, wheat, barley, oat, rye, quinoa, etc. Concerning cereals there are two big cultures in the world: the Wheat Culture and the Corn Culture.

Fruit and vegetables

On the other hand, fresh vegetables and fruit are very cheap in many city markets, flea markets or even supermarkets. The price of this food products have dropped with the crisis, while manufactured goods have at least maintained their prices. Approximately, the same happens to other vegetal products as potatoes, sweet potatoes and so on.

It is true that beef continue being expensive, but it was not a very frequent food in the original Mediterranean Diet. Even any meat was not a daily dish. Anyway, chicken is not only the healthier possible meat but the cheapest one. A serving of grilled chicken breast is much convenient and cheaper than a hamburger.

By the way, do not forget the small Mediterranean fish like sardines, mackerel, anchovies…



]]> https://www.mediterraneandiet.com/2013/01/09/legumes-one-of-the-most-important-foods-of-the-mediterranean-diet/feed/ 0 Drastic reduction of legumes in mediterranean countries https://www.mediterraneandiet.com/2011/12/08/drastic-reduction-of-legumes-in-mediterranean-countries/ https://www.mediterraneandiet.com/2011/12/08/drastic-reduction-of-legumes-in-mediterranean-countries/#respond Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:58:45 +0000 http://www.mediterraneandiet.com/?p=1815 … Continue reading →]]> Updated on March 20, 2017


March 20, 2017
Drastic reduction of legumes in mediterranean countries
Posted by Updated on March 20, 2017

A delicious dish of beans from Asturias (Spain)

Alubias cocidas

In the decade of 1960, every Mediterranean citizen used to eat about 44 pounds of legumes every year. Today, this quantity is about 7 pounds. The reason is the lack of time to prepare and cook them. They have been replaced by different types of fast food and processed foodstuffs.

Many of the products that Mediterranean people consume today are not particularly healthy. The weaker health regulations of these countries are converting them in real heavens for the food industry, a powerful sector with strong restrictions in more advanced health prevention countries.




A solution can be found in the so called “Range V foods”. The meaning of this expression is explained below.

It has been studied that the two people drives of today’s informed consumers are health and user-friendliness. For this purpose, food has been classified in six different types:

Range I. Fresh food as it comes from the origin. Except for fruits, they are difficult to handle. In general, they are extremely healthy.

Range II. It consists of conserved and semi-conserved foods, as tinned pineapple, etc. They are easy to handle but less healthy. They can be used occasionally, but not every day. Nevertheless, you can find excellent products in this range.

Range III. They are frozen products. They normally are raw and healthy, but are also difficult to handle.

Range IV. They are generally fresh fruit and vegetable foods, clean, sliced and free from inedible parts. They are kept inside a flexible plastic transparent bag. Consumers should check, before purchasing these products, that there are no air pockets in vacuum packing. In some cases, they are refrigerated. They can be considered healthy but have to be cooked.

Range V. They are modern prepared dishes, ready to eat after a short period of regeneration (normally heating). Their characteristics are to have been submitted to thermal treatment and kept in a controlled atmosphere. They are or should be free of preserves and additives. They are supposed to be healthy and are especially handy. It is commonly accepted that the Range V food represents the future.

The cons are that the price is higher than the rest of food types and that people have to develop an ability to choose the right ones in content, health safety and properties.

Range VI. This last section contains textured and irradiated food. They probably will be discontinued as the idea has been a complete failure. The process changes the color, taste, smell and texture of the food.



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