Help Mom Live a Long, Healthy  Life with the Mediterranean Diet (and These Delicious Recipes)–By Amy Riolo

May is Mediterranean Diet Month, and with Mother’s Day just around the corner, most of us are busy planning the perfect present for Mom. The usual gifts of flowers and cards are nice ideas, but the greatest gift you could give your mother is helping her achieve lasting health.  The best way to show love to your mother on Mother’s Day is by making a meaningful contribution to her life. Let your mom know that you love her, and that’s why you want her to live a long, healthy, and happy life. Introducing her to the healthful and delicious dishes from the Mediterranean region is a great way to do just that.

You’ve likely heard of the Mediterranean diet, which was recently named best overall diet of 2019 and has been shown to help extend your lifespan by roughly a decade. This eating pattern has also been linked to preventing heart attacks, strokes, certain cancers, and diabetes, and reducing inflammation. It may even help lower your risk of dementia by a third.

The Mediterranean eating pattern centers around seasonal produce, fish and seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy, and small amounts of meat and sweets. Part of what makes this diet so successful is that people in the Mediterranean region consider food to be a friend and ally—a source of pleasure, nutrition, history, medicine, and tradition. When combined with lifestyle choices like communal eating and physical activity, the Mediterranean diet is believed to contribute to remarkable longevity in the region. For example, residents in Sardinia are ten times more likely to live past 100 than people in the United States.

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to help your mother make the lifestyle changes that can give her a longer and more joyful life. Read on for two ways you can celebrate your love for your mom and help her start living a healthier life.

Prepare a delicious Mediterranean-style Mother’s Day lunch. Show Mom how much you love her by preparing her a special Mother’s Day meal. Offering a lunch that features delicious and healthy Mediterranean-inspired dishes is the perfect way to celebrate with your mom and the rest of your family. Not only is this a great time to enjoy healthy food, it’s also a chance to reap the benefits of communal eating, a long-upheld tradition in Mediterranean communities. Sharing a table and enjoying camaraderie with loved ones provides a sense of comfort, security, and stability. Below you’ll find a tempting lunch menu.

Help her stock a healthy Mediterranean pantry. A well-stocked pantry saves time, money, and stress, and makes it easy to eat more healthy meals. With a full Mediterranean pantry in place, Mom can whip up fresh and delicious dishes in just minutes. For Mother’s Day, treat her to a shopping trip and stock her pantry with the basics she’ll need to continue cooking healthy meals. (Please see the attached sidebar for a checklist of essential foods and products you’ll need to stock a ready-to-cook Mediterranean pantry.)

Ready to start planning an unforgettable Mother’s Day feast? Read on for a healthy and delicious menu to share with Mom and the rest of your family.

Broccoli and Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Feta, and Buttermilk Dressing
Gluten-free, Vegetarian

Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1 Cup | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: None

I decided to offer this as an antioxidant-infused snack prior to a class and wanted you all to have it on hand for quick meals. Try adding leftover chicken, fish, or quinoa to make a complete meal.

1/2 lb fresh baby spinach
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 ripe avocado
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
1 clove garlic
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp poppy seeds
A few sprigs of fresh dill and/or other herbs
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place spinach, broccoli, avocado, blueberries, feta cheese, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl or on a large platter.

Place yogurt, buttermilk, garlic, lemon juice and zest, poppy seeds, herbs, and pepper in blender and blend to combine. (If not using a blender, ingredients can also be whisked in a bowl until combined.)

Pour dressing over salad and serve immediately.

Choices/Exchanges
½ Carbohydrate, 1 ½ Fat

Calories 100
Calories from fat 50
Total fat 6.0 g
Saturated fat 1.2 g
Trans fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 105 mg
Potassium 430 mg
Total carbohydrate 8 g
Dietary fiber 3 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 6 g
Phosphorus 155 mg

Healthy Living Tradition
Combining broccoli with other superfoods such as blueberries and avocado is a great way to get more nutrients in your diet.

MangoMiSu (Mango Tiramisu)
Vegan

Serves: 8 | Serving Size ½ Cup |
Prep Time: 5 Minutes, Plus at Least 6 Hours Chilling Time | Cook Time: None

The rich, indulgent flavors of traditional tiramisu are reserved for special occasions in Italy. This version combines yogurt, mango, and cooling cardamom for a light, uplifting treat that is perfect for a healthy indulgence any time of year. Keep in mind that the MangoMiSu needs to set for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight. Peaches and pineapple also work well in this recipe.

12 BelVita breakfast biscuits, golden oat
16 oz fresh mango cubes, or frozen and thawed, divided
2 Tbsp light agave nectar
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups fat-free organic vanilla yogurt, divided
1/2 cup strawberries
8 fresh mint sprigs

Line the bottom of an 8-inch wide bowl with 4–6 biscuits, making an even layer. (You may need to break a few to get them to fit.)

Purée 8 oz mango cubes by placing them in a food processor and processing until liquid. Using a spatula, remove from food processor. Add agave nectar, cardamom, and vanilla to mango purée.

Pour or spoon half of the mango purée over the biscuits. Spoon 1 cup of yogurt over mango purée evenly. Scatter remaining mango cubes over the yogurt, reserving 1 Tbsp for garnish. Sprinkle the strawberries over the mangoes, and top the fruit with remaining 6–8 biscuits.

Pour remaining half of mango purée over the biscuits. Top with remaining yogurt, and smooth out to cover surface. Scatter remaining 1 Tbsp mango cubes over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight or until set.

Serve 1/2-cup portions in small dessert cups. (Alternative plating idea: To plate as 8 individual servings rather than using a large bowl, simply layer 1/8 of each ingredient in a glass dessert dish or wine glass.) Garnish each serving with a mint sprig.

Choices/Exchanges 
2 Carbohydrate, ½ Fat

Calories 170
Calories from fat 30
Total fat 3.5 g
Saturated fat 0.3 g
Trans fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 110 mg
Potassium 230 mg
Total carbohydrate 31 g
Dietary fiber 2 g
Sugars 19 g
Protein 4 g
Phosphorus 85 mg

About the Author: 
Amy Riolo is the author of The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook, 2nd Edition: A Flavorful, Heart-Healthy Approach to Cooking (American Diabetes Association, May 2019, ISBN: 978-1-580-40702-1, $22.95). She is an award-winning, best-selling author, chef, television personality, and educator.

A graduate of Cornell University, Amy is considered a culinary thought leader who enjoys changing the way we think about food and the people who create it. Amy is a food historian, culinary anthropologist, and Mediterranean Diet advocate who makes frequent appearances on numerous television and radio programs both in the United States and abroad, including FOX TV, ABC, CBS, NBC, the Hallmark Channel, Nile TV, the Travel Channel, Martha Stewart Living Radio, and Abu Dhabi Television.

For more information about Amy, please visit www.amyriolo.com.

About the Book:
The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook, 2nd Edition: A Flavorful, Heart-Healthy Approach to Cooking (American Diabetes Association, May 2019, ISBN: 978-1-580-40702-1, $22.95) will be available at bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.

Best-selling author, chef, television personality, and educator Amy Riolo says a well-stocked pantry saves time, money, and stress when you’re ready to cook. And most importantly, it encourages you to eat healthfully. This essential checklist contains all the ingredients you’ll need to prepare delicious and nutritious Mediterranean-inspired meals.