The American Diet: The Mediterranean Diet

From my understanding in class, Italians have a special diet based on healthy eating. This being the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet includes foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, olive oil, fish, and poultry. The farm-grown fruits and vegetables follow the Slow Food Movement so they are fresh and healthy, free of pesticides and chemicals, and are produced and accessed in a way that’s beneficial to all. While following this diet as a guideline, Italians typically begin their day with a breakfast meal consisting of a caffe latte and bread rolls with jelly, biscotti, or fruit and yogurt. Their main meal of the day, lunch, comes at around two o'clock and consists of an appetizer, followed by a pasta or soup dish, and ending with a main meat or fish dish. Italians eat their salads after their main dish to cleanse the colon. Lastly, lunch is completed with a small portion of dessert and a shot of espresso in order to boost themselves to move on with their day. Though this may seem like a lot, each dish is presented in small portions to …show more content…
Though some, such as myself, follow the Mediterranean diet in the United States, many don’t. Many eat whatever we want, ranging from junk food to chicken, fish, and steaks, to fruits and vegetables, to the infamous fast foods. Our culture is so diverse that one household may be eating Mexican food, while its neighbor might be eating Chinese food. Typical meals start at ten o'clock in the morning on a weekend for breakfast. Breakfasts can consist of eggs, toast, and hashbrowns, or waffles and pancakes with chocolate chips. Lunch arrives from around noon to two o'clock and can consist of a small portioned meal such as a sandwich, salad, fast food, or pasta. Lastly, dinner, the biggest meal of Americans’ days comes around six o'clock at night and usually consists of a meat, vegetables, pasta, fruit,