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Blue Zone Diet: Sardinia

Tuesday, 05 October 2021 08:30

Sardinia diet
The island of Sardinia is located west of the Italian Peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea. It is said to be the home of the longest-lived men (1Trusted Source).

The Sardinia diet is a variation of the Mediterranean diet — also called Sardo-Mediterranean — that’s associated with preventing chronic age-related diseases (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, minimally processed whole grains and legumes, nuts and olive oil as main fat sources, moderate fish consumption, and low intakes of dairy, alcohol, and red meat (9Trusted Source).

In contrast, the Sardinian variation includes higher intakes of olive oil, fish, milk and dairy products, and alcoholic drinks (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).

Some of the foods people eat and avoid on the Sardinian diet include (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source):

 

Foods to eat

Vegetables: tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, cabbage, zucchini, and carrots
Fruits: oranges, apples, bananas, dates, figs, and peaches
Legumes: fava beans, lentils, and chickpeas
Grains: barley and wheat for their traditional flatbread and pasta
Dairy: goat’s and sheep’s milk, yogurt, and cheese
Fish and seafood: sea bass, anchovies, octopus, mussels, clams, and lobster
Fats: olive oil and nuts, such as almonds and hazelnuts
Herbs and spices: parsley, fennel, mint, bay leaves, celery, and garlic
Alcohol: Cannonau red wine and myrtle liqueur
Foods to eat occasionally

Certain meats: beef, lamb, and pork
Sweets: honey, puff pastry, and candied orange peels
Foods to avoid

Some meats and poultry: including processed or cured meats
Processed foods: sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains and oils, and ready-to-eat foods and snacks
If you want to give a traditional Sardinian recipe a try, you could make a homemade version of the minestrone.

SUMMARY
The Sardinia diet follows most of the Mediterranean diet’s eating pattern, with higher intakes of milk and dairy products, olive oil, fish, and alcohol.