Traditional Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue is out of date! Try the Mediterranean grilled meat platter and master the 4 principles of the Mediterranean diet

The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and it has become an established custom for friends and family to get together to barbecue, feast on grapefruit and mooncakes. It is also a chance to reward yourself for your hard work through delicious food. However, be careful not to overeat, as it will cause weight gain and metabolic burden! In particular, the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue is out of fashion. Lan Caini, a nutritionist from the Clinical Nutrition Department of Annan Hospital, specially recommends the "Mediterranean Barbecue Platter", which is delicious and nutritious.

Nutritionist Lan Caini mentioned that after the Mid-Autumn Festival every year, the clinic always hears patients with significantly worse test results confessing that they ate too much barbecue, moon cakes and grapefruit. If you want to have a full moon and no family on this Mid-Autumn Festival reunion night, we recommend trying the following "Mediterranean barbecue platter":

Mediterranean grilled meat platter

1. Italian Vegetable CC Skewers: Paired with rainbow fruits and vegetables, such as bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, mushrooms, cucumbers, (purple) onions, and zucchini, sprinkled with Italian spices and sea salt, you can take in plenty of dietary fiber and rich vitamin C. You don’t have to worry about constipation after eating, and it can also be antioxidant;

2. Antioxidant Garlic Shrimp: Use whole shelled shrimp and marinate with antioxidants such as minced garlic, salt, black pepper, white pepper, lemon juice, chili, etc., and grill it to make it look delicious;

3. Sweet loofah and clams: Wrap the refreshing loofah with clams in tin foil. No additional seasoning is needed. You can enjoy the freshness of clams and the sweetness of loofah, which provides a lot of high-quality protein and trace magnesium;

4. DHA grilled fish: Sprinkle a little sea salt, lemon juice and white sesame seeds on mackerel, salmon, saury or mullet to get high-quality Omega-3 fatty acids and help fight inflammation.

5. Fiber-rich sweet corn: Replace toast with fresh whole or cut corn to get more dietary fiber, but remember not to use extra butter;

6. Mid-Autumn Festival special dessert: Pomelo can be used as the last dessert, 2-3 petals at most at a time, to effectively control blood sugar.

Nutritionist Lan Cai Ni reminds you to pay attention to the control of heat when grilling to avoid burning the meat which may lead to the appearance of carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons! In addition, those who prefer strong flavors can replace the barbecue sauce with natural seasonings, such as lemon juice, garlic, red pepper, chopped coriander, etc., which can not only bring out the natural original flavor of the ingredients, but also make the barbecue delicious and healthy; don't forget to replenish enough water before and after barbecue, and it is recommended to replace carbonated, sugary drinks and beer with sugar-free tea or flower and fruit tea, which not only relieves greasiness and cools down, but also is not easy to develop a beer belly.

Nutritionist Lan Cai Ni added that the Mediterranean grilled meat platter is actually based on the principles of the "Mediterranean diet" and can also be applied in our daily lives to help us be healthier. (Photo courtesy of Annan Hospital)

Mediterranean barbecue platter, master the 4 principles of the "Mediterranean diet"

Finally, nutritionist Lan Caini added that the Mediterranean grilled meat platter is actually based on the principles of the "Mediterranean diet" and can also be applied in our daily lives to help us be healthier:

1. Rich and diverse fruits and vegetables: provide sufficient dietary fiber and vitamin C. Dietary fiber can help intestinal peristalsis, stabilize blood sugar and lower blood lipids; vitamin C has a natural antioxidant effect, and can also promote collagen formation and iron absorption, etc. However, people with high blood sugar need to pay attention to the amount of fruit they consume.

2. High-quality vegetable oils: such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, camellia oil, avocado, nuts, etc., help regulate blood vessel elasticity and help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease; seafood and fish are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce the body's inflammatory response.

3. Unprocessed whole grains or natural root foods: Rich in dietary fiber, they help stabilize blood sugar and lower blood lipids.

4. Excellent protein sources: Partially replace red meat (pork, beef, etc.) with soybeans and seafood. Soybean foods such as tofu and dried tofu can provide high-quality protein and are also rich in soy isoflavones with antioxidant activity.