由 home-healthhaven 
By now, almost everyone has heard of the Mediterranean diet. In case you haven’t, it focuses on healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables. More and more people are catching on to it, wanting to turn their lives around and start eating healthier.
While it’s a great option for healthier eating, people are often hesitant to try new diets, especially if they think it’s expensive. However, the Mediterranean diet stands out from other vegetarian diets – it might actually save you money.
The Study
A new study, highlighted by One Green Planet and published in the March issue of the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, followed participants over 34 weeks. The study found that those following a variety of vegetarian Mediterranean recipes saved nearly $40 per week. Plus, about 50% of the 83 participants lost weight. The participants were selected from emergency food pantries and low-income housing sites.
The savings were mainly from cutting out costly items like meat, poultry, and seafood. Besides saving money, the plant-based diet also improved many participants’ health.
The study’s main focus was the financial savings. Although weight loss was not the primary goal, it showed that a plant-based diet can be beneficial in more ways than one.
What This Means for Us
With these findings, there’s really no reason not to consider a healthier lifestyle. Switching to the Mediterranean diet has now been shown to be cost-effective, removing a common barrier for many people.
Of course, you should thoroughly check out any diet before committing, but it’s worth noting that the prices of meat and poultry are on the rise. You don’t need to follow the Mediterranean diet exactly, but it’s a good time to think about eating less meat.
Even if healthy eating isn’t your main concern, saving money is always appealing. For large families, switching to a more vegetable-based diet could lead to significant savings. The cost reduction alone could be crucial.
For those who find it challenging to cut out meat because it’s a staple in their meals, there are alternatives like Quorn that make it easier to transition to a vegetarian-based diet. Will this study convince more people to try the Mediterranean diet? It’s hard to say, but one thing is clear: It’s a great time to start. If you’re looking to eat healthier, now is the perfect moment to make the change!