Originally based on the diet of the people of the Greek island of Crete, and later expanded to include most countries around the Mediterranean basin, Mediterranean Diet is a delicious and healthy way to eat, based on typical foods and recipes of Mediterranean-style cooking. Mediterranean Diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating, with the addition of replacing butter with flavorful olive oil, eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month, eating fish and poultry at least twice a week, frequently eating whole grains, legumes and nuts, using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods, and even drinking red wine in moderation. Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean Diet reduces the risk of heart disease as well as the incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. The Mediterranean diet is one your whole family can follow for good health. The diet also recognizes the importance of being physically active, and enjoying meals with good company.
A Drop of Ladi & My Greek Soul : A New Take on Classic Greek Cuisine by Krystina Kalapothakos Paperback $40.00 Much more than just a cookbook, it encompasses Greek recipes, intertwining traditional and modern styles to bring the best of Greek cooking to your table --perfect for a beginner or intermediate foodie who appreciates Greek cuisine. Filled with 100+ unique recipes from four different regions of Greece and beautiful family stories. Chef Krystina will take you on a Hellenic adventure, perusing traditional foods, wine pairings, travel stories, and the appreciation for Greek culture by beautiful people around the world. Learn how to make rustic phyllo dough or maybe even feta saganaki with an ouzo honey sauce. "Let your taste buds say 'Opa! "
Rich in numerous nutrients Corinthian raisins are considered one of the ‘superfoods’ produced in Greece. Also called “black gold”, raisins from the region of Corinth are rich in fiber, sugars, and micro-nutrients of significant value to the human body. Part of the fiber of raisins has to do with the so-called fructans, prebiotics with a positive effect on many health indicators. The predominant nutrient is potassium, while analysis indicates that it also offers notable quantities of antioxidants (vanillic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, anthocyanins, etc.), along with hydrosolubles B1, B2, B6, C, although it is a dried fruit. A Harokopio University study that researched the action of a special extract of Corinthian raisins on human colon cancer cells, concluded that the extract had important antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects. The high content of powerful antioxidants in these raisins, which the human body can absorb and utilize seems to be the main cause of these positive effects.
When you do make it to Athens, and should you be interested in Greek Cuisine and the Mediterranean Diet, check out The Greek Kitchen, Athens. A small cooking school and foodie tour company in the heart of Athens! Learn the secrets that make Greek home cooking one of the best in the world and share our stories with you about the products from the city that we love! They offer sessions such as the 4-hour Greek Family-Style Sunday Afternoon Cooking Class, the Greek Sunday Morning Baking Class or the Athens Market District Food Tour. For more information, and to book your participation, click here now for cookly, which brings people together through food and culture, while preserving and sharing our food traditions around the world, with a community of more than 1000 passionate cooks across 50 countries, who share their local food heritage through authentic cooking classes.
In the following stores in central Athens you may sample, purchase or just browse some of the finest ingredients of the Mediterranean diet cuisine:
BAHAR Herbs & Spices, Cereals, Dried Vegetables, Flour, Rice, etc.
31, Evripidou St., Athinas St. area
tel.: 210 321 7225
8 Hatzichristou St., Acropolis
tel.: 210 922 4060
ELIXIR Herbs & Spices
41, Evripidou St., Athinas St. area
tel.: 210 321 5141 & 210 331 7371
23 Metropoleos St., Syntagma
tel.: 210 010 9090
A butcher-shop, a fish-shop, a green-grocer and a deli under one roof, with a bistrot restaurant under a boutique hotel in the heart of Athens.
124 Adrianou St., Plaka
tel.: 210 325 4012
30 Nikis St., Syntagma
tel.: 210 322 9078
Bioshop / Organic Products
HOUSE OF SPICES
11 Nikis St., Syntagma
tel.: 210 323 1277 - www.houseofspices.gr
Spices & Quality Food Products
KOSTARELOS GREEK DELICACIES
30-32 Patriarchou Ioakeim St., Kolonaki
tel.: 210 725 9000 - www.kostarelos.gr
excellent Cheese and Dairy products along with select delicacies from artisan producers
3, Aghion Anargyron Sq. Psyri
tel.: 210 325 5407 - https://www.facebook.com/lalades.gr
healthy, organic, traditional Greek food products
34, Dimitrakopoulou St., Acropolis
tel.: 210 325 4890
greek authentic products, open 9:00 -22:00
PANTOPOLEIO STOAS ATHANATON
2, Armodiou St.,
Varvakeios Agora, off Athinas St.
tel.: 210 321 9855 - www.stistoa.gr
THE GREEK SHOP
120 Adrianou St., Plaka
tel.: 210 322 6850