MediterrAsian.com. 7-day plan

7-DAY EXAMPLE OF MEDITERRASIAN LIVING

Tips

	The plan is totally flexible. If you feel like having the breakfast from day one on day six, or the dinner from day five on day three, go for it! There are no hard and fast rules—it's totally up to you. Of course, if you prefer a more structured plan you can follow the 7-day example of MediterrAsian living to the letter.
	Choose your own fruit if you like. The type of fruits you can eat are also flexible. In fact, the fruits that are listed in the plan are a suggestion only. If some of the fruits are out of season or hard to come by, or if you don't like that particular type of fruit, simply substitute the fruit with your own choice.
	You can buy packaged pre-cut vegetables to save on time. The wonderful colors and textures of the vegetables you will use in MediterrAsian cooking make them a pleasure to prepare. But if you find that time isn't on your side you can opt to buy packaged pre-cut vegetables. Just make sure to check the use-by date to ensure freshness.
	Substitute frozen or canned food for fresh. If you find it difficult to get certain food items fresh, you can substitute them for a frozen or canned version. Frozen shrimp instead of fresh, or canned fruit (in natural juice) instead of fresh are examples. Frozen vegetables are also a handy alternative to fresh. Actually, frozen vegetables often have a higher nutrient content than fresh vegetables that have been sitting on the shelf for a few days because the nutrients have been snap frozen in.
	Do your chopping and preparation before you start cooking. Mediterranean and Asian dishes are usually quick to cook, so it's essential to chop and prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking. That way, when an ingredient is needed during cooking it will always be on hand.
	If you have a partner or kids, get them involved. More hands makes lighter work, so if you have a partner or kids get them involved in the preparation and cooking process. Not only will it make lighter work, but preparing food together is a great way of catching up. Kids also love all the wonderful colors, shapes and textures of Mediterranean and Asian ingredients. And at the end of it you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor together, which is a great bonding experience!
	If you don't have time to prepare a certain meal, eat out instead. If you find you just don't have enough time to prepare a certain meal, by all means go to a restaurant or get takeout instead. The key is to try to keep your food as traditionally Mediterranean or Asian as possible. This makes Mediterranean and Asian-style restaurants the ideal choice (examples include Greek, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Indian, Thai and Moroccan). Even though some of the foods on the menu will be Westernized, you should always be able to find plenty of traditional dishes based around fish, seafood, chicken, legumes, grains and vegetables. For dessert, go for something fruit-based (like fresh fruit salad). For lunch on the run your local sandwich bar is the ideal place to visit. Simply order a sandwich or 6-inch sub (preferably on whole grain bread) based around either tuna, chicken, crab or turkey. Include lots of vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, sliced onions, cucumber, grated carrot and peppers. Use mustard, mayo, olives, pickles and preserved chili as flavor enhancers.