When you think of heart-healthy diets, the Mediterranean diet often comes to mind. However, its lesser-known cousin, the Atlantic diet — also known as the Southern European Atlantic diet — deserves your attention too. Much like its Mediterranean counterpart, the Atlantic diet emphasizes plant-based foods, seafood, and healthy fats, but with its own unique twists.
What is the Atlantic Diet?
The Atlantic diet is rooted in the traditional eating habits of northern Portugal and northwest Spain. In these regions, life expectancy is high, and the incidence of cardiovascular disease is low. The diet focuses on a variety of plant-based foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; seafood; and healthy fats like olive oil. Unlike the Mediterranean diet, the Atlantic diet includes more seafood, dairy, lean meat, nuts, potatoes, and bread, while the Mediterranean diet features more pasta.
Why the Atlantic Diet is Beneficial
The health benefits of the Atlantic diet are impressive. Research from the GALIAT trial showed that families who followed the Atlantic diet for six months had a significant decrease in the risk of developing metabolic syndrome — a group of conditions that increase the likelihood of heart disease and diabetes — compared to a control group. The diet can also help reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
However, there’s one caveat: the Atlantic diet may be higher in saturated fat and cholesterol than the Mediterranean diet because it includes more red meat and dairy products. Despite this, the diet may be more appealing and sustainable for those who don’t want to significantly cut back on meat or dairy.
The Importance of Family and Mindfulness
Beyond the food, the Atlantic diet emphasizes the importance of family meals, daily physical activity, and mindfulness. Meals are often shared events, bringing together communities to enjoy freshly caught seafood and locally sourced produce in a mindful way. This focus on community and mindfulness can enhance your overall well-being.
Foods Included in the Atlantic Diet
The Atlantic diet features a wide variety of seasonal and local fruits and vegetables, such as cruciferous ones like cabbage and cauliflower, and starchy ones like potatoes. Lean proteins, including fish, seafood, and poultry, are staples, along with whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats like nuts. You can also enjoy moderate amounts of dairy, eggs, and red meat, while limiting highly processed, sugary, or saturated fat foods such as processed meats, refined grains, sweets, and sugary drinks.
5 Tips for Getting Started on the Atlantic Diet
If you’re ready to give the Atlantic diet a try, here are five tips to help you get started:
Add Plant-Based Foods to Each Meal and Snack
Focusing on nutritious foods you can add versus things to subtract can help keep a positive spin on making changes. If changing your main dish seems daunting, start by introducing a fruit, vegetable, legume, or whole grain as a side. Think about which meal doesn’t have as many plant-based options and start incorporating more into that one first. Try adding berries to your morning oatmeal, sliced almonds to your yogurt, a side salad or handful of shredded carrots to your sandwich, or switch to whole wheat bread to boost your fiber, vitamins, and minerals intake.
Stew Your Foods
One of the main ways of food preparation on the Atlantic diet is stewing, which preserves nutrients and tends to avoid the formation of harmful advanced glycation end products (AGEs) associated with high-heat cooking methods. AGEs are linked to heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, kidney disease, poor bone health, memory loss, and more. Slow cookers are a great appliance for stewing. If you’ve never stewed food before, choose a variety of ingredients such as seafood, lean meats, vegetables, and legumes. Use fresh herbs, spices, and aromatics to enhance the taste of your stew.
Have a Meatless Day
Pick one day a week to replace animal-based proteins with plant-based options, such as beans, legumes, and tofu. These substitutions help increase the amount of lean protein and fiber in meals while lowering the amount of saturated fat. Try swapping out ground meat for beans in chili or having a sandwich with mashed chickpea salad in place of chicken salad.
Choose Seasonal Fruit for Dessert
Having fruit as your main sweet treat cuts down on added sugar and boosts your fiber intake. Or have it as a snack, such as pairing fruit with protein-rich Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey.
Eat with Others
Group meals are an important part of the Atlantic diet culture. This meal style stresses the importance of family meals, which have been shown to reduce the risk of suicide, depression, and risky behavior in adolescents. Rates of obesity also tend to be lower when parents enforce family meal time. Choose one meal and carve out at least 10 minutes to sit undistracted with family, friends, or roommates to socialize and enjoy your food together. Gradually build up the length of time and number of meals per week.
A Sample Day on the Atlantic Diet
Here’s what a day’s worth of meals might look like on the Atlantic diet:
- Breakfast:
Whole grain cereal with yogurt, berries, and a drizzle of honey - Lunch:
Lentil and vegetable stew with a slice of whole grain bread - Snack:
Apple with walnuts - Dinner:
Baked cod with roasted broccoli and potato wedges with a glass of red wine (in moderation) - Dessert:
Fresh fruit tart with whole grain crust topped with Greek yogurt - Beverages:Water
Conclusion
The Atlantic diet offers a balanced approach to eating that can help lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes while allowing you to enjoy a variety of foods, including meat and potatoes. By focusing on plant-based foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats, and incorporating family meals and mindfulness into your routine, you can improve your health and well-being. Give the Atlantic diet a try and enjoy the benefits of this heart-healthy eating plan.
