The general guidelines to follow the Mediterranean diet that dietitians provided to participants included the following positive recommendations:
a) abundant use of olive oil for cooking and dressing dishes;
b) consumption of ≥ 2 daily servings of vegetables (at least one of them as fresh vegetables in a salad), discounting side dishes;
c) ≥ 2-3 daily servings of fresh fruits (including natural juices);
d) ≥ 3 weekly servings of legumes;
e) ≥ 3 weekly servings of fish or seafood (at least one serving of fatty fish);
f) ≥ 1 weekly serving of nuts or seeds;
g) select white meats (poultry without skin or rabbit) instead of red meats or processed meats (burgers, sausages);
h) cook regularly (at least twice a week) with tomato, garlic and onion adding or not other aromatic herbs, and dress vegetables, pasta, rice and other dishes with tomato, garlic and onion adding or not aromatic herbs. This sauce is made by slowly simmering the minced ingredients with abundant olive oil.
Negative recommendations are also given to eliminate or limit the consumption of cream, butter, margarine, cold meat, pate, duck, carbonated and/or sugared beverages, pastries, industrial bakery products (such as cakes, donuts, or cookies), industrial desserts (puddings, custard), French fries or potato chips, and out-of-home pre-cooked cakes and sweets.
The dietitians insisted that two main meals per day should be eaten (seated at a table, lasting more than 20 minutes). For usual drinkers, the dietitian’s advice was to use wine as the main source of alcohol (maximum 300 ml, 1-3 glasses of wine per day). If wine intake was customary, a recommendation to drink a glass of wine per day (bigger for men, 150 ml, than for women, 100 ml) during meals was given.
Ad libitum consumption was allowed for the following food items: nuts (raw and unsalted), eggs, fish (recommended for daily intake), seafood, low-fat cheese, chocolate (only black chocolate, with more than 50% cocoa), and whole-grain cereals.
Limited consumption (≤1 serving per week) was advised for cured ham, red meat (after removing all visible fat), and cured or fatty cheeses
