Lose Weight the Mediterranean Way

Evidence shows that a healthful way to fill your plate is Mediterranean style, culled from the ancient cultures that ring the Mediterranean Sea.

Remake your plate. The core of Mediterranean-style eating is creating a balanced diet of healthy fats, healthy carbohydrates, and plenty of vegetables and fruits. The "emphasis on plant proteins is what makes this diet so healthy," says Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and author of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. Here's how to eat as if you lived on the shores of the glittering Mediterranean.