By Karen Collins

Q: Does a Mediterranean diet require eating only Italian or Greek

dishes?

A: Italian and Greek dishes can be wonderful examples of nutritious and delicious food.

But you can have a healthy Mediterranean-style diet without eating any of these ethnic dishes.

The key nutrition principles to follow in creating your own Mediterranean-style eating plan are: Limit portions of meat and poultry; choose fish at least three times a week; make fruits and vegetables an abundant part of your meals; use olive oil as your fat (for example, in salad dressing or on vegetables); and serve legumes, such as lentils, garbanzo beans and kidney beans, at least a few times a week if not daily.

In Mediterranean cuisine, garlic and a variety of herbs make these foods delicious and add health benefits.

You, too, can flavor your food selections to suit your palate, but stick to healthful herbs and spices, and avoid deep-frying and high-fat flavorings.

Above all, remember that a Mediterranean diet is a mostly plant-based diet.

Q: Are prenatal vitamins good for people who aren’t pregnant?

A: No. A doctor may advise a woman to continue taking prenatal vitamins for a brief time after pregnancy to replenish her body’s store of vitamins.

But these products are only designed to support the increased nutritional needs of pregnant women.

The elevated levels of iron and zinc in these supplements are almost always beyond the upper safety limit for non-pregnant adults.

Q: How should I stock my kitchen so I can make healthy meals when time is limited?

A: Quick-cooking brown rice, whole-grain pasta and low-fat, whole-grain crackers are versatile basics you should try to keep on hand.

If you have room in the freezer for whole-wheat rolls and tortillas that you can pull out as needed, so much the better.

To complement these nutritious grain products, always try to have a good supply of canned and frozen foods at home.

Canned kidney beans and other legumes are easily rinsed and added to a variety of dishes.

Reduced-sodium soups can be easily improved by adding frozen vegetables and canned legumes.

Canned tuna is a multipurpose staple for many dishes. Canned diced tomatoes are wonderful pantry items to use over whole-grain pasta or for a quickly assembled soup or vegetarian chili.

If you can cook and freeze chicken breasts, you have another healthy source of protein to pull out at the last moment.

Lastly, keep a stash of herbs, spices, sauces and mustard to make your quick meals delicious.

Collins is a registered dietitian for the American Institute for Cancer Research.