For decades, the Mediterranean diet has remained one of the most popular and healthiest dietary choices, advised by dietitians and health organizations around the globe. What is the Mediterranean diet, and what makes it healthy? This post reveals potential health benefits, suggested food list, and some transitioning tips for those of you willing to go Mediterranean!
What is the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional cuisine of the Mediterranean regions, such as Greece, Spain, southern Italy, and southern France. It gained popularity when researchers noticed significantly lower heart disease rates and higher life expectancy among Mediterranean folks.
This diet doesn’t actually represent the way people eat in the Mediterranean regions today, given the growing influence of western dietary habits. A proper Mediterranean diet abounds in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil, with a moderate intake of fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy; red meat and sweets are consumed sparingly [R, R].
Definition
The Mediterranean diet doesn’t have a precise definition or strict rules to follow, so some dietitians prefer to call it a Mediterranean-style diet. This gives a person more freedom in meal planning, but it’s a significant limitation when studying the potential health benefits.
A group of Australian researchers emphasized this issue back in 2015 and provided more precise meal-planning guidelines for the Mediterranean diet by summarizing the available literature [R]:
- 3-9 daily servings of vegetables
- ½-2 daily servings of fruits
- Up to 8 daily servings of olive oil
- Up to 13 daily servings of cereals (mostly whole grains)
- 2-6 weekly servings of fish/seafood
- 2-4 weekly servings of eggs and poultry
- Up to 2 weekly servings of red meat
When it comes to macronutrients, the Mediterranean diet roughly contains [R]:
- 37% of daily calories as total fat (19% MUFA, 5% PUFA, 9% SFA)
- 43% of daily calories as carbs (33 g of dietary fiber)
- 15% of daily calories as protein
Mediterranean Diet Food List & Menu
Source: Oliviero et al. (2009), Mediterranean Food Pattern in Rheumatoid Arthritis https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Fig-1-The-Mediterranean-diet-pyramid-simple-graphic-format-of-the-most-up-to-date_fig1_228622489
The following is a general Mediterranean diet menu/food list [R, R]:
Consumed generously:
- Vegetables (all kinds, cooked or fresh, mostly seasonal)
- Fruits (all kinds, mostly fresh & seasonal)
- Whole grains & their products (rice, wheat, oats, etc.)
- Olive oil
- Herbs and spices (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc.)
Consumed in moderation:
- Fatty fish & seafood (sardines, tuna, oysters, shellfish, etc.)
- Other
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