What is the Mediterranean Diet?
It is a lifestyle!
The Mediterranean diet, often referred to as the Mediterranean lifestyle, is a way of eating and living that was typical in Mediterranean countries during the 1950s and 1960s, especially in places like Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, and Greece, where people lived longer and faced fewer health issues related to their diets. It was shaped by factors like climate, poverty, and challenges, rather than just human wisdom. This way of life includes specific eating patterns, using local seasonal ingredients, following traditions, participating in group activities, incorporating physical exercise, getting enough rest, and approaching meals with care.
Since the 1960s, increasing evidence has revealed the Mediterranean Diet's protective effects against cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, certain neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and many other health benefits.
The heart of the Mediterranean nutritional model is enjoying all foods without exclusion, with moderation and balance, and preferably in the company of family and friends. For Italians, this isn't just a way of eating; it's part of their cultural heritage and is regarded as one of the best eating styles globally.
Thanks to the groundbreaking work of Ancel Keys, the Mediterranean diet caught global attention and became the original blueprint for dietary guidelines, not only in the United States but also in various other countries. The delightful flavors and strong appeal of the Mediterranean diet have been proven to encourage healthier eating habits in the United States. This has led to an increase in the consumption of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, and olive oil since the early twentieth century. Additionally, the influx of significant immigrant populations from Greece, Italy, and Spain to the United States played a key role in popularizing the Mediterranean diet in the country.
Currently, the Healthy Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern is integrated into the 2020–2025 version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (page 19) following the trajectory of previous editions. This pattern is a variation of the healthy US-style dietary pattern, which reflects the types and quantities of foods commonly consumed by Americans. In contrast, the Mediterranean-style pattern emphasizes nutrient-dense forms and appropriate portions.
The Mediterranean Diet is recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO
The Mediterranean Diet voted again for the seventh time as "The Best Overall Diet"!
HEALTH & MEDICINE The Harvard Gazette
“The best thing about the Mediterranean diet? It doesn’t taste like a diet.”
Q&A with Professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Walter Willet
The Mediterranean Diet: A Guide to Healthy Eating
The Mediterranean diet, a traditional dietary pattern, emphasizes fresh, whole foods for a healthy lifestyle. It's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, offering numerous health benefits.
Fruits and vegetables: Abundant consumption of fruits and vegetables is crucial. These provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, which may help protect against cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. Aim for daily intake.
Grains: Whole grains, including bread, pasta, rice, and other cereals, are a key part of the Mediterranean diet. They provide energy and fiber, with whole grains offering more nutrients. Enjoy these daily.
Herbs and Spices: Fresh herbs and spices enhance flavor and reduce the need for salt. Mediterranean cuisine is known for its delicious, low-sodium dishes. Use oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary liberally.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is the primary source of added fat in the Mediterranean diet. It's rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, supporting heart health.
Dairy: Enjoy low-fat dairy products in moderation. Yogurt and other fermented dairy products provide beneficial probiotics for gut health.
Beverages: drink plenty of water and consider moderate wine consumption with meals (if culturally appropriate).
Meat: Limit red, cured, and processed meats. Choose lean white meat and consider legumes instead.
Eggs, Fish, and Seafood: enjoy eggs, fish, and seafood regularly. Fatty fish, like salmon, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health. Eggs are a nutritious source of protein and other essential nutrients.
Sweets: enjoy sweets sparingly. Fresh fruit makes an excellent dessert.
Local and Seasonal Foods: Prioritize minimally processed, fresh, and locally sourced foods, especially when in season, for optimal flavor and nutrition.
“In the Mediterranean Diet, it seems that the total dietary pattern, rather than individual components, confers the most beneficial effects.” as cited in the conclusion section of this research
What are the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet?
Discover multiple reasons why you should consider adopting this way of healthy eating
The Mediterranean diet contains in fruits, vegetables, and olive oil a variety of bioactive nutrients, including antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, monounsaturated fats, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. Read more
Dietary antioxidants protect cells and tissues from oxidation and prevent or delay the development of several diseases. Read more
Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with elevated TAC levels and low oxidized LDL cholesterol concentrations, which have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. Read more
Ancel Keys defined the Mediterranean diet as being low in saturated fat and high in vegetable oils, as observed in Greece and southern Italy during the 1960s. After 25 years of follow-up in the Seven Countries Study, this dietary pattern was associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to northern European countries and the United States.
More studies, research, data, and findings acknowledged by scientific and humanitarian international organizations reveal that the Mediterranean diet gives greater benefits and health outcomes when combined with other lifestyle aspects. More studies are being conducted to unravel the enigma of the Mediterranean people's good health.
To learn more about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet discovered by the scientific world, click on the buttons below. Visit our Blog section to stay current on the latest scientific researches
The Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid
Everything is in moderation! Is this the secret of longevity?
The Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid visually guides you on how often to enjoy various food groups. It provides daily, weekly, and occasional dietary recommendations for a balanced and healthy eating pattern, generally for adults aged 18 to 65. The classic Mediterranean diet has been updated to the New Modern Mediterranean Diet for a global impact, emphasizing local ingredients and respecting diverse cultural, social, and economic contexts.
Is eating the Mediterranean Diet expensive?
A healthy lifestyle can cost less!
Find out exactly how much money you can save by switching to a Mediterranean diet from a Western one. The Mediterranean diet relies on less processed, more accessible, and affordable whole foods when preparing meals. There is a long-term financial benefit to adopting a Mediterranean diet.
According to our year-long studies and testing in 2021 and 2022, and the current studies of 2023, following the Mediterranean diet is not expensive, and its cost is substantially lower than a Western diet. The cost of buying the ingredients at your local grocery store is between $8 and $10 US per day per person in the United States and Euros 5-8 in Europe for 3 meals and 2 snacks.
Low-income rural residents of Italy were nourishing themselves with this incredibly cheap diet in the Mediterranean region's olive-growing regions in the 1950s and early 1960s after World War II. Watch a documentary in Italian about an early food study of the inhabitants of the town with no cardiovascular disease
Comparison chart between Western American Diet and Mediterranean Diet
Source: USDA
What can you do to start the Mediterranean Diet?
Take the next step to this way of eating
one of these three choices could be a way to go:
Do It Yourself (DIY):
Pros: It is free.
Cons: It may be overwhelming and fail for the following reasons:
• The food you will prepare from random recipe searches may not taste the best.
• Unorganized meal preparation and cooking could feel like a job.
• It might get irritating and frustrating to see difficult preparation and no clear way to follow
• You will lose interest if you are not supported.
• It could become overly complicated, and expensive, feel like a waste of time and energy, and make you stop trying.
Failure will be stressful, and the change you desire for yourself now becomes an extra problem!
Shop Around
Pros: You get to pick your options.
Cons: Many promises and perplexing methods!
It can be difficult to choose between the numerous videos, books, amateur cooks, and professionals available. They appear to understand what centenarians eat and what causes them to live so long.
Some people may have visited Italy on vacation once or twice and claim to know everything about it. Some home cooks publish NONNA's (grandma's) recipes in the hope that you, too, will live to be 100.
To create a meal plan that includes a solution, you must first understand how local scientific studies are written in their native language. It is also necessary to live the Mediterranean way of life for at least a few years before selling it.
Some dieticians, unlike chefs, are not professionally qualified to write a tasty recipe. You're frequently asked to pay for something you've never seen or tried before.
You wouldn't go to a doctor without a professional certificate, and you wouldn't ride with a driver without a license, would you?
Make wise choices!
Choose Us
Pros: It is based on the original Mediterranean Diet, which science has been investigating in Italy since 1950.
Cons: It takes time and commitment to the program to make it a habit (60–90 days).
For a "World Wide Dining Experience," we've brought back the original Mediterranean Diet recipes and changed international recipes to fit the guidelines of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.
We've created meal plans with balanced daily meals that use a variety of ingredients that can be found in any grocery store near you. Finally, we've used our Executive Chef's restaurant cooking experience and knowledge of the colors, textures, flavors, and shapes of the ingredients, as well as studies of the Mediterranean Diet, to create amazing and healthy meal recipes for you, and we've added photographs and videos, as well as written clear instructions for you to follow.
Be careful when navigating Mediterranean Diet trends on social media. Be cautious of the Mediterranean Diet contents you find on social medias and on the web. Studies reveals how posts from professionals and non professionals differ in accuracy. Learn how to spot trustworthy information and make informed choices. Read more