What is the Mediterranean Diet?
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 sixth 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 as a traditional dietary pattern, consists of the:
Eating a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, olives, nuts, and seeds in abundance provides water, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Daily fruit and vegetable consumption is crucial. Due to their high antioxidant and fiber content, they can help prevent cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.
Consumption of grains, bread, pasta, rice, various whole-grain cereals, and potatoes. Due to their high carbohydrate content, pasta, rice, and other grains must be eaten daily. They give us daily energy. Whole-grain products contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Utilize fresh herbs and spices in cooking to add flavor. Mediterranean dishes are very flavorful and low in salt (sodium chloride). Salt, or more accurately, the sodium in salt, raises blood pressure. Herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary add great flavor and reduce the need for salt.
Use olive oil as the main source of added fat. Mediterranean cuisine contains vitamin E, beta-carotene, and monounsaturated vegetable fat, which helps prevent cardiovascular disease. Olive oil, an essential component in the Mediterranean Diet, has given dishes unique flavors and aromas for centuries.
A balanced intake of low-fat dairy. Dairy products contain vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Since they contain live microorganisms that improve intestinal microflora, fermented dairy products like yogurt and bio have many health benefits.
Moderate intake of alcoholic beverages, (mainly wine during meals, where culturally acceptable) and plenty of water.
Low consumption of red, cured, and processed meat. Processed meat should be eaten sparingly in sandwiches and other dishes. Proteins, iron, and animal fat vary in meat. Excess animal fat is unhealthy. Thus, small amounts of lean white meat in a cereal-vegetable dish are suggested.
Eggs, fish, and seafood. Fatty (dark meat) fish should be eaten at least once or twice a week because its fat is similar to vegetable fat, which protects against heart disease. Eggs contain high-quality proteins, fat, and many vitamins and minerals, making them a complete food. Eggs are a good alternative to fish and meat.
Sweets are also consumed occasionally, fresh fruit should be your dessert instead. Fruits are healthy snacks that add color and flavor to our meals.
Having minimally processed, fresh, locally produced foods. It's important to take advantage of in-season products because they're at their nutritional and flavor peaks.
“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?
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 way of eating is visualized with a Food Pyramid that shows how often you should eat each food group, with dietary daily, weekly, and occasional guidelines to follow a healthy and balanced diet for people between the ages of 18 and 65.
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
How to start the Mediterranean Diet
If you are new to the Mediterranean Diet, you have three options to choose from:
Do It Yourself (DIY):
Pros: It is free.
Cons: It may be overwhelming and fail for the following reasons:
• The food you will prepare may not taste good.
• Meal preparation and cooking will feel like a job.
• It might get irritating if you are not engaged.
• You will lose interest if you are not supported.
• It will be frustrating if it becomes overly complicated.
Failure will be stressful, and the change you desired for yourself will become a 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.