The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional cuisine from the Mediterranean regions. It 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.<\/p>\n
The high content of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and unsaturated fatty acids makes the Mediterranean diet a healthy choice and a powerful disease prevention aid.<\/p>\n
The Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson\u2019s disease, and Alzheimer\u2019s disease. People following this type of diet also tend to have lower rates of stroke, cognitive issues, depression, and cancer. Benefits for other conditions such as asthma, IBD, rheumatoid arthritis, and fatty liver lack stronger evidence.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re transitioning to a Mediterranean-style diet, start by consuming more fruits and veggies, cooking with olive oil, snacking on nuts and seeds, and swapping red meat for fish.<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/a>What is the Mediterranean Diet?<\/span><\/h2>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
This diet doesn\u2019t 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<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n<\/a>Definition<\/span><\/h3>\nThe Mediterranean diet doesn\u2019t have a precise definition or strict rules to follow, so some dietitians prefer to call it a Mediterranean-style diet<\/em>. This gives a person more freedom in meal planning, but it\u2019s a significant limitation when studying the potential health benefits.<\/p>\nA 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<\/a>]:<\/p>\n\n- 3-9 daily servings of vegetables<\/li>\n
- \u00bd-2 daily servings of fruits<\/li>\n
- Up to 8 daily servings of olive oil<\/li>\n
- Up to 13 daily servings of cereals (mostly whole grains)<\/li>\n
- 2-6 weekly servings of fish\/seafood<\/li>\n
- 2-4 weekly servings of eggs and poultry<\/li>\n
- Up to 2 weekly servings of red meat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When it comes to macronutrients, the Mediterranean diet roughly contains [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n\n- 37% of daily calories as total fat (19% MUFA, 5% PUFA, 9% SFA)<\/li>\n
- 43% of daily calories as carbs (33 g of dietary fiber)<\/li>\n
- 15% of daily calories as protein<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional cuisine from the Mediterranean regions. It abounds in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil, with a moderate intake of fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy.<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/a>Mediterranean Diet Food List & Menu<\/span><\/h2>\n![\"Mediterranean](\"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/12\/word-image.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe following is a general Mediterranean diet menu\/food list [R<\/a>, R<\/a>]:<\/p>\nConsumed generously:<\/p>\n
\n- Vegetables (all kinds, cooked or fresh, mostly seasonal)<\/li>\n
- Fruits (all kinds, mostly fresh & seasonal)<\/li>\n
- Whole grains & their products (rice, wheat, oats, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Olive oil<\/li>\n
- Herbs and spices (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Consumed in moderation:<\/p>\n
\n- Fatty fish & seafood (sardines, tuna, oysters, shellfish, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Other plant oils such as sunflower oil<\/li>\n
- Eggs<\/li>\n
- Dairy (cheese and yogurt)<\/li>\n
- Legumes (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Poultry (chicken & turkey)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Consumed sparingly:<\/p>\n
\n- Red meat (pork, beef, lamb)<\/li>\n
- Sweets<\/li>\n
- White flour products<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Sharing meals with others and drinking moderate amounts of red wine are also important aspects of the Mediterranean diet. According to the American Heart Association<\/em>, you should limit daily alcohol intake to one drink (for women) or two drinks (for men). People prone to alcoholism and substance abuse should steer clear of alcohol in any amounts [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n<\/a>Nutrients<\/span><\/h2>\nWhat makes a Mediterranean-style diet healthy? The answer lies in a diversity of whole foods that deliver essential nutrients such as [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n\n- Vitamins and minerals<\/li>\n
- Polyphenols and other antioxidants (from fruits and vegetables)<\/li>\n
- Healthy unsaturated fats (from fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds & avocado)<\/li>\n
- Dietary fiber (from whole grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A moderate intake of animal products and a limited intake of saturated fat & refined sugar likely contribute to potential health benefits discussed in the following section [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n<\/a>Health Benefits<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/a>Likely Effective:<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/a>1) Heart Disease<\/span><\/h3>\nIn 2018, a group of Italian authors published a huge clinical review of the Mediterranean diet\u2019s health effects, encompassing 29 meta-analyses and over 12,800,000 participants. They found 33% lower heart disease rates and 25% lower mortality from heart disease in people who followed this type of diet [R<\/a>].<\/p>\nAnother large meta-analysis of over 500K subjects found 9% lower mortality from heart disease in people on the Mediterranean diet [R<\/a>].<\/p>\nA calorie-unrestricted Mediterranean diet reduced heart disease risk by 30% in the well-known PREDIMED clinical trial of 7447 Spanish people [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n
<\/a>Definition<\/span><\/h3>\nThe Mediterranean diet doesn\u2019t have a precise definition or strict rules to follow, so some dietitians prefer to call it a Mediterranean-style diet<\/em>. This gives a person more freedom in meal planning, but it\u2019s a significant limitation when studying the potential health benefits.<\/p>\nA 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<\/a>]:<\/p>\n\n- 3-9 daily servings of vegetables<\/li>\n
- \u00bd-2 daily servings of fruits<\/li>\n
- Up to 8 daily servings of olive oil<\/li>\n
- Up to 13 daily servings of cereals (mostly whole grains)<\/li>\n
- 2-6 weekly servings of fish\/seafood<\/li>\n
- 2-4 weekly servings of eggs and poultry<\/li>\n
- Up to 2 weekly servings of red meat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When it comes to macronutrients, the Mediterranean diet roughly contains [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n\n- 37% of daily calories as total fat (19% MUFA, 5% PUFA, 9% SFA)<\/li>\n
- 43% of daily calories as carbs (33 g of dietary fiber)<\/li>\n
- 15% of daily calories as protein<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional cuisine from the Mediterranean regions. It abounds in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil, with a moderate intake of fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy.<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/a>Mediterranean Diet Food List & Menu<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe following is a general Mediterranean diet menu\/food list [R<\/a>, R<\/a>]:<\/p>\nConsumed generously:<\/p>\n
\n- Vegetables (all kinds, cooked or fresh, mostly seasonal)<\/li>\n
- Fruits (all kinds, mostly fresh & seasonal)<\/li>\n
- Whole grains & their products (rice, wheat, oats, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Olive oil<\/li>\n
- Herbs and spices (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Consumed in moderation:<\/p>\n
\n- Fatty fish & seafood (sardines, tuna, oysters, shellfish, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Other plant oils such as sunflower oil<\/li>\n
- Eggs<\/li>\n
- Dairy (cheese and yogurt)<\/li>\n
- Legumes (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Poultry (chicken & turkey)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Consumed sparingly:<\/p>\n
\n- Red meat (pork, beef, lamb)<\/li>\n
- Sweets<\/li>\n
- White flour products<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Sharing meals with others and drinking moderate amounts of red wine are also important aspects of the Mediterranean diet. According to the American Heart Association<\/em>, you should limit daily alcohol intake to one drink (for women) or two drinks (for men). People prone to alcoholism and substance abuse should steer clear of alcohol in any amounts [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n<\/a>Nutrients<\/span><\/h2>\nWhat makes a Mediterranean-style diet healthy? The answer lies in a diversity of whole foods that deliver essential nutrients such as [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n\n- Vitamins and minerals<\/li>\n
- Polyphenols and other antioxidants (from fruits and vegetables)<\/li>\n
- Healthy unsaturated fats (from fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds & avocado)<\/li>\n
- Dietary fiber (from whole grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A moderate intake of animal products and a limited intake of saturated fat & refined sugar likely contribute to potential health benefits discussed in the following section [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n<\/a>Health Benefits<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/a>Likely Effective:<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/a>1) Heart Disease<\/span><\/h3>\nIn 2018, a group of Italian authors published a huge clinical review of the Mediterranean diet\u2019s health effects, encompassing 29 meta-analyses and over 12,800,000 participants. They found 33% lower heart disease rates and 25% lower mortality from heart disease in people who followed this type of diet [R<\/a>].<\/p>\nAnother large meta-analysis of over 500K subjects found 9% lower mortality from heart disease in people on the Mediterranean diet [R<\/a>].<\/p>\nA calorie-unrestricted Mediterranean diet reduced heart disease risk by 30% in the well-known PREDIMED clinical trial of 7447 Spanish people [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n
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<\/a>]:<\/p>\n When it comes to macronutrients, the Mediterranean diet roughly contains [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n 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<\/a><\/p>\n The following is a general Mediterranean diet menu\/food list [R<\/a>, R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n Consumed generously:<\/p>\n Consumed in moderation:<\/p>\n Consumed sparingly:<\/p>\n Sharing meals with others and drinking moderate amounts of red wine are also important aspects of the Mediterranean diet. According to the American Heart Association<\/em>, you should limit daily alcohol intake to one drink (for women) or two drinks (for men). People prone to alcoholism and substance abuse should steer clear of alcohol in any amounts [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n What makes a Mediterranean-style diet healthy? The answer lies in a diversity of whole foods that deliver essential nutrients such as [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n A moderate intake of animal products and a limited intake of saturated fat & refined sugar likely contribute to potential health benefits discussed in the following section [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In 2018, a group of Italian authors published a huge clinical review of the Mediterranean diet\u2019s health effects, encompassing 29 meta-analyses and over 12,800,000 participants. They found 33% lower heart disease rates and 25% lower mortality from heart disease in people who followed this type of diet [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Another large meta-analysis of over 500K subjects found 9% lower mortality from heart disease in people on the Mediterranean diet [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n A calorie-unrestricted Mediterranean diet reduced heart disease risk by 30% in the well-known PREDIMED clinical trial of 7447 Spanish people [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/a>Mediterranean Diet Food List & Menu<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
<\/a>Nutrients<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/a>Health Benefits<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Likely Effective:<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>1) Heart Disease<\/span><\/h3>\n