Mediterranean Diet
A plant-forward eating pattern built around olive oil, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fish, with limited red meat and processed food.
The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern based on the traditional diets of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, particularly Greece and southern Italy in the mid-20th century. It emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil as the primary fat, with moderate fish and dairy, and limited red meat and ultra-processed food.
It is one of the most extensively studied dietary patterns in nutrition science, with strong evidence linking it to cardiovascular health, and associations with longevity in Blue Zone research.
In Practice
A typical Mediterranean-style dinner might be baked fish, a large vegetable salad dressed in extra virgin olive oil and lemon, and a side of whole grains or legumes.
Worth Knowing
There is no single, official 'Mediterranean diet' ... eating patterns vary across the many countries and regions the term draws from. Most research protocols (like PREDIMED) define it operationally: high olive oil, vegetables, and legumes; moderate fish and wine; low red meat and processed food.