What Exactly Is The Mediterranean Diet?

If the word "diet" in general gives you pause, that's a pretty common response. Things like the Beverly Hills diet fad have sworn people off the d-word for generations. But the plainer use of the word "diet" simply refers to a person's nutritional patterns. And that latter usage is typically what applies to the Mediterranean diet, a geographic nutritional pattern that focuses on items like seafood, fruit, veggies, and whole grains. It also prizes extra-virgin olive oil over other fats, as well as nuts and legumes. While you won't find the strict rules and restrictions built into some of those old diet gimmicks, the Mediterranean diet does minimize dairy and typically eschews big portions of things like sweets and red meat, relegating them to an occasional treat. It's often perceived as healthy, thanks to its reliance on plants and lean protein.

Now, the Mediterranean is also a geographically vast region, spanning Greece, Egypt, Italy, France, Turkey, and Spain, and more. It encompasses a ton of broad cuisine categories that become even more nuanced as you zoom in on the regions within. Understand that the "Mediterranean diet" takes some liberties with its moniker. You'll have an infinite number of possible mealtime tableaus across the Mediterranean that all fall within its borders. Still, most folks will more readily identify a plate of grilled fish, veggies, and some kind of rice preparation as Mediterranean versus, say, a golden, cheesy chicken cordon bleu.

While you don't need to mimic a menu from the isle of Naxos, you will want to stay within some broad perimeters to follow the Mediterranean diet. These perimeters also borrow from a historic look at diets across the Mediterranean, not what your BFF in Athens or Tuscany might necessarily follow today. If you wanted to start your day with a fairly standard Mediterranean breakfast, for example, you could have some Greek yogurt with a swirl of honey, or an easy, veggie-centric omelet. Either would constitute your full portion of dairy or eggs for the day. 

You might even already have a lot of pantry items that fit tidily into the Mediterranean diet for lunch. You can give your everyday tuna sandwich a Mediterranean twist by swapping the mayo for olive oil, and serving it on whole wheat bread. "Whole" is an operative word, as in whole grains like barley, to pair with mounds of leafy greens and branzino sautéed in EVOO for dinner. Drained or lightly rinsed canned dolmas could also be your midnight Mediterranean diet snack. Dips like baba ganoush, hummus, and tzatziki also fit the bill. And you can still have that sweet treat via something like a bit of dark chocolate. These are all things that you can probably easily source from your local supermarket or grocery store. Just make sure that you also shop for the requisite spices to keep your Mediterranean diet lively.