The Mediterranean diet is one of the most popular diets. And there's a reason: The diet helps lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and age-related memory decline.1
Unlike other popular diets, the Mediterranean diet doesn't involve strict rules like calorie counting or tracking macronutrients like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Instead, followers consume foods that are part of the traditional diet of people who live in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Those foods include many vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and fish.
If that sounds like a preferable eating style, here's an overview of the foods that make up the bulk of the Mediterranean diet and the foods you should limit.
People who follow the Mediterranean diet eat four or more servings of vegetables daily and three or more servings of fruits. Therefore, produce is an essential staple.
For reference, only 10% of adults in the United States eat two to three cups of vegetables daily. And only 12.3% eat the advised one and a half to two cups of fruit.2
The vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, two of the leading causes of death in the United States.
What's more, fruits and vegetables may also boost your mental health. A 2020 study in the journal Nutrients found that adults who consumed at least five servings of produce daily saw improved sleep, mood, optimism, self-esteem, and happiness. The researchers also observed decreased stress, nervousness, and anxiety.3
While that sounds great, eating that much produce in a 24-hour period can be overwhelming.
So, when deciding what to eat for a meal or snack, start with produce first. Whip leafy greens and fruit into a breakfast smoothie. Swap a lunchtime sandwich for an entree salad, and replace half your dinner portion of pasta with spiralized zucchini or any vegetable. Round the day with snacks like fruits and nuts or vegetables with hummus.
People who live in the Mediterranean tend to consume three to four servings of whole grains daily, with one serving equal to a half cup of cooked whole grain or slice of bread.
Some whole grains found in a Mediterranean diet include:4
A 2018 review published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that high consumption of whole grains lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, and overall death.5 However, in the United States, people get less than 16% of their total daily grains from whole grains.6
Try upgrading your refined grains to their whole counterparts. Swap a breakfast pastry for a bowl of oatmeal, opt for brown rice instead of white rice at dinner, or replace your white bread sandwich with a lunchtime salad made with cooked quinoa.
Pulses include all varieties of beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas. On the Mediterranean diet, three or more servings of pulses are consumed per week.
And there's a good reason: A 2021 study published in Nutrients found that people who consumed pulses also had higher intakes of fiber, folate, and magnesium than those who didn't.
Those who consumed 2.5 ounces—roughly a half cup of cooked chickpeas or other pulses—also got more potassium, zinc, iron, and choline, along with lower amounts of fat.7
Some examples of pulses in the Mediterranean diet include:8
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Beans
- Peas
If you're wondering how to incorporate more pulses into your diet, swap them for meat. For example, instead of beef stew, try lentil soup. Or, snack on roasted chickpeas over beef jerky.
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