If you’ve read up on the Mediterranean Diet in our last post, you might be ready to embrace this kind of eating plan in your own life.

Essentially, the Mediterranean Diet is centred around plenty of fresh, seasonal and local wholefoods. It avoids processed foods, added sugar and refined grains and oils. Here’s a breakdown.

Eat Me

Fruit and veg: Try to eat veggies at every meal, and fruit once or twice a day. 

Olive oil: The go-to fat of the Mediterranean Diet, you can cook with it, dress salads with it, drip bread in it, anything goes!

Nuts and seeds: Full of protein and healthy fats, a handful of nuts and seeds are a great go-to snack and add crunch to any meal. Don’t overdo it though; they are very energy dense. 

Legumes: Beans, peas, lentils, pulses make a great wholefood carb option.

Wholegrains: Ditch the white bread and pasta and opt for wholegrain options – you can also try other wholegrains like quinoa, barley, brown rice and oats. 

Fish and seafood: Eat around twice a week. Try oily fish like salmon, sardines, trout and mackerel for a healthy fat hit. 

Eat Me in Moderation

Red Meat and poultry: While the Mediterranean Diet is primarily plant-based, you can go the occasional high-quality, lean serve of red meat or chicken. Buy less, buy better. 

Diary: Enjoy a serve of Greek yoghurt, your favourite cheese or milk a couple of times a week. 

Wine: The Mediterranean Diet typically allows red wine in moderation – a glass or two every now and then is okay.

Avoid Me

Sugar: Anything with sugar as one of the primary ingredients should be avoided. Luckily, there’s Mediterranean Diet-friendly Lakanto Sugar Substitute for all your sweet treat needs!

Processed meats: Salami and hot dogs are off the menu.

Ultra-processed foods: General rule, if there’s an ingredient your grandma wouldn’t recognise, steer clear. Same goes for ‘diet’ or ‘low-fat’ anything. 

Refined oils: Swap vegetable oils like canola, soybean and cottonseed for good ol’ olive wherever you can. 

And Remember…

The Mediterranean Diet is more of a way of life than a regimented diet plan. In addition to the eating right foods, you should try cooking from scratch wherever you can, exercising every day and embracing a positive food culture. 

Sit down and relax when eating your meals, share your food experiences with loved ones, eat mindfully and, most importantly, enjoy!