A Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is touted as one of the world’s healthiest diets. Abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and lean sources of protein like fish and protein over red meat, this healthy eating plan is based on typical foods and recipes of Mediterranean-style cooking.

And while we are never ones to advocate specific “diets,” the Mediterranean diet is simply a way of eating and a great example of how you can make well-balanced food choices that taste great, boost your health and even promote weight loss!

So if you’re new to the Mediterranean diet and looking for easy Mediterranean recipes for beginners, or if you’ve been eating this way for a while, we’ve got some great ideas for you.

What Makes Up the Mediterranean Diet?

Key components of the Mediterranean diet include:

• eating primarily plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• replacing butter with healthy fats like olive oil
• using herbs and spices over salt for flavoring
• limiting red meat to a few times a month or limiting to three-ounce portions
• eating fish at least twice a week
• eating moderate portions of cheese and yogurt daily to weekly
• eating moderate portions of poultry and eggs every two days or weekly
• drinking plenty of water
• drinking red wine in moderation

Mediterranean Diet Health Benefits

Much research has been conducted on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for health. Eating like the Mediterranean has been found to:

• reduce levels of inflammation (which is a risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease)
• aid in weight loss
• better control of blood sugar levels
• reduce the risk of depression
• reduce the incidence of cancer
• and more!

Whereas various restrictive diets can deter people, the Mediterranean diet won’t uproot everything you know and love about food.

You can make simple changes over a period of time to make the diet feel less like a challenge and more like a lifestyle.

Easy Mediterranean Recipe Tips For Beginners

Follow these cooking tips for a great place to start if you’re new to cooking or the Mediterranean diet.

1. Switch out your butter for olive oil when sautéing your food.
2. Opt for whole grains over refined breads and pastas.
3. Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your day by replacing typical snacks with them.
4. Substitute fish for red meat in your meals a couple times a week.
5. Switch high-fat dairy with skim or 1 percent milk.
6. Make small swaps like switching mayonnaise for hummus spread in your sandwich, switch out crackers and chips for celery, carrots, or pepper strips, choose quinoa over white rice, and salmon burgers over hamburgers.

After making these small shifts in your diet over the course of a couple of weeks or months, you can work toward swapping entire meals to wholly reflect the Mediterranean diet.

Try My Mediterranean Chopped Salad

Looking for a delicious recipe to get you inspired? This colorful and flavorful Mediterranean chopped salad makes a healthy addition to your weeknight dinner rotation. Serve as a simple side dish or add protein and pack it for lunch.