The Mediterranean diet is well renowned for its numerous health benefits including being associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. The Mediterranean diet and recipes feature lots of vegetables, fruits, beans, wholegrains, nuts, fish and olive oil.
RELATED: Get the full list of Mediterranean foods.
Mediterranean diet considerations
Even if you can’t live in the Greek isles, you can eat as if you do by simply...
- Learning to cook with olive oil instead of butter.
- Enjoying a wide range of vegetables with every meal.
- Eating legumes (such as chickpeas and kidney beans) and wholegrains.
- Consuming at least two serves of fish a week (oily fish, such as tuna or salmon, is best for a dose of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids).
- Serving up red meat only one or two times a week.
- Choosing fresh fruit every day and nuts for snacks.
- Dolloping on 99% fat-free plain yoghurt for healthy bones and protein.
- Saving sweets for special occasions.
Quick tip: If you’re trying to cut back on salt, substitute reduced-salt products such as sauces, stocks and canned vegetables in our recipes. You can also omit seasoning the recipe with salt during cooking and at the table.