Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet (sometimes misspelt Mediteranean) refers to the traditional diet from the Mediterranean basin. Most cookery and diet writers focus on Spanish (east coast), Italian and Greek diets. However, it would be legitimate to include couscous dishes from Morocco and spices from north Africa. And the flat breads from the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean diet is considered particularly healthy because of the high levels of extra virgin olive oil, fruits (particularly citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and tangerines). And the low levels of meat.

Fish and seafood would be normally be included in a healthy Mediterranean diet. However, with the overfishing of the the Mediterranean sea, much of the sea food and fish is now brought from the Atlantic or fish farms. Equally, there are concerns about the concentration of micro plastics and toxins in fish in general.

Hence, a modern Mediterranean Diet – with the goal of delivering healthy and complete food will have less or no fish and little or no meat.

If this diet included meat, it would often be  goat or lamb meat. And in the case of cheese, it would be goat’s or sheep’ cheese rather than cow’s cheese.

A modern Mediterranean diet consists of more than healthy salads. It incorporates pulses and lentils as found in Spanish cuisine. It will also feature a high level of nuts – such as walnuts and almonds that grow prolifically around the northern Mediterranean coast.

However, above all, this diet is about olive oil (and its purest form, Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and red wine – perhaps as a fermented red wine vinegar.

Lastly, the traditional herbs – Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and the more delicate Basil and Oregano – will also play a key role. However, don’t forget to include the spices such as cumin which are found on the southern shore.