Mediterranean Diet For Beginners: A Guide to Get Started

Get a Quick Guide, Shopping List, and Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes for Starting an Authentic Mediterranean Diet from the leading authority on the Authentic Mediterranean diet, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle Expert, Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN.

The Mediterranean diet is considered the gold standard of diets. Study after study has proven its benefits for physical and mental health. Some of the first studies noted Greece and southern Italy as the original source of the diet, with the Cretan diet believed to be the purest form of the diet.

Research has shown that it can protect from heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, promotes longevity, helps maintain a balanced weight, supports mood and brain health, and includes all food groups. It is not a restrictive diet, but there are definitely rules and principles. So how do you follow this diet? What are the rules of the authentic Mediterranean Diet?

Drizzle olive oil on your bread? Add feta cheese to everything? Drink wine with your meals? Well, no, not exactly. What is important is what you DO eat, as well as the pattern of eating.

What is the Authentic Mediterranean Diet?

Despite its popularity, the Mediterranean diet is often misrepresented by media and even some health and nutrition experts. As a registered dietitian nutritionist raised on this diet and the author of a best-selling Mediterranean diet cookbook for beginners, I can assure you that much of what you see online is not the authentic version. This can mean missing out on the true benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

The authentic Mediterranean diet is rooted in specific eating patterns from regions like Greece and Southern Italy in the 1950s and 60s. Yes, there’s room for adaptation, but certain core foods and patterns are essential to experiencing the full health benefits. So, what exactly is the Mediterranean diet?

This diet is primarily plant-based. Vegetables are consumed as main course cooked with plenty of olive oil. Contrary to popular belief, fish is not as dominant as you might expect, and red meat is consumed rarely—about once a month. Poultry is eaten a bit more frequently. Another lesser-known aspect of this diet is the tradition of fasting from animal products for over 200 days each year, with exceptions for certain seafood. This results in a largely vegan diet for much of the year.

How to Get Started with the Mediterranean Diet

Having grown up with the authentic Mediterranean diet, I’ve experienced firsthand what people eat and how they approach food.

Below I provide some easy, but specific guidelines and how to accomplish them that will get you following the Mediterranean diet in no time! These tips are based on the authentioc Mediterranaen diet, not a westernized version.
Let’s get started!

How to Start the Mediterranean Diet: 5 Easy Steps for Beginners

1. Move toward more vegetable based meals.

By this I do not mean vegetarian, that are often carb heavy -think pasta with a few vegetables- but actual main courses that are composed of almost only vegetables. How do you do this? Use the unique technique of cooking vegetables with olive oil and tomato (learn how to here). Greeks have a special category for these dishes known as the ones “cooked in oil”. Almost any vegetable will work. If you were not aware, Greeks are the highest consumers of vegetables in the world, consuming almost a pound a day according to a recent Tufts study. How do they do that? By eating these vegetable casseroles (like the one in the photo above) at least 3 times a week. One serving, which is a large plate of these vegetables is equivalent to 3-4 servings of vegetables. Check out this, this and this recipe for ideas.

2. Stock your pantry and freezer with some Mediterranean Diet basics.

Yes, the Mediterranean diet is all about clean eating, using fresh food. However, there are some frozen and pantry items that will help you go Mediterranean without affecting the nutritional value of your diet:

Frozen vegetables. I keep my freezer stocked with frozen green beans and peas. That way I can make my Greek style vegetable casserole anytime of the year.
Canned tomatoes. I have tons of canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Again this, I use during the winter months to make the vegetable casseroles.
Dry oregano. Yes you need this particular herb and Greeks add it everywhere. Among common herbs, it has the highest antioxidant activity, making it a super-herb.
Frozen herbs. I keep in the freezer frozen parsley, dill and basil. Very useful when you do not have them available in fresh form.
Whole Grain Barley Cretan Rusks. You can find these in ethnic stores or order them online. They have a long shelf life and are great source of fiber. They are a basic ingredient for the Cretan style salad called dakos, but they are great when accompanied with a dip or just cheese and olives and take the place of bread.

3. Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil…Correctly.

What does this mean? Well, take it from us Greeks who are the highest consumers of olive oil in the world by far, here are some things we do:

Know that only extra virgin olive oil contains all those antioxidants, so using other types will have little benefit as well as little taste.
Your olive oil needs to be fresh, so if you have a bottle of olive oil in the cabinet since 2010, that you use here and there, you are doing it wrong. Only fresh olive oil has the nutritional value and the flavor. Which takes us to my next point…
Use olive oil as the main source of fat in your diet. That means you can sauté, cook and roast with it. There are even desserts you can make with it. How much olive oil a day? Minimally 2-3 tablespoons a day. For more information on using olive oil correctly, check out this post.

4. Eat meat as a side dish.

You’ve heard that the Mediterranean diet is low on meat. How low? Well originally, red meat was limited to one serving a week. If it’s hard to do that, how about trying to have red meat as a side, rather than a main course? So you could technically eat red meat two times a week in this way, an example would be a vegetable casserole with 2 ounces of meat on the side.

5. Make an effort to eat fish 2 times a week, even if it’s canned.

We often hear about how fish is such an important component of the Mediterranean diet, but many people have a hard time with this. Well, it doesn’t have to be fresh. Greek consumed small fish like sardines and anchovies, but those who lived in mountainous areas did not even eat fresh fish as often as we think because it was not available to them. Instead, they ate cured or marinated fish and consumed them on the side. With that in mind you can use canned sardines and anchovies, consume them mixed in pasta or salads, on a toast bruschetta style, heated up with some vegetables or mixed with beans Greek style. Frozen is also a good alternative, cooked in the oven. How often? Minimally 2 times a week.

Mediterranean Diet Shopping List

-Vegetables-

The key here is to be seasonal and as local as possible. No need to buy imported artichokes for example. What is more important is the method they are cooked and how they are consumed: cooked in olive oil and tomato usually, and consumed as a main course. I do recommend having on hand some frozen vegetables such as peas, spinach (for a quick spanakopita) and green beans when you cannot access fresh produce.

Tomatoes
Peppers
Onions
Eggplant
Cucumbers
Green beans
Okra
Zucchini
Garlic
Peas
Potatoes
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Carrots
Celery leaves
Beets
Spinach
Cabbage
Romaine Lettuce
Frozen (spinach, peas, green beans)

-Fruit-

Same concept, local and seasonal. It should be noted that Greeks consume more citrus in the winter which are an important source of antioxidants.

Oranges
Tangerines
Lemons
Apples
Pears
Cherries
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Peaches
Pears
Figs
Apricots
Dried Fruit: Raisins, Figs, Prunes, Apricots, Dates

-Dairy-

Main sources of dairy is cheese and yogurt. I did not include milk in this list, but if you consume it add it to your list. It should be noted that dairy consumed within a Mediterranean diet is not low fat.

Strained (Greek) Yogurt
Sheep’s milk yogurt
Feta cheese
Fresh cheese such as ricotta
Parmesan
Fresh Mozzarella
Graviera
Mitzithra

Meat and Poultry

Red meat is generally consumed once a week and chicken once a week. Meat is not the main attraction in any meal, unless it is a holiday or celebration. Common meat dishes include beef patties with herbs, chicken cooked in tomato, roasted chicken or roasted lamb.

Chicken (whole, legs etc.)
Ground Beef
Veal
Pork

Eggs

Eggs play such an important role in the Mediterranean diet. As the diet had very little meat, eggs were a good form of protein and were consumed as a main meal. Eggs are generally consumed as an evening meal or even for lunch accompanied with a salad. Usually as an omelette and sometimes fried in olive oil.

Fish and Seafood

The fish is mainly small and fatty. But remember even in Greece in the mountainous areas, fish was not necessarily consumed fresh, but mostly in a cured form. So you can go ahead and use canned sardines and anchovies.

Anchovies (fresh or canned)
Sardines (fresh or canned)
Cod
Shrimp
Octopus
Calamari

Grains, Bread, Pasta, Rice

The Mediterranean diet is not a high carbohydrate diet, in fact nutrition analysis show that only 40% of calories come from carbs. They most common carb is bread. Bread accompanies all the vegetable dishes. Once a week there will be a dish with pasta, and rice is often mixed with vegetables such as in spinach rice or leek rice.

Bread (preferable whole grains)
Paximadi (Barley Rusks)-Get recipe>> Authentic Greek Barley Rusks
Whole grain breadsticks
Pita bread- Get Recipe>>Best Homemade Pita Bread
Phyllo
Pasta
Rice
Egg pasta
Bulgur
Couscous

Fats and nuts

As noted olive oil is your main source of fat, you use it for cooking, baking and sautéing. Try and find the freshest extra virgin olive oil you can get your hands on. Get some tips here for buying olive oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tahini
Almonds
Walnuts
Pine Nuts
Pistachios
Sesame seeds

Beans

Beans play an important role in the Mediterranean diet. We eat them about twice a week. In Greece we use mostly dry, but canned can work for convenience.

Lentils
White beans
Chickpeas (Garbanzo)
Butter beans
Black-eyed peas
Yellow Split Pea (fava)
Pinto Beans
Borlotti Beans

Pantry Items

Items that are not on the other list will go here. One of my most used pantry items are canned tomatoes that I use when making all those vegetable dishes on the winter.

Canned tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Olives
Sundried Tomatoes
Capers
Balsamic/red wine vinegar
Honey
Wine (optional)

Herbs and Spices

Greek cuisine is mostly a cuisine of herbs, and there a few spices that are used such as cinnamon sticks, all spice and occasionally cumin. Herbs are also used in beverages, and play an important in the health benefits of the diet.

Oregano
Parsley
Dill
Mint
Basil
Cumin
All Spice
Cinnamon
Pepper/sea salt
Herbal teas (chamomile, mountain tea, sage, thyme, mint)

Greens

This is another aspect of the diet that is important nutritionally. Try and include various greens in your diet. In Greece we lightly boil them and serve them with olive oil and lemon. Or you can make a pita (hortopita) with them.

Chicory
Dandelion
Beet Greens
Mustard greens
Collard greens
Endive
Chard
Amaranth

More Mediterranean Diet Resources

The Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan

With this easy guide, you will get an easy to follow authentic Mediterranean diet meal plan with everything you need to get started: recipes and tips.
Get the meal plan>> The Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan

10 Easy Mediterranean Recipes for Beginners

These simple yet delicious beginner-friendly recipes will introduce you to the delicious and wholesome flavors of the authentic Mediterranean diet.
Get the recipes >> 10 Easy Mediterranean Recipes for Beginners

10 Mediterranean Diet Shortcuts for Busy People

The Busy person’s guide to following the Mediterranean Diet. 10 Tried and Tested Tips that work.
Get the tips >> 10 Mediterranean Diet Shortcuts for Busy People

My Highly Regarded and Highly Rated Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners

The complete and only guide you will need to get started on the Mediterranean Diet. I share 100 recipes, alongside a lifetime of expert advice, menu plans, cooking and shopping tips, and a comprehensive lifestyle guide. The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners is packed with tried and trusted information that you will actually use!
Purchase the book >> Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Hudson Booksellers | Indiebound | B ooks-a-Million | Indigo | Target | Walmart |