What makes Mediterranean cuisine so healthy?

Known fondly as ‘sunshine cuisine’, the Mediterranean diet is brimming with healthy and distinct flavours and is one of the most well-known, nourishing and unique cuisines in the world.

Mediterranean food is centred around consuming mostly plant-based foods, including fruits and vegetables, beans, brown rice, wholegrain bread, legumes and a variety of different nuts, although almonds tend to predominate.

Though giving Mediterranean food its unique healthy aroma is the fact that rich butter is replaced with lashings of healthy olive oil. As well as olive oil replacing butter, herbs and spices tend to be used abundantly in Mediterranean cooking, a healthier replacement to too much salt. Mediterranean food combines a reasonable amount of meat, alongside a healthy dosage of fresh fish and seafood.

Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, whereas polyunsaturated fats can be found in seeds and types of fish, particularly the oilier varieties. The combination of healthy foods that make up the Mediterranean diet, have a long-term health benefits.

Research into eating a regular Mediterranean style diet shows it can help lessen the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, as well as keeping cholesterol levels under control. It can also regulate blood pressure, all of which is good for your heart.

Whilst Mediterranean food is intrinsically healthy, there’s plenty of staples on the Med that aren’t so healthy but incredibly tasty. Pasta, pizzas and lasagne from Italy, for example, or, for that matter, hummus and pita from Greece, alongside baskets of white bread with every meal, multiple courses and several bottles of wine!