Food and Nutrient Features of the Mediterranean Diet

Abstract

This chapter describes the Mediterranean food pattern as rich in vegetables and characterised by a high consumption of olive oil and a reduced intake of meat and dairy products, particularly liquid milk. The so-called good Mediterranean diet corresponds to the dietary pattern found in the olive-growing areas of the Mediterranean region. The concept is linked to rural communities experiencing a period of economic depression after World War II and before the wide dissemination of the fast-food culture. Despite regional variations, common components and cultural aspects can be identified, namely olive oil as the main source of lipids, the consumption of large amounts of seasonal vegetables, fruits and aromatic herbs (some of them gathered from the wild), as well as small intakes of meat and fish, often replaced or complemented with pulses, as sources of protein. Several global and governmental organizations acknowledge the Mediterranean diet as nutritionally adequate, health-promoting and sustainable because of its emphasis on biodiversity and the intake of small meat portions. In short, Mediterranean-style dietary patterns score highly for health, as well as for estimated sustainability scores, and can be followed in Mediterranean as well as in non-Mediterranean countries.