For seven consecutive years, the Mediterranean diet has topped US News & World Report's annual ranking of the world's best diets. It has been associated in large-scale studies with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline and certain cancers. Its advocates include some of the world's most respected nutritional scientists. And yet, in Britain, it is still sometimes dismissed as "holiday eating" — something you do on two weeks in Tuscany before returning to your normal habits.
That dismissal, British nutrition experts are at pains to explain, is both unfair and counterproductive. The Mediterranean diet is not a rigid prescription; it is a flexible pattern of eating that can be adapted to any kitchen, any budget and — crucially — any climate. Including the British one.
"The core principles are universally applicable," says registered dietitian Dr. Sarah Lofthouse of King's College London. "It is about proportions and patterns, not specific ingredients. You do not need to be eating Greek olives every day for this to work."
What Is the Mediterranean Diet, Really?
The Mediterranean diet is not a diet in the conventional, restrictive sense. It does not involve calorie counting, eliminating food groups, or purchasing specialist products. It is, at its core, a description of how people in the Mediterranean coastal regions have traditionally eaten: abundantly in plants, moderately in fish and seafood, sparingly in meat, and with olive oil as the primary cooking fat.