What's on a Mediterranean diet food list?
Mostly plants, fish and olive oil. Eat beans, wholegrains, veg and nuts often, and cut back on red meat and sweets. But no single food does the job. One swap matters most.
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What foods are on the Mediterranean diet food list?
Plants come first. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) puts fruit, veg, beans, nuts and wholegrains at the heart of it. Fish, chicken, eggs and lower-fat dairy come in moderate amounts.
Your fat comes from olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil, not butter, lard or ghee. Red and processed meat, sweets, crisps and ready meals get cut back.
| Food | Eat often | BHF says avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit and veg | Fresh, tinned and frozen | Juices and smoothies |
| Bread, pasta and rice | Wholemeal bread, wholegrain pasta, brown rice, bulgur wheat | White bread, pasta and rice |
| Protein | White and oily fish, beans, lentils, eggs, chicken, low-fat mince | Bacon, sausages and fatty red meat |
| Dairy | Lower-fat milk, cheese and plain yoghurt | Full-fat milk, cheese and plain yoghurt |
| Fats | Olive, rapeseed and sunflower oil | Butter, ghee and lard |
| Snacks | Plain nuts and seeds | Crisps, biscuits, chocolate, sweets, cakes |
| Drinks | Water, still or sparkling | Fizzy drinks and alcohol |
| Flavour | Herbs and spices, fresh and dried | Table salt |
Source: BHF
Nothing here is exotic. The BHF says the mix follows the Eatwell Guide, the UK's own healthy eating plan.
Take a photo of the list before your next shop.
Mediterranean diet shopping list
| Aisle | What to buy |
|---|---|
| Fruit and veg | Tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, lemons, salad leaves and whatever fruit is in season. |
| Tins | Chickpeas, lentils, beans and sardines in water, not brine. Chopped tomatoes. |
| Freezer | Peas, spinach, berries and white fish like cod or haddock. |
| Bread, pasta and rice | Wholemeal bread, wholegrain pasta, brown rice and bulgur wheat. |
| Fish and meat | Salmon, mackerel or trout. Chicken or low-fat mince. |
| Dairy and eggs | Eggs, lower-fat milk and plain yoghurt. A little cheese. |
| Cupboard | Olive or rapeseed oil, plain nuts and seeds, dried herbs and spices. |
Tins and frozen bags count. The BHF list includes fresh, tinned and frozen fruit and veg.
Buy tins in water instead of brine, which is salty water. On a label, more than 1.5g of salt per 100g is high. So is more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.
Want meals to cook from this shop? See Mediterranean meal ideas.
How much fish, veg and salt?
| Food | How much | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Fish | At least 2 portions a week, 1 of them oily | A portion is around 140g. Tuna isn't oily fish. |
| Oily fish limit | No more than 2 portions a week | Girls and women before the menopause, including if trying for a baby, pregnant or breastfeeding. |
| Fruit and veg | 5 A Day | 80g a portion. Beans count once a day. Potatoes don't count. |
| Juice and smoothies | No more than 150ml a day in total | Only ever counts as 1 of your 5 A Day. |
| Red and processed meat | Cut down to 70g a day, if you now eat more than 90g a day | Cooked weight. |
| Salt | No more than 6g a day | Around 1 level teaspoon, for adults. |
| Saturated fat | No more than 30g a day (men) or 20g (women) | Check the label per 100g. |
Sources: NHS: fish; NHS: 5 A Day; NHS: meat; NHS: salt; NHS: fats
Oily fish means salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, herring, pilchards or sprats. More in omega-3 foods.
Feta, olives and cured meat are salty. The NHS says to eat them less often or in small amounts.
Count your fish this week. Under 2 portions? Add a tin of sardines to the list.
Which swap matters most?
No single food does the job. The BHF says the benefit comes from the whole diet, not one food alone.
Think of a football team. One star signing won't win the league if the rest of the side stays the same.
So should you just pour olive oil on top? No. Use it in place of butter.
That swap is fat. The BHF singles out swapping saturated fat (the kind in butter, lard and ghee) for unsaturated fat (the kind in olive, rapeseed and sunflower oil). The NHS says this swap can help lower your cholesterol.
Six swaps for your next shop
- Swap butter, lard and ghee for olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil.
- Swap white bread, pasta and rice for wholemeal bread, wholegrain pasta and brown rice.
- Swap bacon and sausages for fish, beans or lentils.
- Swap crisps for plain nuts and seeds.
- Swap fizzy drinks for water, still or sparkling.
- Swap table salt for herbs and spices.
A Spanish trial followed 7,447 adults aged 55 to 80 at high risk of heart disease. Those given extra-virgin olive oil or nuts had around 30% lower risk of heart attack or stroke than those given low-fat advice.
That was in older people at high risk, so it's a guide, not a promise. For more swaps, see cholesterol-lowering foods.
Do I have to eat Mediterranean food?
No. The British Dietetic Association says you don't need to ditch your traditional foods. Rice, chapatti, yams, noodles or bread can be the base, wholegrain where you can.
Cooking a curry? The BHF suggests swapping ghee, coconut or palm oil for olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil.
Making a Bolognese? Add lentils to stretch the mince.
The BDA suggests at least two to three meat-free days a week. Beans and lentils are also a good source of fibre. See our high-fibre foods guide.
What about red wine? The BHF says it's optional, like all alcohol. It isn't thought to be behind the diet's benefits.
Peckish between meals? The BHF's best picks are nuts and seeds, fresh or dried fruit, and natural yoghurt.
When to speak to a GP
Speak to a GP or your care team if:
- You have diabetes and take insulin or other medicines that can cause hypos (low blood sugar). Speak to your diabetes team before big diet changes, says Diabetes UK. Your medicine may need adjusting.
- You're aged 40 to 74, have no existing health condition and haven't been invited to an NHS Health Check. Contact your GP practice. It includes a blood pressure and a cholesterol test.
- You keep losing weight without changing your diet or exercise routine.
Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Got diabetes? See the type 2 diabetes food list. For cholesterol, see how to lower cholesterol.