# The Mediterranean Diet — Benefits and Key Foods — The South of France > Olive oil, oily fish, vegetables and pulses: the Mediterranean way of eating is one of the best-studied in the world. What the research says, and how to bring it to your own table. *Source : https://the-south-of-france.com/en/the-table/mediterranean-diet/* --- By **The Editors** Spring 20269 min read Share LinkMail More than a menu, the Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that took shape around the coasts of the Midi, Greece, Italy and Spain: olive oil rather than butter, fish and pulses rather than red meat, and vegetables and fruit at nearly every meal. It is not a fashionable regimen but an everyday habit — and one of the most studied in nutritional science. Here is what the research actually shows, and how to bring it to your own table. ## I. The principles of the Mediterranean diet The pattern is easy to describe and pleasant to keep. **Olive oil** is the main source of fat; **vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, pulses and nuts** form the base of most meals; **fish and seafood** appear several times a week, dairy (chiefly yoghurt and cheese) in moderation, and red meat only occasionally. Meals are shared, unhurried and built around fresh, seasonal produce. It is, in essence, a way of balanced eating rather than a short-term cure — and adopting a lasting [rééquilibrage alimentaire](https://equilibre-alimentaire.com/) is closer to its spirit than any crash diet. “It is not a fashionable regimen but an everyday habit — olive oil, fish, vegetables and pulses, shared without hurry.” From the notebook ## II. The key foods **Olive oil** — ideally extra-virgin — is the cornerstone, valued for its monounsaturated fats and polyphenols. **Oily fish** such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel bring long-chain omega-3 fatty acids; the small blue fish of the Mediterranean are also, incidentally, among the [poissons riches en calcium](https://alimentscalcium.com/calcium-poisson) when their soft bones are eaten, as with tinned sardines. **Vegetables and fruit** supply fibre, vitamins and antioxidants; **pulses** — chickpeas, lentils, white beans — are the traditional protein of the region, filling and inexpensive. Nuts, wholegrains and herbs round out a larder that is more about abundance than restriction. ![Sardines, tomatoes and olive oil on a market stall](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1598272506579-77eaafa61bc3?fm=jpg&q=74&w=1400&auto=format&fit=crop) Sardines, tomatoes and olive oil — the everyday larder of the Midi. ## III. What the research documents The Mediterranean diet is among the best-evidenced eating patterns in the world. The Spanish **PREDIMED** trial, published in the _New England Journal of Medicine_ in 2013 (and re-analysed in 2018), followed thousands of adults at cardiovascular risk and reported fewer major cardiovascular events among those assigned a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts, compared with a control low-fat diet. Health authorities echo the broader picture: France’s **ANSES** and the **WHO** both recommend more vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and pulses and less red and processed meat, sugar and salt — the very shape of this diet. The **EFSA**, for its part, has assessed the role of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids in normal heart function. The consensus is a pattern associated with good cardiovascular health — not a treatment or a guarantee for any individual. ![A shared Mediterranean meal on a sunny terrace](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1653580650559-9998f8a2e062?fm=jpg&q=76&w=2400&auto=format&fit=crop) Shared, unhurried and seasonal — as much a way of living as of eating. ## IV. Adopting it day to day You need not live on the coast to eat this way. Cook with olive oil, keep a bowl of fruit on the table, and let vegetables take up half the plate. Put fish — including inexpensive tinned sardines and mackerel — on the menu two or three times a week, and let pulses stand in for meat several nights. Choose wholegrain bread and pasta, snack on a handful of nuts, season with herbs rather than salt, and drink water. The point is not perfection but a steady balance kept over years. A word of caution: the Mediterranean diet is a way of eating, not a medical treatment. It supports general well-being but replaces no prescription and cures no illness. Anyone with a specific condition, a pregnancy or particular dietary needs should seek the advice of a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes. ## V. Questions & answers **Is the Mediterranean diet good for the heart?** Large studies, notably the PREDIMED trial, associate this eating pattern with better cardiovascular health. It is a pattern linked to good outcomes at population level, not a treatment or a guarantee for any one person. **Which fish belong to the Mediterranean diet?** Oily fish such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel are typical, valued for their omega-3 fatty acids; eaten with their soft bones, small tinned fish also provide calcium. **Can you lose weight with the Mediterranean diet?** It is above all a balanced, lasting way of eating rather than a slimming regimen. Any change in weight depends on overall energy balance and lifestyle; for a tailored plan, consult a health professional. The Practical Carnet · Carnet pratique ### At a _glance_ The base Olive oil, vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, pulses and nuts at most meals. Several times a week Fish and seafood — including inexpensive sardines and mackerel; dairy in moderation. Occasionally Red and processed meat, sweets; season with herbs rather than salt. Good to know A way of eating, not a medical treatment — seek a doctor or dietitian for specific needs. Read next [The Provence table, a field guide](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/the-table/provence-table-guide/) E About the Author · L’auteur #### Élise Marchand Travel Editor — based in Marseille Élise has been driving the back roads of the Midi for the journal since its first issue. She pays for her own rooms and her own lunches — and only writes about the places she would return to. [More by Élise Marchand — voir ses articles](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/journal/) Continue reading · À lire ensuite ### More from the _Table_ [ ![A Provençal table set for lunch](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1585414299081-99d451e6b155?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop) The Table #### The Provence table, a field guide ](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/the-table/)[ ![A Riviera terrace laid for a meal](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1604200657090-ae45994b2451?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop) The Table #### The Riviera table, from Nice to Menton ](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/the-table/)[ ![A morning market in the South of France](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1571388878919-2d2214775af4?fm=jpg&q=74&w=900&auto=format&fit=crop) Things to Do #### The morning market, town by town ](https://the-south-of-france.com/en/things-to-do/)