How to Follow the Mediterranean Diet

Aside from great nutrition, whole grains add a variety of flavors and textures to any meal: the nutty complexity of farro, the heartiness of barley and the crunch of oats toasted in granola or on top of a fruit crisp.

Below, we offer strategies for eating more whole grains, along with some recipes selected by our colleagues at NYT Cooking.

What to keep in your pantry

To help you meet your whole-grain goals, try stocking up on these affordable and shelf-stable basics:

• Rolled or steel-cut oats

• Whole-grain, low-sugar breakfast cereals like shredded wheat, muesli and wheat flakes

• Whole-grain bread

• Whole-grain crackers to dunk into hummus or top with cheese

• Popcorn (consider popping it yourself so you can control the ingredients)

• Dried grains like millet, farro, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur and barley to use in main dishes, as simple sides or as additions to soups and salads

Meal ideas that center whole grains

Once you have some ingredients on hand, you get to start playing around with recipes.

For each day of our Mediterranean diet series, we and our colleagues at NYT Cooking have selected a few recipes that incorporate the ingredients we’re highlighting. This is not intended to be a meal plan, but rather inspiration for how to include more of these healthful foods in your week.

For breakfast, you might have whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and a side of fruit, plain yogurt with fruit and granola, or a steaming bowl of oatmeal topped with nuts and dried fruit. You could try Martha Rose Shulman’s cozy bulgur maple porridge, or Melissa Clark’s granola with dried apricots and pistachios; the not-so-secret ingredient, Melissa says, is olive oil, the favored oil of the Mediterranean diet (more on that on Day 5).

Lunch could be a sandwich on whole-wheat bread — maybe made with cheese, avocado, hummus, lettuce and tomato — or leftover veggies wrapped in a whole-grain tortilla. But if you have time to cook, Yewande Komolafe’s toasted millet salad with cucumber, avocado and lemon is light and packed with flavor. Or try Sohla El-Waylly’s quinoa and broccoli spoon salad, with crispy raw broccoli and crunchy pecans to complement the fluffy quinoa.

For dinner, I’m trying to break my usual bread-and-rice routine to cook some whole grains I don’t use often enough. This could be as simple as quinoa or millet with a side of veggies and steamed fish. Or maybe Kay Chun’s baked barley risotto with mushrooms and carrots or Yasmin Fahr’s farro with blistered tomatoes, pesto and spinach. For the chilliest January nights, I’m thinking of Melissa Clark’s turkey, farro and chickpea soup. Join me?

The Mediterranean diet is an approach to eating that emphasizes whole, mostly plant-based foods — with health benefits backed by decades of research. Although exact recommendations vary, it generally calls for at least one serving of fruits and one serving of vegetables at every meal (though some guidelines suggest even more). Below, we offer strategies for doing just that, along with some recipes selected by our colleagues at NYT Cooking.

What to keep on hand

During the winter, I like to stock up on whatever is in season — leafy greens, root vegetables, winter squash, citrus fruits, pears, apples. But come spring, I’ll celebrate the appearance of crisp asparagus, rhubarb, peas and strawberries.

Here’s what I look for at the supermarket:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks, salads and sides

• Canned goods to use in soups, salads and sandwiches — like pickles, olives and diced tomatoes

• Frozen fruits and vegetables that are easy to steam, stir-fry or toss into whatever you’re cooking — like peas, corn, broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, blueberries, strawberries and peaches

Aim to include a variety of produce with different colors and textures so you can get a healthy mix of nutrients.

Meal ideas that center produce

For each day of our Mediterranean diet series, we and our colleagues at NYT Cooking have selected a few recipes that incorporate the ingredients we’re highlighting. This is not intended to be a meal plan for a day, but rather inspiration for how to include more of these healthful foods in your week.

For breakfast, throw a banana, some leafy greens, frozen berries, yogurt and a handful of seeds into a quick smoothie. For mornings that call for something warm, try Mark Bittman’s more-vegetable-than-egg frittata — it’s “proof that eating well doesn’t have to be deprivational,” Mark says.

For lunch, you might have a big bowl of salad greens piled high with whatever you have around — a handful of chopped cucumber and tomatoes, a scoop of chickpeas, some leftover quinoa, a sprinkle of feta, a drizzle of olive oil.

But if you have time to cook, consider Hetty Lui McKinnon’s cashew and celery stir-fry, an “uncomplicated but elegant” dish that includes a generous amount of tofu and dark, leafy greens. There’s also Ali Slagle’s kale and butternut squash bowl with jammy eggs, where the eggs are nestled among vibrant vegetables in a bowl of brown rice.

For a quick no-recipe dinner, you might stir fry some vegetables with ground turkey and serve it over brown rice. If there’s time for soup to simmer, try Ham El-Waylly’s vegetable tortilla soup, featuring purple cabbage, sweet potato, chipotle peppers and pinto beans, topped with avocado. Or for a different set of flavors, Yewande Komolafe’s vegetable maafé — an earthy stew that “goes all in on produce” with green plantains, butternut squash and hearty greens. And for a night that calls for something fancier, Melissa Clark’s citrusy roast chicken with pears and figs, loaded with caramelized fruit and fresh herbs, is the definition of sweet and savory.

If you’re craving something sweet for dessert, consider fresh fruit — try Kay Chun’s refreshing savory fruit salad, where fresh fennel, mint and lime juice complement the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Mediterranean diet guidelines typically suggest having at least two or three servings of legumes per week, which can be done without having to turn on your stove.

But it’s fun — and pretty darn easy — to cook with legumes, too. And our colleagues at NYT Cooking have a wealth of recipes for us to try.

What to keep on hand

Beans, lentils and peas are excellent pantry staples because they’re usually inexpensive and have a long shelf life. Throw in a few refrigerated and frozen items, and you’ll have a variety of legumes to choose from.

Here’s what is always on my shopping list:

• Hummus for snacking and sandwiches (you can buy it premade or consider whipping it up yourself)

• Canned beans for quick additions to soups, salads, nachos or tacos

• Dried lentils and beans (if you’ve never cooked beans from scratch, start with our fantastic guide)

• Frozen peas and edamame

How to cook with legumes

For each day of our Mediterranean diet series, we and our colleagues at NYT Cooking have selected a few recipes that incorporate the ingredients we’re highlighting. This is not intended to be a meal plan for a day, but rather inspiration for how to include more of these healthful foods in your week.

Beans for breakfast? Yes, please. Just add a scoop of black beans to your scrambled eggs and top with salsa, or you can get a little fancier with Kay Chun’s gorgeous huevos rancheros. If you’re planning ahead, try J.J. Goode’s adaptation of Steve Sando’s simple beans on toast; cook up a batch of dried beans on the weekend, and you’ve got breakfast covered for at least a few mornings of the week ahead.

For lunch, this chickpea salad sandwich, made with canned chickpeas mashed with a creamy lemon-tahini dressing, is delicious and easy to make in advance. Lidey Heuck’s quick cherry tomato and white bean salad, with a generous hunk of whole-grain bread dipped in olive oil, also makes for a light lunch.

Two of my favorite dinner recipes are Melissa Clark’s red lentil soup and Ali Slagle’s sheet-pan feta with chickpeas and tomatoes. They’re simple to prepare from ingredients you may already have on hand — and with a green salad and good bread, they make for satisfying meals.

The Mediterranean diet has traditionally included a generous amount of nuts and seeds. Guidelines vary from three servings per week to one to two servings per day.

Whatever your goal, it’s easy to accomplish — whether you’re dipping apple slices into almond butter, sprinkling walnuts onto oatmeal or yogurt, or scattering sunflower seeds over your salad. Just keep in mind that nuts and seeds are relatively high in calories; a one-ounce serving of almonds has 170 calories and two tablespoons of peanut butter has 204 calories. That can add up fast.

What to keep in your pantry

Aim to have at least a few different types of nuts and seeds on hand for nibbling and using in recipes:

• Raw or roasted tree nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews; as well as peanuts (peanuts are technically legumes, but their nutritional profile is more like tree nuts)

• Seeds like flax, chia, sesame and pumpkin; and pine nuts (which are not nuts, despite their name)

• Peanut and other nut butters

How to incorporate nuts and seeds into meals

For each day of our Mediterranean diet series, we and our colleagues at NYT Cooking have selected a few recipes that embrace the ingredients we’re highlighting. This is not intended to be a meal plan for a day, but rather inspiration for how to include more of these healthful foods in your week.

For breakfast, you might add a tablespoon of chia or flaxseeds to your smoothie, or smear almond butter onto a whole-grain English muffin. With a little planning, Genevieve Ko’s overnight oats are a perfect vehicle for whatever nuts or seeds your heart desires.

For lunch, I am not above a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole grain bread with a side of carrot and celery sticks. But if I have a few minutes, I’ll make Sue Li’s cucumber salad with roasted peanuts and chile. The “velvety peanut sauce” and crunchy peanut topping complement the “snappy” cucumbers used in this recipe. Or I’ll try Melissa Clark’s lemony asparagus salad with shaved cheese and nuts.

For dinner, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds will make just about any cooked vegetable more interesting, as in Martha Rose Shulman’s Swiss chard with currants and pine nuts or Colu Henry’s roasted cauliflower with feta, almonds and olives.

For a main dish, look no further than Jocelyn Ramirez’s mole verde, an “earthy sauce” that blends generous measures of sesame seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and almonds with seared chiles and fresh tomatillos, romaine lettuce and herbs. Serve with sautéed mushrooms and a protein of your choice, like tofu steaks or salmon.

For a light dessert (or tomorrow’s breakfast), try this chia seed pudding topped with almonds. It’s a nutrient-dense treat with “a tapioca-like texture and gently sweet flavor.”

Researchers believe that olive oil, the preferred fat source in the Mediterranean diet, may be one of the main contributors to its health benefits. It’s rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent damage to your cells and blood vessels.

In a 2022 study of more than 90,000 U.S. adults spanning 28 years, for instance, those who consumed at least half a tablespoon of olive oil each day were significantly less likely to die of cancer or cardiovascular, neurodegenerative or respiratory diseases than those who rarely or never consumed it.

Fish also features prominently in the Mediterranean diet, especially fatty varieties like salmon, tuna, anchovies and sardines. These are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve blood cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation and blood pressure. Most Mediterranean diet guidelines recommend at least two servings of fish per week.

But let’s not give olive oil and fish all of the credit. Whole grains, nuts, seeds and olives also contribute to the diet’s healthy fats. And though they’re not native to the Mediterranean region, avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats and are often included in modern versions of the diet. Below, we offer ideas for incorporating these foods into your routine, along with some recipes our colleagues at NYT Cooking have selected.

What to keep on hand

Earlier this week, we stocked up on whole grains, nuts and seeds. Here are a few more items to infuse healthy fats into your meals:

• Extra-virgin olive oil (our colleagues at Wirecutter have shared their favorite grocery store brands in this guide)

• Avocados

• Canned (or tinned) fish like tuna, salmon, anchovies and sardines

• Fresh or frozen fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel and cod

How to cook with healthy fats

For each day of our Mediterranean diet series, we and our colleagues at NYT Cooking have picked a few recipes that embrace the ingredients we’re highlighting. This is not intended to be a meal plan for a day, but rather inspiration for how to include more of these healthful foods in your week.

For breakfast, you might smash some avocado onto whole-grain toast and top it with a drizzle of olive oil. In this recipe from Julia Moskin and Giles Russell, optional garnishes like fresh herbs, pickled red onions and pumpkin or sesame seeds take avocado toast to the next level.

Craig Claiborne’s classic tuna salad sandwich is a quick, budget-friendly lunch option — but if you’re looking for something more “intense and pronounced,” try Ali Slagle’s sardine salad on a whole-wheat bagel, over greens or between two slices of whole-grain toast. Anchovies are also a flavorful addition to salad dressing, as in David Tanis’s vibrant radicchio-anchovy salad.

For dinner, try Alison Roman’s slow-roasted citrus salmon with herb salad (ready in 35 minutes) or Mark Bittman’s grilled tuna with herbs and olives (ready in 20). And let’s not forget about tinned and jarred fish. Sohla El-Waylly’s sardine pasta puttanesca makes good use of anchovies and tinned sardines.

I’ve long been a purist about baking with butter, but I’m experimenting with using olive oil in desserts, like Samantha Seneviratne’s elegant lemon-scented olive oil cake. A wedge of that moist beauty, maybe topped with fresh fruit, is the perfect way to cap off a week of good eating.