What Is the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet refers to the traditional eating patterns of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in the 1950s and 60s. It emphasizes a high intake of legumes (beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds), plenty of vegetables and fruit, whole grains over refined grains, and olive oil as the primary cooking fat. It also includes regular consumption of fatty fish, while limiting red meat.
It's About Principles — Not Specific Cuisines
A common misconception is that following a Mediterranean diet means eating only Greek or Lebanese cuisine. In reality, it's not about specific dishes — it's about underlying principles that can be applied to any style of cooking.
For example, an Asian-inspired meal with salmon and edamame offers similar nutritional benefits to a Mediterranean-style dish with sardines and chickpeas, just with a different flavour profile. This flexibility makes the Mediterranean diet easy to adapt to your preferences and cultural foods.
Why We Use Mediterranean Principles
At Framework, we incorporate Mediterranean diet principles throughout our meal plans because of the consistent body of research supporting this way of eating. Decades of evidence show that it is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.
The Power of Individual Components
What's particularly compelling is that many individual components of the diet have also been studied on their own. For instance, higher legume intake, independent of overall dietary pattern, has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer.
The strength of the Mediterranean diet lies in how it combines multiple beneficial elements into a sustainable, enjoyable way of eating.
How We Apply It in Our Meal Plans
These principles are built into all of our Framework meal plans, with more targeted emphasis in plans designed for cardiovascular health, diabetes, and perimenopause. Our goal is to deliver the well-established health benefits of this approach without limiting variety.
What to Eat More Often
- Vegetables (leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, etc.)
- Fruits (fresh, whole fruit as your primary choice)
- Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas)
- Nuts and seeds
- Whole grains (oats, quinoa, brown rice, whole grain breads and pasta)
- Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel)
- Olive oil as your main cooking fat
- Herbs and spices for flavour
What to Limit
- Red and processed meats
- Refined grains (white bread, pastries, many packaged snacks)
- Added sugars (desserts, sugary drinks)
- Highly processed foods
- Butter and highly refined oils
References
Hareer LW, Lau YY, Mole F, Reidlinger DP, O'Neill HM, Mayr HL, Greenwood H, Albarqouni L. The effectiveness of the Mediterranean Diet for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: An umbrella review. Nutr Diet. 2025 Feb;82(1):8-41. doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12891. Epub 2024 Aug 14. PMID: 39143663; PMCID: PMC11795232.
Jin S, Je Y. Nuts and legumes consumption and risk of colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol. 2022 Jun;37(6):569-585. doi: 10.1007/s10654-022-00881-6. Epub 2022 May 27. PMID: 35622305.