The Mediterranean diet isn't just the healthiest way to eat — it can also help you get more nutrients and even lose weight while enjoying simple, delicious food, according to a woman who's followed the diet her whole life.
Suzy Karadsheh, founder of the Mediterranean Dish food blog and author of the best-selling cookbook of the same name, grew up in Egypt, in Port Said on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
She said Medittarnaean cuisines go far beyond the typical stereotype of Greek or Italian food, and share a common emphasis on simple but high-quality fresh ingredients, balanced nutrition, and compelling flavors.
As a result, people often find that they can lose weight more easily, without feeling hungry or deprived, according to Karadsheh. Although not everyone will lose weight eating the Mediterranean way, she said she often hears from readers of her cookbook who shed pounds. She also said she lost weight over the recent holidays without cutting back on indulgence.
"Something like weight loss becomes just a side effect of what you're already doing to be healthy rather than something you have to really push for," Karadsheh said.
The Mediterranean diet isn't restrictive and encourages you to enjoy eating
Karadsheh said a key part of the Mediterranean diet is an "abundance mindset" of looking forward to meals.
"It's so joyful," she said.
Rather than stipulating what you shouldn't eat, the Mediterranean diet focuses on what you can eat, and making it delicious. With this approach, you may find you fill up on nutrients and eat less junk food, such as processed foods or added sugars, dietitians previously told Business Insider.
The diet may also help you eat more sustainably. Karadsheh said she eats meat, eggs, and cheese regularly, but it's a small part of her overall diet.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes simple, nutritious foods like olive oil, beans, and veggies
It's a common misconception that cooking Mediterranean food will require you to import hard-to-find ingredients.
"Most of what we eat on the Mediterranean diet is available at your average grocery store," Karadsheh said. "
Karadsheh said staples in her kitchen include cheap, accessible, and nutrient-dense foods like beans, olive oil, grains including barley and rice, and seasonal vegetables. Many of these ingredients are rich in fiber, a nutrient that can aid weight loss by helping you feel more full after eating.
Mediterranean recipes are beginner-friendly and packed with flavor
Mediterranean dishes are known for exciting and sometimes complex flavors, but it's easier than you think to make them at home, Karadsheh said.
An approachable way to start is by layering flavors with ingredients in your kitchen, she said.
"Come at it from the perspective of, let me see if I can use what I have, the spices that I have, and then also consider the fresh ingredients that build flavor like citrus, garlic, onion," she said.
Common spices in Mediterranean cuisines from regions like Morroco and Egypt include cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and cinnamon.
Fresh herbs such as mint and dill, aromatics like garlic and onions, and citrus juices round out the arsenal of flavor-building tools in a Mediterranean kitchen.
The simple recipes can make prepping healthy food more approachable even if you aren't an experienced home cook.
Mediterranean cuisine includes a huge variety so you won't get bored
One major advantage of a Mediterranean diet is that it's easier to stick to because you don't have to worry about eating the same foods every day (if you don't want to).
"A typical day of eating for me could be any number of flavors, which keeps it exciting for the family," Karadsheh said.
A sample day of Mediterranean meals might include shakshuka (a North African egg and tomato sauce dish) for breakfast, Turkish red lentil soup for lunch, and Morrocan-spiced fish for dinner.
The Mediterranean diet isn't just about food — other lifestyle habits are key
Finally, Mediterranean culture also incorporates other healthy habits, such as everyday physical activity (that doesn't need to happen in a gym).
Karadsheh shared a story from her cookbook about how attending college in Michigan caused her to gain weight as she ate more processed cafeteria food. "Most people gain the Freshmen 15. I gained the Freshmen 35," she said.
But she effortlessly lost the weight after spending a summer back home in the Mediterranean, much to the surprise of classmates who she said were unsuccessfully trying diet pills.
Karadsheh credited a combination of eating simple, flavorful food, daily walking, and spending time with loved ones. She said Mediterranean cultures often consider mealtimes a social event, which can help with eating mindfully and in more moderate portions — research suggests strong social relationships help reinforce healthy habits, too.
"It's not about one particular ingredient or one particular list of ingredients," Karadsheh said. "It's really about the longer term, more about the pattern that you follow, your lifestyle. You begin this way and eventually, it becomes second nature."
