Mediterranean diet

noun

: a diet typical of many Mediterranean countries (such as Italy and Spain) that consists mainly of cereals, grains, vegetables, beans, fruits, and nuts along with moderate amounts of fish, cheese, olive oil, and wine and little red meat

The Mediterranean diet is a veteran of the diet scene and not quite as trendy or weight-loss-focused as some of its siblings. But it's a perennial favorite of doctors and dietitians, buoyed by studies that suggest it can lower the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

—Gisela Telis

Examples of Mediterranean diet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Older people who followed a lower-calorie Mediterranean diet and minimally exercised up to six days a week gained muscle and lost a significant amount of body fat by the end of a year and kept much of it off for three years, according to an October 2023 study. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 23 June 2025

Some of these factors include eating a Mediterranean diet, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy blood pressure, not smoking, consuming alcohol only in moderation, cognitive and social engagement and getting seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. —Phyllis Ferrell, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

This is only the second clinical trial testing whether the Mediterranean diet could benefit IBS patients. —Simon Spichak, Health, 14 June 2025

After all, in Mediterranean diets, where olive oil is consumed in moderation, oleic acid intake has been widely researched and identified as a key factor in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and other diseases. —Bronwyn Thompson, New Atlas, 9 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Mediterranean diet

• disquiet
• panchayat
• unquiet
• guyot
• piet
• quiet
• riot

Medical Definition

Mediterranean diet

noun

: a diet typical of many Mediterranean countries (as Italy and Spain) that consists mainly of cereals, grains, vegetables, beans, fruits, and nuts along with moderate amounts of fish, cheese, olive oil, and wine and little red meat