Mediterranean Meal PlanFresh & Flavorful

What the research says

The findings this plan is built on, with the papers underneath.

• PREDIMED (NEJM 2018, republished): 7,447 high-risk adults. The Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil gave HR 0.69 (95% CI 0.53–0.91) and with nuts HR 0.72 (0.54–0.95) for heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death vs a reduced-fat diet, over a median 4.8 years.
• CORDIOPREV (Lancet 2022): 1,002 patients with coronary heart disease. The Mediterranean diet beat a low-fat diet for major cardiovascular events over 7 years, with the effect strongest in men.
• Diabetes: the ADA lists Mediterranean eating among the recommended patterns and cites PREDIMED's ~30% lower relative risk of cardiovascular events. [ADA 2019 Consensus Report]
• Weight: PREDIMED was not a weight-loss diet. For weight loss, the energy-reduced version plus activity (PREDIMED-Plus) is the model that Variation B follows.

What this plan won't do

The common claims about this way of eating that the evidence doesn't support.

• "Red wine is part of the diet." Leave it out. Current guidance doesn't recommend starting to drink for health.
• "Unlimited olive oil." EVOO was generous in PREDIMED (~50ml/day), but at 120 kcal/tbsp portions still matter for weight loss. B uses about 2 tbsp a day.
• "Pasta and pizza." The traditional diet is vegetables, legumes and fish first, with modest refined grains.

This content is general information, not medical or dietetic advice. Calorie and macro targets are starting points for a healthy adult and are personalised in the app. People who are pregnant, under 18, taking diabetes or blood-pressure medication, or managing kidney, liver, heart or digestive conditions should check with a doctor or registered dietitian before changing their diet.