{"id":24670,"date":"2025-11-04T09:32:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/?p=24670"},"modified":"2025-11-20T15:16:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T23:16:40","slug":"mediterranean-diet-shopping-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/news\/mediterranean-diet-shopping-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Give Your Diet &amp; Shopping Cart a &#8216;Mediterranean Makeover&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article\">\n\t<header class=\"header\">\n\t\t<span class=\"type\"><\/span>\t\t<h1>Give Your Diet &amp; Shopping Cart a &#8216;Mediterranean Makeover&#8217;<\/h1>\t\t<time>November 4, 2025<\/time>\n\t<\/header>\n\t<div id=\"block_50cfbc2b0dcce8ad882ae167e5d6a9d2\" class=\"shs-block block-news-article entry-content\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>You\u2019ve probably heard that a plant-based diet like the Mediterranean diet is a great place to start if you\u2019re looking to improve your nutrition. But maybe you\u2019re a little unsure about what that means and what you should actually buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne of the basics of the Mediterranean diet is to prepare meals from good, whole foods and then take the time to sit down and really enjoy it,\u201d said Bonnie Cavanagh, dietitian at Samaritan Weight Management Institute. \u201cYou want to buy food that is in a relatively natural state and spend less time looking at nutrition labels.\u201d Cavanagh offers insights to help transform your shopping cart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-ingredients-of-the-mediterranean-diet\">Key Ingredients of the Mediterranean Diet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-healthy-fats\">Healthy Fats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Cavanagh, the Mediterranean diet stays away from saturated fats like meat and butter and replaces it with healthy monounsaturated fats. Olive oil and nuts have diverse amounts of fatty acids that can lower the risk of heart disease, lower LDL \u201clousy\u201d cholesterol and maintain HDL \u201chealthy\u201d cholesterol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-local-fruits-amp-vegetables\">Local Fruits &amp; Vegetables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Foods that are grown locally don\u2019t have to travel as far, which means they can be picked at peak freshness for maximum nutrition. Cavanagh recommends shopping in season when possible and looking for produce that is grown locally. Farmers markets are a good bet and many grocery stores also feature local produce. Cavanagh recommends seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. It sounds like a lot but she notes that meals are mostly plant-based, so you\u2019ll find you have more room for vegetables if you aren\u2019t filling up on meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-whole-grains\">Whole Grains<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of depending on bread and crackers, Cavanagh recommends buying grains that look as they would if they were just harvested \u2014 for instance a bag of brown rice instead of rice noodles. If you want to slowly incorporate new grains into your diet, consider mixing them with something familiar. Quinoa and farro are two ancient grains that are easy to find and prepare. Quinoa has a fluffy texture and can be cooked with rice. Farro is slightly firm and chewy, and cooks nicely with steel cut oats in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fatty-fish\">Fatty Fish<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Natives of the Mediterranean region rely a lot on seafood. You can copy that by choosing fatty fish like salmon, canned tuna and mackerel two or three times a week. Although fish is a big part of the Mediterranean diet, Cavanagh notes it is not eaten every day. Poultry is typically consumed around three to four times per week and red meat is usually enjoyed only once or twice a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-low-fat-dairy\">Low-fat Dairy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Replace sour cream and ranch dip with low-fat alternatives. Cavanagh recommends tzatziki, a Greek yogurt-based dip instead of sour cream. Add seasonings like dill, cucumber and tomato for zesty flavor in a delicious and low-fat dip. As an added bonus, you get beneficial probiotics from the yogurt. You can also try a commercially prepared tofu replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-beans\">Beans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Dried beans like chickpeas, lentils and split peas are good staples to have on hand. They have a long shelf life and add healthy fiber to any meal. Cavanagh notes that along with fish, beans and nuts provide the majority of protein in the Mediterranean diet. If you struggle with cutting out meat, start with one meal a week that is meat-free, but make sure to load up on veggies, whole grains and of course, beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cavanagh encourages people to eat Mediterranean without being too caught up in \u201cdo&#8217;s\u201d and \u201cdon\u2019ts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t focus on cutting things out but just shift the proportions of food that you eat to vegetables and whole grains. Experience the sensation of tasting your food. Enjoy an occasional glass of red wine. Enjoy an occasional dessert,\u201d said Cavanagh. \u201cWith the Mediterranean diet, the main point is to find pleasure out of eating fresh foods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-foods-to-add-to-your-grocery-list\">Top Foods to Add to Your Grocery List<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Make grocery shopping easy. Print this page and use it as your shopping list:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Extra virgin olive oil<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nuts: almonds, walnuts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whole grains: quinoa, farro<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Beans: chickpeas, lentils, split peas, cannellini<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dairy: tzatziki, feta, Romano, low-fat yogurt<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fish: salmon, tuna, mackerel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meat: chicken breast, shrimp<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vegetables: cucumber, onion, garlic, tomato, zucchini, spinach, eggplant, kale, mushrooms, olives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fruit (seasonal)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hummus&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lemon and lime<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fresh herbs: oregano, dill, mint, basil, parsley, za\u2019atar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Red wine (optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Anti-Inflammatory Diet shares many characteristics with the Mediterranean Diet.&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/news\/what-is-an-anti-inflammatory-diet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more<\/a> about it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<aside>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"361\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mediterranean-salad-325-CO.jpg\" class=\"attachment-cta size-cta wp-post-image\" alt=\"A bowl of fresh greens, hard boiled egg, olives, tomatoes, basil and grilled chicken.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mediterranean-salad-325-CO.jpg 361w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mediterranean-salad-325-CO-300x249.jpg 300w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mediterranean-salad-325-CO-120x100.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 361px) 100vw, 361px\" \/><\/figure><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/shopping-for-whole-foods-325-CO.jpg\" class=\"attachment-cta size-cta\" alt=\"A woman picking out colorful produce at grocery store.\" \/><figcaption>Make grocery shopping easy. Print this page and use it as your shopping list.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t<\/aside>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thinking about trying the Mediterranean Diet? Dietitian Bonnie Cavanagh will help you fill your shopping cart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":14028,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_shs_workflow_notes":"Can you change the date so it is more current? Yes, moved from 2019 to 2025.","_shs_exclude_from_navigation":false,"_shs_promote_article_on_blogs":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"news-topics":[293],"news-types":[270],"services":[251],"specialty":[47,92],"class_list":["post-24670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","news-topics-wellness","news-types-feature-article","services-nutrition-services","specialty-nutrition","specialty-diabetes-educator"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24670"},{"taxonomy":"news-topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topics?post=24670"},{"taxonomy":"news-types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-types?post=24670"},{"taxonomy":"services","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/services?post=24670"},{"taxonomy":"specialty","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/specialty?post=24670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}