The nutritionist’s guide to healthy Mediterranean-style eating (plus three new recipes)

Often hailed as one of the world’s healthiest dietary patterns, the Mediterranean diet is more than a short-term fix – it’s a sustainable commitment to better health.

Based on the traditional eating habits of people living in Italy, Greece and Spain, countries that skirt the Mediterranean Sea, the diet is characterised by an abundance of fresh, minimally processed ingredients that are both flavourful and nourishing.

Unlike restrictive fad diets, this way of eating is not about counting calories or cutting out food groups. It’s about embracing foods that promote overall well-being.

Risoni salad with roasted red peppers, pumpkin, basil and feta

This light yet satisfying salad, bursting with flavour and vibrant vegies, is perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 1½ cups risoni pasta
• 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 330g roasted red peppers, roughly chopped (store-bought)
• 1 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ cup parsley, finely chopped
• 80g feta cheese, crumbled
• ⅔ cup pine nuts, roasted

Lemon-mustard dressing

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice of ½ lemon
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp caster sugar OR 1 tsp pure maple syrup

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional). Place the pumpkin on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place the cherry tomatoes on another small baking tray and season well. Place both trays in the oven and roast the vegetables for 25-30 minutes. The pumpkin should be golden and cooked through, and the tomatoes should be soft but still holding their shape.
2. Cook the risoni according to the package instructions. Drain, run under cold water and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon-mustard dressing ingredients, and season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the roasted pumpkin and cherry tomatoes, risoni, spinach, red capsicum, basil and parsley. Pour over half the dressing and toss gently to coat evenly. Scatter over the feta and pine nuts and add more dressing to taste, seasoning well with pepper and sea salt. Serve.

Serves 4

Mediterranean one-pan fish with cherry tomatoes, olives and cannellini beans

This one-pot wonder not only nourishes your body, it also tastes incredible. And the best part? It’s so simple.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 2 tbsp capers
• 300g cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1½ cups tomato passata
• 1 x 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 x 170g fillets of white fish (barramundi, rockling, ling work well)
• 330g roasted red peppers (store-bought, cut into strips)
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley leaves
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into slices

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow frying pan or a shallow casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the capers and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan, stir and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened. Stir in half the olives and the passata and cook for 3-4 minutes. Using a fork, gently press the cherry tomatoes so they burst and release their juices into the sauce. Add the cannellini beans and stir through gently.
3. Nestle the fish fillets into the sauce so they sink about halfway in. Scatter in the roasted red peppers. Cover with a lid on and cook for 6-8 minutes to allow the fish to cook through.
4. Remove the lid and take the pan off the stove. Add the remaining olives and then scatter over the parsley and basil. Serve with lemon slices.

Serves 4

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic and lemon

You must try this pot-roasted lamb dish. It could not be easier to cook, but the results are unbelievably delicious. This would work equally well served with roasted potatoes, couscous or soft polenta.

INGREDIENTS

• 2kg lamb shoulder, bone-in
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 eschalots (French shallots), peeled and roughly chopped
• a handful of rosemary sprigs, plus extra to serve
• a handful of thyme sprigs
• 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock (or water)
• ½ cup white wine
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, plus extra to serve
• fresh basil to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 220C fan-forced (240C conventional).
2. Place the lamb shoulder in a large cast-iron lidded pot and rub the olive oil all over it. Season well with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Place the pot in the oven with the lid off and cook for 45-60 minutes to caramelise and brown.
3. Remove the lamb from the oven and turn the temperature down to 130C fan-forced (150C conventional). Tuck the garlic, eschalots and herbs into the pot, and pour the chicken stock (or water) and wine around the lamb. Place the lid on and cook for 5-6 hours.
4. Remove the pot from the oven, add the cherry tomatoes and lemon wedges and return the pot to the oven, lid on, for 1-2 more hours, until the tomatoes and lemon have softened and the lamb meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs.
5. Serve the lamb on a large serving plate or straight from the pot, scatter with rosemary, lemon wedges and fresh basil leaves.

Serves 6-8

Notes:

If you don’t have a big enough cast-iron pot, cook the lamb in a large, deep roasting dish. Tightly wrap the dish in foil to stop moisture from escaping.

If you prefer crisper skin on your lamb shoulder, remove the lid (or foil) from the lamb about 45 minutes before the finish time and turn the heat up to 220C fan-forced.