The Mediterranean diet is good for health, but not for the pocket

The rate of inflation may be slowing down, but the prices of products for the production of traditional dishes “weight” the Mediterranean diet, which eventually becomes inaccessible to the inhabitants of this region.

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet are numerous and widely known. However, unfortunately, inflation “spoils the whole picture,” according to Bloomberg. Inflation in Europe may be slowing down, but the prices of traditional ingredients in France and Spain highlight how high prices have changed consumer habits.

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French households
The adjusted Bloomberg price index showed that last month French households had to spend 8.4% more on cooking the traditional dish “rooster in wine” (Coq Au Vin) than a year earlier. According to the country’s National Statistical Service and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the total cost of the dish is 19.4 euros (21.3 US dollars).

The price of poultry meat, which is the most expensive ingredient in a ck au vin dish, rose by 6.4% and butter by 16.5% compared to July last year. This contrasts with inflation of 4.3% in the eurozone’s second-largest economy.

A similar index showed that cooking paella, Spanish national dishcost 15.1% more in July than a year ago, due to almost 40% rising cost of olive oil, according to the National Statistical Institute. As you know, the country experienced an unprecedented drought that destroyed almost half of the production, causing significant damage to the economy. The cost of olive oil also ’empties the wallets of households’ inhabitants of Italy. The Bloomberg Pizza Margherita index is up 13.5% this month.

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mediterranean diet

Numerous studies have shown that The Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression, and breast cancer. This is a diet that is more like an eating style (compared to others that have severe restrictions). It also helps to strengthen bones, improve the cardiovascular system and increase life expectancy.

The diet includes simple plant-based cuisine, with most of each meal consisting of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a small amount of nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra virgin olive oil. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are rarely (if ever) consumed, and sugar and processed foods are reserved for special occasions.

Red meat is rarely used, usually only to add flavor to the dish. Eating healthy oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids is encouraged, and eggs, dairy and poultry are consumed in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet.

As of 2022, the DASH diet and flexitarianism ranked second in the ranking of the best diets. Similar to the Mediterranean style of eating, they cut back or eliminate processed foods and emphasize filling your plate with fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. The DASH diet emphasizes limiting salt intake to lower blood pressure, while the Flexitarian diet, as its name suggests, allows occasional meat or poultry.

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