'I'm a nutritionist living in France, and these are the secrets to following the Mediterranean Diet'

Published 8 hours ago• 6 minute read

I can also thank serendipity for the fact that we are now living in a place with one of the healthiest diets in the world.

I’ve worked as a dietitian and nutritionist for over 40 years and one thing that has become very apparent over this time is that if you want to remain fit and healthy as you get older, choosing the right diet greatly improves your chances.

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that has been proven to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, dementia and other chronic diseases associated with ageing. Last year, a large study of over 25,000 US women aged over 25 years revealed that those who had been following a Mediterranean style diet had a 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality as well as a significant reduction in death from cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.

Inspired by the traditional cuisines of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea — think Greece, Italy, Spain, and, of course, southern France, it’s based around fresh unprocessed foods, fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and seafood, wholegrains, beans and pulses, nuts, seeds and olive oil.

My interest in healthy eating, combined with the fact that I love to cook (and eat!), has meant that I’ve always followed a Mediterranean-style diet. But it’s certainly become a whole lot easier since I’ve been living here in the south of France. Where I now live, we are spoilt with a vast array of locally grown produce including incredibly tasty tomatoes, peppers, aubergine, fennel and beans. It is also France's leading producer of soft fruits including apricots, cherries, melon, grapes, figs, peaches and nectarine. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, olives and citrus are also grown locally.

The ingredients used are only part of the story. The cultural attitude and emotional connection to food in Mediterranean countries is very different. To say that people are passionate about food doesn’t start to describe the love affair they have with food.

Meals are much more of a social occasion, especially on weekends and holidays, where family and friends linger around the table, savouring each course and each other’s company. Even the act of shopping for ingredients is a cherished ritual. Every little village will have a market once or twice a week. The weekly market in the village where I live boasts three stalls offering fruit, veg and fresh herbs all grown locally, a van selling fresh fish, another van selling cheese (last time I counted it offered 15 different types). In addition to the market, we have an award-winning butcher, a bakery and an épicerie, so as you can imagine it’s not a challenge to eat well here.

In this part of France meal times are taken very seriously. Heaven forbid you should ask anyone to do anything or even call them between 12-2pm because here it’s ‘l’heure pour mange’ (the hour when you eat lunch). It’s no coincidence that this is the time I usually choose to go to the supermarket; ‘English Shopping’ is what we call it because it’s when the supermarkets are deserted, the only people you are going to bump into are other expats.

For most people lunch is the main meal of the day and usually involves a small starter (often a small salad or something like grilled peppers with anchovies), a main course (grilled meat or fish with vegetables and potatoes or rice), followed by something sweet. Often there is also a cheese course between the main course and the dessert. That may sound like a lot of food, but one noticeable difference between meals here and in the UK is the size of portions which are much smaller in France.

People here don’t graze or snack in the same way that people do in the UK and one of the first things I noticed when I first came here was that you rarely see people eating on the street. Snacks, often olives, nuts or thinly sliced chorizo are usually only eaten with the pre-dinner aperitif, usually a glass of chilled rosé or Pastis.

The Mediterranean diet is built around locally grown seasonal foods. Each season brings new delights: citrus and pomegranates in winter; asparagus, artichokes (globe and Jerusalem), sweet juicy cherries in spring; plump fragrant peaches, kiwi, figs, apricots, a huge selection of tomatoes in summer, a varieties of mushrooms, butternut squash, pumpkin and chestnuts in the autumn.

Shopping habits also highlight an important aspect of the Mediterranean diet. Of course, things like ready meals, prepacked sandwiches and ultra processed foods exist in France but the space allocated to these foods in a typical French supermarket is a fraction of what you would find in a UK supermarket.

1. Choose locally grown, seasonal fruit and veg whenever possible. Locally grown produce is better for the planet, better for your body and tastes better than produce that has had to travel thousands of miles before it arrives in your kitchen.

2. If you’re lucky enough to have a local market, use it. Take a tip from the French and a take a tour of the market and a good look at what’s on offer before you buy. The French believe the best meals start with the freshest, best quality ingredients.

3. Choose quality over quantity. The French love rich indulgent meals and high fat foods, like cheese, crème fraiche, and pâtisserie, as much as anyone else, but they stick to small portions and as a result nothing is off limits.

4. Eat slowly and enjoy every mouthful of your food. Meals are never rushed in France.

5. Think green – A simple green salad is usually served in-between the main course and the cheese course, to cleanse the palate and prepare the taste buds for the cheese course. Serving a green salad alongside your main course is a good way to help you meet your five-a-day and boost your plant points.

6. Cook from scratch whenever you can. Processed foods should be a treat not a regular part of the diet. You don’t need to shun all convenience foods, canned beans and pulses are staples in the Mediterranean diet.

7. Prioritise fish and seafood over red meat, and snack on nuts and olives rather than crisps.