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Fill your cart with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and extra-virgin olive oil every week. Add fish or seafood for at least two meals, plus moderate amounts of yogurt, cheese, eggs and chicken. Red meat and sweets are occasional. That is the pattern in the Oldways Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

Where this list comes from.

“The Mediterranean diet” describes the traditional eating pattern of countries around the Mediterranean, not one fixed menu. We based this list on the Oldways Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. Its base is vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, herbs and olive oil. Fish and seafood come often, at least twice a week. Poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt come in moderate portions, and red meat and sweets less often. Harvard’s Nutrition Source review describes a similar pattern.

Each item below is labelled with how often it fits in. Red meat and sweets are left off the weekly list on purpose. Buy them when you plan for them.

Mediterranean diet grocery list, by aisle.

The label shows how often each item fits in, following the pyramid.

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Mediterranean diet grocery list

Week of

Produce

  • Tomatoesevery day
  • Cucumbersevery day
  • Leafy greensevery day
  • Eggplant and zucchinievery day
  • Onions, garlic, shallotsevery day
  • Bell peppersevery day
  • Lemonsevery day
  • Fresh herbs (parsley, basil, mint, dill)every day
  • Seasonal fruit (oranges, grapes, figs, apples)every day

Meat & seafood

  • Salmon, sardines or other fishat least twice a week
  • Shrimp or musselsat least twice a week
  • Chickenmoderate

Dairy & eggs

  • Plain Greek yogurtmoderate
  • Feta or other cheesemoderate
  • Eggsmoderate

Bread & bakery

  • Whole-grain bread or pitaevery day

Pantry, canned & dry

  • Extra-virgin olive oilevery day
  • Chickpeas, lentils, white beansevery day
  • Whole grains (bulgur, farro, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta)every day
  • Nuts (almonds, walnuts)every day
  • Olives and capersevery day
  • Canned tomatoesevery day
  • Canned tuna or sardinesat least twice a week
  • Dried oregano, cumin, paprikaevery day
  • Tahini or hummusevery day

Frozen

  • Frozen spinach or peasevery day

getmealpot.com/mediterranean-diet-grocery-list/ · Let MealPot write this list for you from your week’s recipes.

Common questions.

What foods are on a Mediterranean diet grocery list?

Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, extra-virgin olive oil, herbs and spices, and fish or seafood. Add smaller amounts of yogurt, cheese, eggs and chicken.

How often should I eat fish on the Mediterranean diet?

The Oldways pyramid puts fish and seafood at least twice a week. Canned tuna, sardines and salmon count and keep in the pantry.

Can you eat red meat on the Mediterranean diet?

Occasionally. The pyramid places red meat with sweets at the top, eaten less often and in smaller portions. That is why it is not on the weekly list.

Is cheese allowed on the Mediterranean diet?

Yes, in moderate portions. Feta, Parmesan and yogurt are traditional. The pyramid groups cheese and yogurt with eggs and poultry.

What is the cheapest way to shop Mediterranean?

Dried or canned beans and lentils, canned fish, frozen vegetables, oats and seasonal produce. Olive oil costs more up front but lasts weeks. Compare bottle sizes with the unit price calculator.

MealPot writes this list from your week’s recipes.

Pick the week’s meals on iPhone or iPad and MealPot turns them into one grocery list, grouped by aisle. Free to download; full meal plans need MealPot Pro.

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Sources