The idea that the Mediterranean diet is too expensive for most people to adopt has been laid to rest—in fact, it’s cheaper than the standard Western diet of processed food.
People who follow the diet—which includes eating fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, seafood and extra virgin olive oil—are spending $28 less every week on their food budget, which works out to an annual saving of $1,456 for a family of four.
It’s a myth that healthy food is more expensive, say researchers from the University of South Australia, who compared the costs of eating a Mediterranean diet against the standard Western diet, which is high in sugars.
Despite the lower costs of a healthy diet, just 8 percent of Australians eat the recommended 375g of vegetables every day, while most get 35 percent of their daily energy from processed food.
