What are the Mediterranean diet’s main drawbacks?

One of the biggest problems with the Mediterranean diet is that it’s inconsistently defined. The modern Mediterranean diet has deviated from the traditional foods and culinary traditions that are native to the Mediterranean region, and several misconceptions have emerged about the diet due to its adoption in Western countries. This has led to the false labeling of certain foods and practices as “compatible with the Mediterranean diet.”^[1]

First, the Mediterranean diet is not a purely vegetarian diet — it allows for the consumption of meat and fish. Second, certain foods — American-style pizza, for example — are sometimes mistaken as being part of a Mediterranean diet, but they’re actually substantial sources of calories, sodium, and fat. Third, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes moderate alcohol (wine) intake with meals, but the patterns of alcohol consumption in Western countries have strayed far from the concept of drinking red wine only during meals and spread out over the week. Finally, several foods are sometimes erroneously believed to be Mediterranean diet foods, including avocado, certain desserts, quinoa, margarine, potatoes, and tofu. Ultimately, there’s some confusion about what the Mediterranean diet is, making it difficult for individuals to apply this dietary approach to their lives and limiting the transferability of the Mediterranean diet to non-Mediterranean countries.