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The 12 Best Mediterranean Diet Cookbooks

Dip your toe into the Mediterranean diet.

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mediterranean diet cookbooks
sarah ceniceros

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Healthy eating, as far as we're concerned, does not have to mean foregoing any of your favorite foods. Which might be why, when we found out about the Mediterranean diet, we were immediately on board (if not just for the halloumi salads and creamy hummus). If you're unfamiliar, the Mediterranean diet is inspired by the eating patterns of nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea—22 countries, to be exact!—although Greece and Italy are often cited as major influences.

Highly regarded for its focus on whole foods and its potential health benefits, which may include lower rates of cancer and cardiovascular issues, the Mediterranean diet is more lifestyle than strict guidebook. Best of all, with recipes ranging from lemon garlic shrimp and Greek salmon to this mouth-watering chickpea salad and Caprese chicken, there's no lack of delicious recipes that fit within Mediterranean diet box.

Need more guidance? Cracking open a Mediterranean diet-themed cookbook might be the best way to get acquainted with this super popular eating style. But before we get to them, here are a few things you should know about it.

What are the top foods in the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods like fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains. According to Mayo Clinic, proteins like seafood and poultry should be eaten in moderation, and the same goes for dairy. Instead, the diet's main source of fat is olive oil.

What foods aren't allowed?

Unlike many diets, the Mediterranean Diet isn't overly restrictive in that it doesn't completely omit certain foods. Instead, the American Heart Association says that it preaches moderation, limiting added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and foods that are highly processed or contain large amounts of sodium and saturated fats. Foods like red meat and sugary desserts aren't totally off limits, but should be limited to special occasions.

1

Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean

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Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean

Trying to eat healthy on a Tuesday in a world where take-out exists is no easy feat. Thankfully, this weeknight-friendly Mediterranean cookbook from Milk Street has tons of recipes that are even quicker than your delivery guy. Packed with recipes inspired by the cuisines of Southern Europe all the way to the Middle East and North Africa, Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean proves that eating a Mediterranean diet goes way beyond fish and olive oil.

2

The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook

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The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook
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Credit: America's Test Kitchen

The Mediterranean is a vast region and a delicious one at that. Which is why we totally nerded out about how comprehensive and inclusive the The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook from America's Test Kitchen is. Compiling dishes from Lebanon and Morocco all the way to Italy and France, each and every dish is meticulously tested with easy-t0-find supermarket staples. Which is great, because we're planning on making some prosciutto-wrapped dates and orange polenta cake as soon as we can.

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3

The Mediterranean Dish: 120 Bold and Healthy Recipes You'll Make on Repeat

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The Mediterranean Dish: 120 Bold and Healthy Recipes You'll Make on Repeat

We've long been fans of The Mediterranean Dish, so we didn't blink when it came to adding Suzy Karadsheh's debut cookbook to our online shopping cart. Blending her Egyptian upbringing with her new Southern roots, Karadsheh's signature recipes are as approachable as they are vibrantly delicious. With flavors from all across the Mediterranean, her recipes for chickpea soup with lemon and Pecorino Romano and Mediterranean breakfast boards are a must-try.

4

The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners

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The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners
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Credit: Alpha

Starting is always the hardest part, and these 100 recipes are perfect for beginners looking to dip their toes into the Mediterranean diet. If you're looking for a one-and-done comprehensive guide, this is the book for you, since it includes helpful shopping tips, suggested meal plans, and even snack options. Focusing mostly on Greek cuisine, each recipe in The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners is bright, light, and sure to satisfy any one at your next dinner party (Personally, we're huge fans of that sardine and herb bruschetta recipe.)

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5

Mediterranean Every Day

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Mediterranean Every Day

As the title suggests, Mediterranean Every Day will have you following your health goals all day, every day. And with recipes for one-pan sausage bake or dessert like roasted figs with dark chocolate and sea salt, could it get any easier? Bonus: Prakash also details tons of pantry-building tips, meals perfect for gatherings, and three-ingredient snacks and cocktails. That sounds like balanced eating to us, TBH.

6

Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die

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Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die

Did you know? The northern Aegean island of Ikaria is home to some of the oldest-living residents in the world, and they credit it to their stress-free lifestyle and Mediterranean diet. And no one knows the island better than Chef Diane Kochilas. Her cookbook, Ikaria, is a beautiful mix of cookbook and travelogue, touches on the Ikarian culture and how they build meaningful communities and long lives through sharing food and it shows; Kochilas' recipes for skordalia and dolmas are too good not to share.

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7

The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen: 80 Authentic, Healthy Recipes Made Quick and Easy for Everyday Cooking

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The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen: 80 Authentic, Healthy Recipes Made Quick and Easy for Everyday Cooking

As the saying goes, we eat with our eyes first, which is probably why we love Samantha Ferraro's The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen cookbook. Each of Ferraro's vibrant and modern takes on Mediterranean classics include a beautiful photos that had us dog-earing pretty much every page. Best of all, most of her recipes (like meat-stuffed eggplants and Turkish lentil soup) have layers of complex flavor that don't lead to layers of dishes to clean up.

8

Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus

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Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus

While the Mediterranean has long been hailed as a home to many "Blue Zones" (regions where locals often live longer due to cultural and environmental practices), it's also the epicenter of culinary fusion between the East and West. Yasmin Khan's Ripe Figs distills this delicious history in her seasonally-inspired, vegetable-packed recipes that traverse Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.

With innovative dishes like garlicky eggplant salad and Turkish bride soup, Fahr's latest cookbook is a big-hearted look at the region as a whole, one that's full of community, history, and complexity.

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9

Mediterranean Air Fryer: 95 Healthy Recipes to Fry, Roast, Bake, and Grill

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Mediterranean Air Fryer: 95 Healthy Recipes to Fry, Roast, Bake, and Grill
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We've all been there; You're craving some of your favorite grilled Mediterranean classics, but don't want to fire up the grill. Well, thanks to your air-fryer (that can roast, bake, and grill in addition to frying) and The Mediterranean Air Fryer cookbook, your days of dealing with charcoal are pretty much over. Even if you're new to air-frying, Hale's recipes for honey-apricot granola and chicken shawarma are fool-proof and will have you busting out the appliance for every meal.

10

The Forest Feast Mediterranean: Simple Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by My Travels

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The Forest Feast Mediterranean: Simple Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by My Travels

It should come as no surprise that we'd most like to teleport into the pages of Erin Gleeson's The Forest Feast Mediterranean. Each of Gleeson's recipes are as dreamy as the watercolors that embellish them, including the likes of vibrant snap pea paella and cacio e pepe spaghetti squash. Touching upon the cuisines of Spain, Portgual, Italy, and France, this collection of Mediterranean vegetarian dishes will surely revitalize how you craft your next meal.

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11

My Big Fat Greek Cookbook

My Big Fat Greek Cookbook

What has become clear in all of our top Mediterranean cookbooks is their focus on food that's not only healthful, but also soul-nourishing. And no ones does it better than Christos Sourligas' My Big Fat Greek Cookbook. Including classic soul food recipes across all meals, like savory kestedes and spanakopita, these are the real-deal Greek dishes that'll make you run to the dinner table.

12

Vegetarian Mediterranean Cookbook

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Vegetarian Mediterranean Cookbook

While the Mediterranean diet is well-known for its emphasis on seafood, that doesn't mean vegetarians can't join in on the fun, too. The Vegetarian Mediterranean Cookbook is the perfect culinary guide to the classic dishes of the Mediterranean, whether you're in the mood for Spanish or Syrian food. We have a lot of favorite parts of Sanaa Abourezk's cookbook, but we're especially fond of the way she breaks down the culinary philosophies of the region so home cooks can get the most of their ingredients, too.

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