What Is a Green Mediterranean Diet—and Is It Healthy?

Rich in fiber, color, omega-3 fats and whole grains, the Mediterranean diet has been shown by hundreds—if not thousands—of studies to be a boon for your brain, heart, gut and longevity.

But what if a few tiny tweaks on the plan can make it even better for you—and Mother Nature? That's what proponents of the "green" Mediterranean diet, which involves eschewing all meat and leaning into even more greens, believe their new diet can do.

Data suggests that animal-based foods account for about 57% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, per a 2021 study in the journal Nature, while plant-based foods account for about 29%. The evidence suggests that if every human decided to go vegan tomorrow, the amount of farmland required to feed the world may be reduced by about 76%, according to a June 2018 study in Science.

"Eliminating meat intake—beef, pork, lamb—is by far the most important single way to reduce the carbon footprint from diet. The contribution of meat to greenhouse gas emissions is enormous compared with other foods," Meir Stampfer, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and one of the authors of the green Mediterranean diet studies, told Medical News Today in a March 2022 article.

Plus, those who eat little to no meat tend to have a lower risk for certain types of cancer, suggests a 2022 review in BMC Medicine.

What Is the Green Mediterranean Diet? And How Does It Compare to the Classic Mediterranean Diet?

A traditional Mediterranean diet promotes eating the rainbow, which includes:

• Large amounts of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, as well as healthy fats from nuts, seeds and olive oil.
• Moderate amounts of dairy, fish, red wine.
• Low amounts of red meat and eggs, processed foods, refined grains, added sugars—less than what the CDC cites as what Americans are typically eating.

The resulting combo platter is potent in polyphenols, heart-healthy unsaturated fats and fiber, which helps to lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce chronic inflammation.

The "green" addition takes this plan and strips it of meat and promotes plant-based proteins instead. You can still eat some fish and poultry, along with dairy products, and the diet encourages green tea, walnuts and Mankai duckweed**. Scientists behind a November 2020 study in the journal Heart say this combination might amplify these Mediterranean diet health benefits even more.

To study this, the researchers tapped 294 people with an average age of 51 (at the start of the trial) who had abdominal obesity to embark on one of three diets:

• An overall "healthy diet"
• A calorie-restricted classic Mediterranean diet that included less red meat and 28 grams of walnuts* (1/4 cup) per day
• A calorie-restricted green Mediterranean diet that included 28 grams of walnuts (¼ cup) per day, 3 to 4 cups of green tea and 100 grams of Mankai duckweed shake—as well as no red or processed meats and little, if any, poultry

* Walnuts are the only tree nut that is an "excellent source" of the plant-based omega-3 essential fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

** Mankai is a tiny vegetable that's often sold in supplemental form due to its ability to replace all of the essential amino acids and vitamin B12 in meat. Mankai was just a test, and other plant proteins like these top vegetarian protein sources would work as well, the researchers admit. "You can easily get all the protein you need without eating any meat, or without eating any animal products," Stampfer adds to the Medical News Today article.

What Are the Benefits of the Green Mediterranean Diet?

Researchers found that after 6 months, both Mediterranean diets led to more weight loss and greater metabolic wins than the standard "eat healthy" advice. The green Mediterranean diet, in particular, was correlated with the largest reduction in waist circumference and other biomarkers of heart disease risk—including lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol, better insulin sensitivity and less chronic inflammation.

A 2021 follow-up study in the journal Gut determined that a green Mediterranean diet can also help people lose fat in their liver—a very important factor for everyone, especially the 25% who have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can progress into cirrhosis and liver failure.

An additional study 2022 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the possible brain benefits of going green, and the researchers found that both Mediterranean menus slowed the shrinkage of the hippocampus, a portion of the brain that impacts our ability to learn and remember. A green Mediterranean diet appeared to offer the highest amount of protection against brain atrophy. Over time, this may mean a lower risk for dementia.

The researchers believe that eating less red and processed meats and more polyphenols—the powerful compounds found in plants—may be the reason behind the bonus benefits of going green.

The Bottom Line

Our on-staff dietitians are ardent supporters of any style of the Mediterranean diet, so if you're interested in having a lower eco-impact and possibly more brain, heart and overall health benefits, it certainly can't hurt to consider giving the green Mediterranean menu a shot. That being said, one of the key components of the Mediterranean diet is how easy it is to follow. So, if you find yourself struggling to get by with less meat, don't feel like you need to give it up completely. Simply eating a little less can have potential benefits, too.

Since iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and other vitamins and minerals are often part of our diets thanks to meat and dairy foods, it's important to work with a dietitian and your doctor any time you're embarking on a nearly or completely vegan diet like the green Mediterranean diet. It is possible to cover your nutritional needs without supplementation, but this takes some planning and a savvy menu strategy.