The Mediterranean diet is more than a meal plan, it's a lifestyle — at least, that's the opinion of registered dietitian Stefanie Dove, RD, who enthusiastically recommends it as a smart and healthful way to go about choosing the food you eat.

Here's what to know about this much-lauded eating plan — it was named the Best Diet of 2023 for the sixth year in a row by the U.S. News & World Report — plus an easy and tasty weeklong meal plan to get you started.

What Is the Mediterranean Diet All About?

Simply put, the Mediterranean diet relies on the long-lasting overall eating habits of people who live in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

The plan favors whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seafood, legumes (beans, peas and lentils) and healthy fats, plus a moderate amount of wine and shuns red meat, trans fats, items with added sugar and processed foods such as refined grains and oils.

Sounds sustainable, right?

Indeed, people on the Mediterranean diet were able to follow it more closely and stick with it for a year than those trying intermittent fasting and paleo, per December 2019 research in ‌The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.‌

"The Mediterranean diet does not eliminate food groups, which is important. All food groups are vital for health and wellness."

These are general guidelines for overall good health, so as a dietitian, I always favor those plans that promote balance," Dove tells LIVESTRONG.com. "The Mediterranean diet does not eliminate food groups, which is important. All food groups are vital for health and wellness."

The Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

Although this style of eating could be higher in overall fat than a nutritious diet promoted by the AHA, people who follow a Mediterranean diet actually eat less saturated fat than those who adhere to the average American diet.

Plus, both heart disease and death rates are lower in Mediterranean countries than in the U.S., although that could be attributed to other lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, per the AHA.

The heart health benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been widely researched and that's what this eating plan is most praised for.

A significant study of more than 7,400 people found that sticking to a Mediterranean diet that included olive oil or nuts is linked to a reduced risk for heart attack, stroke and heart-related death by about 30 percent compared to a low-fat diet, per April 2013 research in ‌The New England Journal of Medicine‌.

Although there were flaws in the initial analysis of the study, a second examination of the results in 2018 confirmed these findings, according to the American College of Cardiology.

And an April 2020 meta-analysis in ‌The BMJ‌ that reviewed 121 randomized trials found that the Med diet was the only diet that continued to improve cardiovascular risk factors (i.e. blood pressure and cholesterol) in the long term (past 12 months). It also found that the diet was effective for weight loss.

That's not all: The Med diet was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment in an April 2020 study in ‌Alzheimer's and Dementia‌ that looked at 8,000 participants with and without age-related macular degeneration. However, the cognitive function results weren't as significant: These potential effects were observed at the population level, so individual people likely won't notice a difference in cognitive function.

What's more, the Med diet is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish and some seeds such as chia and flax. Supplementing with omega-3s or eating more fatty fish is tied to lower triglycerides and larger HDL cholesterol particles, which are better at removing unhealthy LDL cholesterol and potentially preventing plaque buildup and heart disease, according to a February 2020 study of 26,034 people in ‌JAHA‌.