The Fruits of Good Health found in the Mediterranean Diet

Who can resist a perfectly ripe piece of fruit? Tender, blushing peaches; rosy slices of watermelon; mahogany plums dripping with garnet-colored juice; crisp, crunchy apples; luscious, sunny oranges; sweet, mellow bananas; succulent berries in a rainbow of hues. Few things are more pleasurable than eating really good fruit. So why don’t we eat more, and why do we so often fall short of the recom-mended absolute minimum of two servings of fruit per day? Why do Americans seem to prefer a box of store-bought cookies or cake from a mix for dessert?

In the traditional Mediterranean diet, fruit is a meal’s crowning glory, the ultimate finish to a delicious dinner. The Mediterranean climate is perfect for growing a wide variety of fruits, and whatever is freshest, juiciest, loveliest, and in season provides the final flourish to meals already rich in color, texture, flavor, vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytonutri-ents, and good old-fashioned pleasure.

Fruits are full of great nutrition. Most fruits are high in that ever-helpful and healthful antioxidant vitamin C. All fruits are full of essential vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. Many contain high doses of carotenoids and other phyto­chemicals such as caffeic acid and coumarins, which help the body to rid itself of carcinogens; ferulic acid, which may help to shuttle potentially carcinogenic nitrates out of the body; cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid associated with decreased cervical cancer risk; and flavonoids.

Additionally, many studies have linked high fruit con­sumption (in conjunction with high vegetable consumption or on its own) with lower rates of certain cancers. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ex­amined the specific effect of fruit consumption on cancer, and found “strong protective effects … for cancers of the upper digestive and respiratory tracts,” as well as a lesser ef­fect “on cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, and larynx.” The study also found that the farther a tumor was from the digestive tract, the weaker the protective effect of fruit. Nonetheless, the study also found “significant protec­tive effects of fruit … for cancers of the liver, pancreas, prostate, and urinary tract.”

Yet, despite fruit’s demonstrated healthfulness and great taste, in America, eating desserts higher in both refined sugar and fat than a simple piece of fruit seems to be the norm. A fancy pastry, a chocolate sundae, or a candy bar are weekly, even daily treats for many. Such high-sugar, high-fat fare is only an occasional treat in the traditional Mediter­ranean diet, never a daily or even a weekly indulgence.

While people in some parts of the Mediterranean enjoy a small bite of something sweet during the late afternoon, rich desserts never follow a meal, and portions are relatively tiny. Fruit appropriately follows a heavily plant-based meal, offering both the fulfillment of that desire for something sweet, fiber to provide a feeling of satiety, and one last dose of nutrients and phytochemicals to send the diner on his or her way.

While a ripe, juicy piece of raw fruit is the ultimate treat, fruit can also be delicious cooked, stewed, or added to recipes.

Many of the fruits listed below have been enjoyed for centuries in the Mediterranean. A few are native to North America, or are more often consumed here than elsewhere. While we will mention the availability of each of the following fruits in the Mediterranean, the important point we would like to make is that any high-quality, ripe, juicy, fresh fruit available to you is appropriate for your diet, and finishing your meals with any fruit is eating in the true Mediterranean spirit.