A new study from the University of South Australia asserts that a Mediterranean diet can be beneficial not only for health but also for weekly budgets.
The study, which was published in the journal Nutrients, found that compared to a typical Western diet, a Mediterranean diet could save a family of four around $28 per week (or $1,456 per year).
Study Details
Researchers compared the nutritional profile and weekly costs of three diet types: the typical Australian Western diet, the Mediterranean diet, and the diet recommended by the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE).
The study found that the Mediterranean diet and the AGHE met recommendations for food groups, macronutrient distribution, and key micronutrients associated with good health.
The typical Australian diet, in contrast, was found to lack fiber, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin E, and vitamin B6 and to contain double the recommended salt intake.
The study calculated the weekly cost of the Mediterranean diet to be $78 for a single-person household, $135 for a household of two, $211 for a family of three, and $285 for a family of four.
Implications
According to Ella Bracci, a researcher at UniSA and Ph.D. candidate, this research demonstrates that a Mediterranean diet can be a viable and healthy choice for cost-conscious families.
“Diet is one of the leading modifiable risk factors for chronic disease. Yet a significant number of Australians are still not consuming a balanced healthy diet,” Bracci states.
She goes on to say that Australians consume a fair amount of food high in fat, salt, and sugar, which contributes to increased rates of type two diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and osteoporosis.
Global agencies, as a response, are increasingly endorsing plant-based diets like the Mediterranean diet, but many people have been resistant to adopting these in Australia, often due to perceived cost.
“This research shows how a Mediterranean diet can be a cost-effective option, letting people prioritize both their health and their hip pocket,” Bracci comments.
UniSA’s Associate Professor Karen Murphy also notes that healthy food shopping can be more affordable than some may expect.
She further adds that both the Australian Guidelines for Healthy Eating and the Mediterranean diet provide necessary nutrients and energy, but the Mediterranean diet generally costs less.
“A $28 dollar saving may not seem like much a week, but over a year this is nearly $1500, which can make all the difference to your budget when times are tough,” she concludes.
The study adds new perspective to the common notion that healthy diets are more expensive than unhealthy ones, highlighting the potential financial benefits of adhering to a Mediterranean-style diet.
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The study was published in Nutrients.
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