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CHERMOULA

is a North African sauce that can also be used 

as a dressing or marinade. It’s most typically 

associated with Moroccan cuisine, but it’s 

also used in kitchens from Algeria and Tunisia 

to Libya. The recipe varies by country and 

cook, but the basic ingredients include garlic, 

parsley, mint or cilantro, lemon juice or vinegar, 

and olive oil. Spices like cumin add beautiful 

aroma, cayenne adds heat, and paprika

contributes color. It’s a wonderful sauce to 

serve with baked fi sh or chicken, and it also 

adds a fl avorful kick to couscous and rice.

GREMOLATA 

is a chopped herb condiment or garnish that 

originated in Milan, Italy. Gremolata is so 

simple, made with just parsley, garlic, and 

lemon zest. Adding it to roasted vegetables 

or vegetable-based soups for example, will 

brighten colors, aromas, and fl avors, enticing 

the diner to take yet another bite or spoonful. 

HUMMUS 

originated in the eastern Mediterranean. It 

is traditionally made with chickpeas, tahini 

(made from toasted, ground, hulled sesame 

seeds), lemon juice, and garlic, but it can be 

made with any cooked legume from beans and 

dried peas to lentils. It’s most often used as a 

dip for vegetables, pita chips, or crackers, but it 

also makes a great sandwich spread.

PESTO

comes from the Liguria region of northwest 

Italy. The classic version is made from fresh 

basil, garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts, but it can 

also be made with toasted walnuts. It’s a great 

sandwich spread, and it pairs well with pasta.

The Mediterranean diet is consistently rated among the top dietary patterns for not 

only promoting wellness and healthy aging, but also providing enjoyment. There are 

many reasons for these benefi ts. 

The traditional Mediterranean diet contains abundant amounts of plant-based foods, 

like fruits, vegetables, and beans - foods that provide dietary fi ber and potassium, which 

helps promote healthy blood pressure levels. It also incorporates nuts and seeds, 

foods that promote heart health and reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes. 

The traditional Mediterranean diet also contains 43% of calories from fat, most of 

which is unsaturated. While the form varies by country and region, extra virgin olive oil 

is often associated with many health and enjoyment benefi ts of the Mediterranean diet.

Mediterranean sauces can be a cost-effective way to add alluring aromas and fl avor as 

well as nutrient benefi ts to many dishes. The sauces can be used as marinades, dips, 

spreads, condiments, even dressings. 

Here’s some inspiration for using Mediterranean sauces in your senior nutrition program: 

The Magical Power of the Mediterranean Diet

Commissioned by the National Resource Center on Nutrition & Aging; Written by: Amy Myrdal-Miller, MS, RDN, FAND
2 The Magical Power of the Mediterranean Diet

ROMESCO

is often called “Spanish ketchup.” It features 

roasted red bell peppers, raw or roasted

tomatoes, and garlic. Extra virgin olive oil

and finely ground nuts, like toasted almonds

and hazelnuts, add creamy richness while

smoked pimentón pepper adds an alluring

aroma. Romesco is great tossed with grilled

or roasted vegetables. It also creates a

delicious pasta sauce, and it’s a wonderful

topping for roasted meat and poultry or

baked fish.

SKORDALIA

is a creamy Greek sauce made with potatoes, 

bread, and almonds (or walnuts) and finished 

with lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. It can 

be used as a dip for vegetables, a spread for 

sandwiches, an accompaniment for meat or 

poultry, or a topping for grain-based bowls.

TZATZIKI

is another creamy Greek sauce made with 

grated cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic,

vinegar, and dill. It’s the perfect condiment 

for baked fish, but it also provides a bright 

flavor note for roast beef.

Other Easy Ways to Add Mediterranean Foods and Flavors to Your Meals

• Beans and other pulses like chickpeas and lentils are EVERYWHERE in Mediterranean cuisine. Add

beans, lentils or chickpeas to salads (e.g., a Greek salad) or soups (e.g., Minestrone), as appropriate.

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Many regions of the Mediterranean use meat sparingly compared to how we cook in the U.S. You can

replace part of the meat in dishes like chili, meatloaf, or spaghetti sauce with beans or lentils, which

are great sources of plant-based protein. You can puree the beans to add creamy texture to the meat

sauce for dishes like lasagna.

Vegetables are used in great abundance throughout the Mediterranean. Simply increasing the

proportion of vegetables in dishes offers a nod to the sensibilities of Mediterranean cooking.

Use extra virgin olive oil in place of canola, corn, or vegetable oil in salad dressings and sauces.

Add a few toasted walnuts, almonds, or pistachios to salads. This will add some pleasing crunch,

good fats, and lots of flavor!

Mediterranean sauces are an easy way to add Mediterranean flavors to nearly any meal. Try adding

pesto sauce to mayonnaise for chicken or turkey sandwiches or using hummus in place of the

mayonnaise.

Adding Mediterranean sauces to cooked rice is a wonderful way to boost the flavor when pairing

with something bland, like baked fish (e.g., salmon puttanesca) or chicken (e.g., chicken caprese);

chermoula, gremolata, and pesto work well.

You can easily turn a bottle of barbecue sauce into Romesco sauce by adding some pureed roasted

almonds or almond butter and a small amount of garlic.
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Recipes and Resources 

Recipes for all these sauces can be found on www.epicurious.com. 

You can find more information and inspiration on Mediterranean cuisine in these amazing cookbooks.

The authors of these books are very good, trusted recipe testers!

Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix-and-Match Dressings by Joyce 

Goldstein and Dan Barber | May 17, 2008. Available at www.amazon.com 

The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook: 500 Vibrant, Kitchen-Tested Recipes for Living and Eating Well 

Every Day by America’s Test Kitchen | Dec 27, 2016. Available at www.amazon.com 

The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: A Delicious Alternative for Lifelong Health by Nancy Harmon 

Jenkins and Marion Nestle | Dec 30, 2008. Available at www.amazon.com