Whenever I mention the Mediterranean diet, I often see a little flicker of worry in people’s eyes. It’s a look that says, “That sounds lovely, but also… expensive.”
Visions of pricey delis, artisanal olive oil that costs more than a good bottle of wine, and glistening fresh fish counters can make this way of eating feel like a luxury. I get it. We’re all feeling the pinch, and the weekly shop is often the first place we look to save a few quid.
But I’m going to let you in on a secret: the idea that the Mediterranean diet is expensive is one of the biggest myths in healthy eating. At its heart, this isn’t about luxury ingredients; it’s about being resourceful, clever, and celebrating simple, flavourful food. It’s peasant food, perfected. And I’m going to show you exactly how to make it work for your budget, right here in the UK.
First, Let’s Address the Elephant in the Room: The “Expensive” Items
Before we dive into the good stuff, let’s tackle the three things that everyone assumes will drain their bank account. A little bit of knowledge here goes a very long way.
1. The Olive Oil Predicament
You walk down the oil aisle and see beautiful tins and dark glass bottles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil priced at £10, £15, even £20. It’s easy to think you need the absolute best, but you don’t. For your day-to-day, a good quality supermarket own-brand extra virgin is absolutely perfect for dressings, drizzling, and finishing dishes. Aldi and Lidl do fantastic, award-winning versions for a fraction of the price. For general cooking, like sautéing onions, a cheaper, standard olive oil or even a light olive oil is perfectly fine. Save the fancy stuff for special occasions, if you even bother with it at all.
2. The Fish Counter Fear
Yes, two fresh sea bass fillets from the fishmonger can be pricey. But a truly Mediterranean way of eating doesn’t mean expensive fresh fish every day. The real heroes are tinned and frozen. Tinned sardines, mackerel, and anchovies are nutritional powerhouses, packed with Omega-3s, and cost about a pound a tin. They are magnificent mashed onto toast, stirred through pasta, or flaked into a salad. The freezer aisle is your other best friend. A bag of frozen cod or pollock fillets is far cheaper than fresh and just as healthy.
3. The Nut Bill
A big bag of almonds or walnuts in the snacking aisle can certainly look expensive. The trick here is two-fold. First, buy from the baking or world-food aisles, where the prices are often significantly lower for the exact same product. Second, remember that a serving is a small handful, not the whole bag! Nuts are for adding texture and flavour to dishes—sprinkled on porridge, salads, or yoghurt—not for mindlessly munching through a whole packet.
The Core of a Budget-Friendly Mediterranean Kitchen
Now for the fun part. The real foundation of this diet is built on some of the most affordable and humble ingredients you can find in any British supermarket.
- Pulses and Legumes are Your Best Mates: I cannot overstate this. Canned chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini beans, and bags of red lentils are the undisputed champions of budget-friendly eating. A can of chickpeas can be turned into hummus, roasted for a snack, or bulk out a stew, and costs less than a quid. A bag of lentils will give you soups and curries for days. They are packed with protein and fibre, keeping you full and happy for pennies.
- Embrace the Freezer Aisle: Forget the idea that fresh is always best. Frozen fruit and vegetables are picked and frozen at their peak, meaning they are just as nutritious—and often more so—than the ‘fresh’ stuff that’s been sitting in transit for a week. A big bag of frozen peas, spinach, or berries is incredibly versatile and means zero food waste. Frozen garlic and herb pellets are also a brilliant, cost-effective way to add flavour without watching fresh herbs wilt sadly in your fridge.
- Go with the Seasons (Seriously, It’s Cheaper): This sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. When a fruit or vegetable is in season in or near the UK, it’s abundant, and the price plummets. In autumn and winter, that means leaning into hearty root vegetables like carrots, swede, and parsnips. In summer, it’s all about courgettes, tomatoes, and berries. Building your meals around what’s on offer is a fundamental cost-saving skill.
- Whole Grains are Hearty and Humble: A bag of porridge oats, a loaf of wholemeal bread, pearl barley, or a sack of brown rice are cheap, cheerful, and form the backbone of a filling Mediterranean diet. These aren’t fancy, niche ingredients; they’re staples that provide slow-release energy and keep you satisfied.
My Savvy Supermarket Strategy for UK Shoppers
Knowing what to buy is one thing; knowing how to shop is another. This is where you can make huge savings.
I once made the mistake, early on, of trying to follow a recipe from a glossy American cookbook. It called for some obscure heirloom bean and a specific brand of San Marzano tomatoes. I spent a fortune and half a day trying to track them down. The meal was lovely, but the stress and cost were ridiculous. I learned my lesson the hard way: don’t be a brand snob. Supermarket own-brands, especially from Aldi, Lidl, and the basic ranges at the big four, are fantastic. Their tinned tomatoes, dried pasta, yoghurt, and cheese are often produced in the same factories as the big brands, just with a different label.
The single most effective strategy, however, is to plan your meals. It doesn’t have to be a rigid, military-style operation. Just decide on three or four evening meals you’ll cook this week. Write down the ingredients. Buy only those ingredients. This simple act stops you from chucking random, ‘interesting’ things into your trolley that later go off. It’s the simplest way to slash your food bill.
A Sample £50 Weekly Shopping List (To Get You Started)
To prove how achievable this is, here’s a rough example of a weekly shop that’s packed with Mediterranean goodness. Prices are approximate, of course!
- Pantry: 1L Extra Virgin Olive Oil (£7), 1 bag red lentils (£1.50), 2x tins chickpeas (£1.40), 1x tin kidney beans (£0.70), 2x tins chopped tomatoes (£0.90), 1 jar passata (£0.50), 1 bag porridge oats (£1), 1 loaf wholemeal bread (£1.20), 1 bag brown rice (£1.50), 1 bulb garlic (£0.80).
- Protein: 2x tins sardines in oil (£2), 1 bag frozen cod fillets (£4), 1 block feta cheese (£2), 6 free-range eggs (£1.50), 1L milk (£1.20), 1 large pot natural yoghurt (£1.50).
- Fruit & Veg: 1 bag onions (£1), 1 bag carrots (£0.60), 1 head of broccoli (£0.75), 1 bag spinach (£1.50), 1 bag apples (£1.50), 1 bag frozen berries (£2.50), 1 lemon (£0.30).
- Total: approx. £36.85 (Leaving you plenty of wiggle room for herbs, spices, and other favourites!)
It’s a Mindset, Not a Shopping Spree
As you can see, the Mediterranean diet isn’t about spending more; it’s about thinking differently. It’s about turning a humble can of beans into a delicious stew, knowing that frozen peas are a powerhouse, and realising that a drizzle of good oil and a squeeze of lemon can make simple food sing.
You have the power to eat incredibly well, improve your health, and save money all at the same time. You just have to shed the myth that healthy has to be expensive.
Feeling inspired but want a helping hand to get started? Download my FREE 7-Day Budget Mediterranean Meal Plan. It comes with a complete, printable shopping list and simple recipes to make your first week delicious, easy, and affordable.