My Macedonian grandparents taught my family the Mediterranean way of eating.Alexander Spatari/Getty Images My family has followed the Mediterranean diet for decades. You can swap several of your usual meals and sides with veggie-filled dishes like soups and salads. Fruit, vinegar, and vegetables like peppers are all diet staples that I keep on hand. I remember when the Mediterranean diet first became one of the hottest fads in the nutrition community — all of a sudden, my Greek salads looked super appetizing to my college roommates.