The "Mediterranean diet" is good for you because it's moderate. There aren't any gimmicks. There're no "bad foods" that are "forbidden". My experience is with Italian cuisine, of course, but they're all similar.
Meals are balanced and varied. Italians mostly do eat a primo--pasta, risotto, or soup--followed by a secondo--meat, poultry, or fish--and accompanied by a vegetable or a salad. Maybe dessert, maybe not. But portions aren't large; except for special occasions, servings of meat aren't larger than about a third of a pound. Or less. Sure, once in awhile you'll go out and share a bistecca alla Fiorentina with a friend. That's a Porterhouse. But those kinds of portions aren't a daily, or weekly, treat.
And the success of dishes depends on the freshness of the ingredients. Italians try to avoid processed food. They also don't snack. They eat meals.
Unfortunately, even while I was there, things were changing. Four decades ago, and earlier, most working people got a couple of hours for lunch, and went home. Where Mamma made them a full meal. Nowadays they have an hour or less, and run out to a bar and grab a panino. That may seem better, but then they eat more at night. And probably they do snack more. At least they don't graze throughout the day, the way so many Americans do.
Sitting down to eat a meal is better for you. And yes, most do drink a glass or two of wine with dinner, and maybe with lunch. It isn't expensive.
