How is it that, even with their love of great food and wine, Europeans are famous for their sleek looks?

A great sense of style or a very good tailor can do wonders, certainly, but the prevalence of the Mediterranean Diet — a vegetable forward way of cooking and eating that uses olive oil as its main fat — probably has more to do with it.

The Mediterranean Diet is the result of thousands of years of horticulture and home cooking. (Table olives were first shared in households back in the 1st millennium BC!)

Today, European olives show up often in the flavourful, colourful, satisfying meals that have made the Mediterranean Diet popular among health nuts and foodies everywhere. From an olive and egg pisto for breakfast, to a visually stunning salad bowl for lunch, colourful dishes with vitamin E- and iron-rich European olives are satiating and nutritious. That alone goes a long way to keeping waistlines slim.

Seafood, another staple of the Mediterranean Diet, can be luxurious without a lot of fat and calories. And fish can be prepared so easily. This flavourful roasted swordfish with manzanilla-olives is a great meal for company or a weeknight treat just for your household. It’s quick to put together, so even after a long day of work, you can enjoy a leisurely dinner.

Which brings us to another important key to that ease and elegance many of us associate with Europe. Europeans take their time at the table. Meals are for connecting with others, relaxing, and socializing. European and Mediterranean families have inherited a deeply rooted, down-to-earth tradition have of sharing food, socializing, and relaxing together. Eating isn’t an end to itself. Meals are meant to feed the body and soul in equal measure.

And there it is — the key to that European elegance. It’s not just about waistlines. It’s really a matter of ease and well-being. And that’s a lifestyle that’s going to look and feel good no matter where you live!

We’ve curated a selection of recipes featuring all three varieties of European olives.
Check them out here!

Enjoy! It’s from Europe!