Most of us know that the traditional Mediterranean style of eating is good for us. Just think of those plump tomatoes and grapes, oranges and lemons, big bowls of olives and simple dishes of pasta, washed down with a glass of local red wine.

To reap its benefits - lower rates of heart disease, stroke and prostate cancer - we would have to eat far more fruit and veg, more cereals and less red meat than we do normally in northern climes.

But a recent study of the eating habits of 26,000 people in Greece has revealed that even one small move to a Mediterranean menu - eating less saturated fats - may cut our risk of cancer by 9 per cent. Take things one step farther with more peas, beans and lentils and a bit less red meat and you may reduce the risk by a further 3 per cent.

Opt for olive oil

How do we put this into practice? For starters, grab a bottle of olive oil and dip your bread into it instead of slathering it with butter. If this doesn't sound appealing, opt for a spread made with olive oil. Cooking with olive oil and using it to dress salads instead of mayonnaise, blue cheese dressing or some other gloopy condiment will reduce your intake of saturated fats even more.

Swap to extra lean meat

Swapping to extra lean cuts of red meat and “stretching” meat in dishes by adding pulses like red kidney beans will also reduce your intake of saturated fats. For example, a 150g serving of standard minced beef gives you 6g of saturated fat, while a 150g serving of extra-lean minced beef and red kidney beans (half and half) in say, a chilli con carne, supplies 1.8g of saturated fat.

Bulk up casseroles with pulses

Use less meat in casseroles and stews by bulking them up with chickpeas and lentils, or try some meat-free days, with bowls of hearty pea or lentil soups followed by pasta with a tomato-based sauce. Alternatively, “anglicise” the nutritional rules of the Mediterranean diet. Baked beans with a baked potato and an iceberg lettuce and cucumber salad on the side fit the bill - low in saturated fats, uses pulses and raises your veg intake for the day.

Sardines and hoummos

You can also open a can of sardines or mackerel, mix with vinegar and a little chopped red onion, and serve warmed through under the grill on toast. If you want to be slightly more authentic, grab a tub of hoummos and serve it with some hot pitta bread, chunks of tomato drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a small bowl of olives. Accompanied, of course, by a small glass of wine, if you fancy it.

www.amandaursell.com

Explore Food & Drink

• Gordon Ramsay

• Heston Blumenthal

• Recipes

• Wine

• Real Food

• Eating Out

• Anjum Anand

• Video Recipes

Times Recommends

• How to season a wok
• Chicago Rib Shack hits back at its critics
• Gordon Ramsay: Indian barbecue