A recipe developer with Greek heritage shares her 2 favorite Mediterranean diet recipes

Maria Koutsogiannis remembers her yiayia making makaronia me kima — a Greek-style spaghetti with meat sauce — for her and her siblings on repeat as a child.

Each summer, she’d spend three months in her parents’ home country, Greece, and soak up the aromas of classic Mediterranean dishes.

Growing up in Saskatchewan, Canada, these yearly trips were her introduction to the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. “We had homes in the city of Astros, which is a coastal city, where we’d go to the beach, and we were lucky enough to just bathe in the sun all day.

And it was really just eat, ocean, sleep, eat, hang out, repeat daily,” Koutsogiannis told Business Insider.

Now a Greek “food obsessive,” recipe developer, and author of the cookbook “Greek Out,” Koutsogiannis spends hours every week making, eating, and thinking about the diet of some of the world’s longest-living people.

Can’t get enough healthy-eating tips?

Check out more coverage on Business Insider: The Mediterranean diet centers on fresh produce, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and lean protein sources.

It has been linked to a lower risk of type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia.

It’s recommended by GI doctors, cardiologists, and dietitians for its health benefits, but also because it’s flexible and unrestrictive, making it easier to follow and maintain than many other diets.

Koutsogiannis shared two of her favorite Mediterranean diet-style recipes.

For the bifteki: For the Greek-style fries: Method for the fries: Hazelnut brittle: Jalapeño vinaigrette: Salad: