While the food pyramid you learned about in school probably isn’t super helpful anymore (if you recall, that bottom category was bread), there is another guide that might be worth checking out. The Mediterranean diet—which was named the top diet for overall health in 2020 and is known for its many science-backed benefits—actually has it’s own food pyramid. It was developed in 1993 by Oldways, a food and nutrition nonprofit, with the help of the Harvard School of Public Health and the World Health Organization. The base of the pyramid represents foods that you should eat every day and incorporate into every meal. They include: fruits, veggies, whole grains, olive oil, legumes, nuts and seeds, and olive oil. The next tier represents foods that you ideally have at least two times per week, including fish and seafood. Following that are foods to consume in moderation. They include poultry, eggs, cheese, yogurt, and, in some cases, red wine. Finally, the smallest portion of the Mediterranean diet (usually for special occasions) includes red meat, saturated fats, and some sweets. The Mediterranean diet pyramid recognizes that foods categorized as protein in the American diet—fish and seafood, poultry and dairy, and meats—are very different in terms of nutritional value and how often they should play into meals, Knudsen says. Similarly, lumping together all fats in the USDA pyramid doesn’t distinguish between healthy fats (like nuts, seeds, and oils), from unhealthy saturated and trans fats. “It still communicates that all fats are equal and therefore should be limited,” Knudsen explains. “The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid is flexible enough to be tailored to a variety of taste and dietary preferences, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc.,” Knudsen says. “Although this pyramid was created back in the ’90s, it still represents the current practices and beliefs of what constitutes a traditional Mediterranean diet,” she says. Rather than focusing on what not to eat, the Mediterranean diet focuses on healthy patterns of eating and incorporates nutrient-dense, whole foods.
