Revising the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid: Whole Grains, Herbs, and Spices

© 2008 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust

During the introduction to Oldways' 15th Anniversary Mediterranean Diet Conference, we learned that the organization had revised it's Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. The older pyramid is still a great tool, but Oldways felt it needed tweaking to better reflect our current scientific knowledge about the health-promoting eating pattern. The graphic is simpler and more streamlined, and Oldways now specifies that grains -- considered an important foundation of the Mediterranean Diet -- should be whole grains. The other big revision was the addition of herbs and spices to the base of the pyramid, both because they're such important contributors to the flavor profile of the traditional Mediterranean diet, and for their potent health-promoting properties. As Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician and Assistant Clinical Professor at Stanford Medical School noted during the conference's opening keynotes, "This is the first food pyramid that has herbs and spices on it. I just love that."