Healthy eating patterns

A Mediterranean-style eating pattern

A Mediterranean-style pattern is one way many people put together everyday meals. It is a pattern, not a script. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, and olive oil show up often. Sweets, sugary drinks, and large portions of beef, pork, or lamb show up less often. Cook foods you already know. If you do not eat fish, or you do not eat dairy, leave those out.

What often shows up

• Vegetables and fruit at most meals.
• Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, barley, bulgur, or whole-wheat bread.
• Beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Olive oil as the usual cooking and salad oil.
• Fish or other seafood a couple of times in a week, if you eat it.
• Yogurt or cheese in modest amounts, if you eat dairy.
• Eggs and poultry more often than beef, pork, or lamb.
• Water as the everyday drink. Coffee or tea if you already drink them.
• Herbs, garlic, lemon, vinegar, and spices for flavor.

Example meals

• Breakfast: plain yogurt with oats, berries, and walnuts. Or whole-wheat toast with tomato, olive oil, and a sliced egg.
• Lunch: lentil soup, a cucumber and tomato salad with olive oil and lemon, and a piece of fruit.
• Dinner: baked fish or a pot of white beans with olive oil, roasted vegetables, and brown rice or whole-grain bread.
• Snack, if you want one: a piece of fruit, a small handful of almonds, or carrot sticks.
• Another dinner: chicken or eggs, a tray of roasted peppers and zucchini, and whole-grain bread.
• Soup night: vegetables and beans, a little pasta, and cheese if you use it.

Grocery list

Shop for about a week for one person, then scale it. Frozen and canned foods count. Rinse canned beans if you want less salt.

• Produce: leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, lemons, carrots, zucchini, apples or oranges. Berries if the price is fair.
• Grains: oats, brown rice or barley, whole-wheat bread or pita.
• Protein foods: dry or canned lentils and chickpeas, eggs, canned or frozen fish, plain yogurt.
• Fats and flavor: olive oil, walnuts or almonds, dried oregano, black pepper.
• Optional: a cheese you already buy.

Prep tips

• Cook a pot of grains and a pot of beans, then use them in bowls for a few days.
• Chop vegetables when you get home so a salad is the fast choice.
• Keep frozen vegetables and frozen fish for nights you do not want to cook from scratch.
• Dress cooked vegetables with olive oil, lemon, and a pinch of salt.
• If you do not eat fish, use beans, lentils, eggs, or tofu in the same spot on the plate.
• Change one meal at a time. Many people start by swapping a sugary drink for water, or by adding a vegetable to a plate they already make.

PDF: Mediterranean-style eating pattern

A plant-forward eating pattern

A plant-forward pattern builds the meal around vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Animal foods, if you eat them, are a smaller side rather than the center of the plate. You do not have to cut them out. Soups, stews, tacos, curries, and rice bowls all fit.

What often shows up

• Vegetables cover about half the plate, or fill most of the bowl.
• Beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, or nuts supply much of the protein.
• Whole grains or starchy vegetables such as potatoes sit beside them.
• Fruit at breakfast or as a simple dessert.
• Oil, nut butter, or seeds for cooking.
• Water as the usual drink.

Example meals

• Breakfast: oatmeal with banana and peanut butter.
• Lunch: chickpea salad with chopped peppers, herbs, and lemon, plus whole-grain bread.
• Dinner: tofu or lentils cooked with mixed vegetables and served with brown rice.
• If you eat meat: a smaller piece of chicken beside a larger share of vegetables and beans.
• Another dinner: black beans, rice, roasted cabbage, and salsa. Add an egg or a little cheese if you eat them.
• A packed lunch: leftover grain, a can of lentils, tomatoes, and a piece of fruit.

Grocery list

• Produce: onions, garlic, leafy greens, cabbage or broccoli, peppers, carrots, bananas, apples. A bag of frozen mixed vegetables.
• Grains: oats, brown rice, whole-grain bread or tortillas.
• Protein foods: canned chickpeas, dry lentils, tofu or eggs, peanut butter or another nut butter.
• Fats and flavor: a cooking oil you like, lemon, chili, cumin, salt or soy sauce.
• Optional: eggs, yogurt, or a small package of chicken.

Prep tips

• A can of beans, a cooked grain, and a frozen vegetable can be dinner.
• Cook lentils in a bigger batch and refrigerate what you will eat in the next few days.
• Season beans with onion, garlic, and a spice you like.
• If chopping is hard, buy pre-cut or frozen vegetables.
• Put the vegetables in the pan first.

PDF: plant-forward eating pattern

A balanced-plate eating pattern

A balanced-plate pattern is a simple way to fill a plate: about half vegetables and fruit, about a quarter grain or other starchy food, and about a quarter protein food. Add the fat you already cook with, and drink water most of the time. The quarters are a picture, not a measuring law. A mixed dish such as soup or a casserole still counts when you can see vegetables, a starch, and a protein in the pot.

What often shows up

• Half: vegetables and fruit. Fresh, frozen, or canned.
• A quarter: rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, tortillas, or another starch.
• A quarter: beans, eggs, fish, poultry, tofu, meat, or dairy you already eat.
• Fat for cooking or topping: oil, nuts, seeds, or avocado.
• Drink: water. Coffee or tea if you want them.

Example meals

• Breakfast: eggs or yogurt, oats or toast, and berries or orange slices.
• Lunch: a large portion of salad or leftover vegetables, rice or a whole-grain sandwich, and tuna, chicken, beans, or cheese.
• Dinner: half the plate roasted broccoli and carrots, a baked potato or pasta, and salmon, lentils, or tofu.
• Another dinner: bean tacos with a large side of cabbage and tomato, and a glass of water.
• A meal you already make: keep it, and let the vegetable portion be the largest one.

Grocery list

• Vegetables and fruit: enough for half of the meals you plan to eat at home. Frozen bags are a reliable backup.
• Grains and starches: rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, or tortillas.
• Protein foods: beans, eggs, fish, poultry, tofu, or dairy you already use.
• Cooking fat: oil, plus nuts or seeds if you like them.

Prep tips

• Fill the vegetable part first so it does not get crowded out.
• Use leftovers as the next day's protein or grain.
• When a meal is one mixed dish, add the missing part on the side.
• Desserts and salty snacks can still show up. Many people have them less often, and in a smaller amount than the main plate.
• Start with dinners only if changing every meal feels like too much.

PDF: balanced-plate eating pattern