How Dietitians Hope The Mediterranean Diet Evolves

U.S. News and World Reports released its official ranking for the best diets and the top honors were given to the Mediterranean diet for the fourth year in a row. The eating plan—which advocates for lean proteins, whole grains, seafood, and plenty of vegetables, along with the occasional glass of wine—was deemed the best by a panel of 25 experts who specialize in nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. I offered my thoughts on The Mediterranean Diet and how I hope it evolves to encompass even more healthy foods:

Registered dietitian Maya Feller, RD, says part of why she feels the Mediterranean diet continues to come out on top is because it’s based on whole, minimally processed foods—a win in her book. But even though the eating plan doesn’t seem very restrictive, there are ways she believes it should be broadened even more, starting with the types of cuisine people think of as Mediterranean food.

“When people think of the Mediterranean, they tend to think of countries like Italy and France, but the Mediterranean Sea spans Western Europe as well as [Northern] Africa and the Middle East,” she says. She hopes the evolution of the Mediterranean diet includes people expanding past what they think of Mediterranean food to include ingredients and dishes from these regions as well.