Perspective: Beyond the Mediterranean Diet—Exploring Latin American, Asian, and African Heritage Diets as Cultural Models of Healthy Eating

Abstract

Perspective: Beyond the Mediterranean Diet—Exploring Latin American, Asian, and African Heritage Diets as Cultural Models of Healthy Eating☆ Kelly E LeBlanc 1,* , Sara Baer-Sinnott 1 , Kristie J Lancaster 2 , Hannia Campos 3 , Ka Hei Karen Lau 4 , Katherine L Tucker 5 , Lawrence H Kushi 6 , Walter C Willett 3 1 Oldways, Boston, MA, United States; 2 Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University, New York, NY, United States; 3 Department of Nutrition, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; 4 Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, United States; 5 Department of Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences and Center for Population Health, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States; 6 Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, United States ABSTRACT The Mediterranean diet is a well-studied cultural model of healthy eating, yet research on healthy models from other cultures and cuisines has been limited. This perspective article summarizes the components of traditional Latin American, Asian, and African heritage diets, their as sociation with diet quality and markers of health, and implications for nutrition programs and policy. Though these diets differ in specific foods and flavors, we present a common thread that emphasizes healthful plant foods and that is consistent with high dietary quality and low rates of major causes of disability and deaths. In this perspective, we propose that nutrition interventions that incorporate these cultural models of healthy eating show promise, though further research is needed to determine health outcomes and best practices for implementation. Keywords: African diet, Latin American diet, Asian diet, traditional foods, nutrition transition