EatWise Pyramid

The EatWise Pyramid is a visual guide to healthful living. It emphasizes such things as eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, getting regular physical activity, and drinking alcohol in moderation on a daily basis.

The EatWise Pyramid was designed as an alternative to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food guide pyramid, which the USDA has since replaced with MyPyramid. EatWise was created by nutritionists from Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, other universities, and Oldways Preservation Trust, and had no input from special interest groups such as food producer and food processor trade organizations. The EatWise Pyramid, which is based on the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, was introduced in January 2003 at the Mediterranean Diet Conference sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health and Oldways Preservation Trust. It is very similar to Harvard's Healthy Eating Pyramid.

Because the EatWise Pyramid is based entirely on scientific evidence, it recommends greater use of plant and vegetable oils in place of animal fats. Similarly, the EatWise Pyramid recommends exercise and moderate alcohol consumption (beer, wine or distilled spirits) on a daily basis, unless there is good reason not to do so.