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The First Mediterranean Diet Roundtable in New York City

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD
Elena Paravantes
Elena Paravantes, MS, RD

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in the first ever Mediterranean Diet Roundtable. It was an effort to discuss the importance but also the application of the Mediterranean Diet in different venues in the US.

My presentation provided a unique, “insider’s” perspective on the Mediterranean diet, shedding light on the true Mediterranean diet. I addressed several widespread misconceptions, often perpetuated by both consumers and health professionals. Many mistakenly believe that the diet is expensive, time-consuming, or difficult to follow — when in fact, it is quite the opposite. Others assume it requires access to exotic or hard-to-find ingredients, or that it consists solely of salads and seafood. In reality, the Mediterranean diet is a flexible, accessible, and diverse way of eating, easily adaptable to different budgets, tastes, and lifestyles.

The roundtable that took place in New York City, was not the typical symposium that focuses only on the scientific side, but rather a mix of professionals you do not ordinarily see together in an event like this. Chefs, foodservice directors and researchers gathered and presented their Mediterranean Diet perspectives as seen through their field of work.

The audience included doctors, nutritionists along with food industry professionals, international manufacturers and international trade organization representatives.

So while in colleges the Mediterranean diet is gaining more and more favor among chefs and students, in hospitals and other venues, there needs to be a stronger push that will show the benefits of serving a Mediterranean diet.

Cost, government regulations, and purchasing restrictions seem to limit the extent at which Mediterranean style dishes are served not only to hospital staff but to patients as well. A panel of foodservice directors discussed the challenges of this particular area. The good news is that there are some hospitals in which the clinical dietitians are in fact recommending the Mediterranean diet to their patients, but at this time they are few.

I felt this roundtable was a great step in the right direction. The public is continuously told how great the Mediterranean diet is, but yet not many venues really serve it, and this initiative will show them how and why (sustainable, affordable, healthy, delicious).

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The view from VIP Event Venue
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Photos courtesy of the Mediterranean Diet Roundtable Project and iItaly

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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4 Comments

  1. Congratulations on being involved in this round table Elena! I find it very interesting that the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are well known yet people in Western societies are still yet to embrace this lifestyle. We need to continue encouraging people to increase their fruit, fish, nuts and olive oil intake well before they need prescription medications for a variety of health conditions.

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  2. One can also point out in favor of the Med Diet that it is much more planet-friendly than the typical Western diet based on red meat and dairy products.

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