Working toward Healthy and Sustainable Diets: The “Double Pyramid Model” Developed by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition to Raise Awareness about the Environmental and Nutritional Impact of Foods

The updated Double Pyramid Model indicates that a Mediterranean diet could result in a lower environmental impact compared to diets high in meat consumption.

• The Double Pyramid Model aligns food choices with their environmental impacts, promoting foods with lower impacts for frequent consumption.
• Three dietary patterns were compared: omnivorous (including meat), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (including dairy and eggs), and vegan (plant-based).
• All menus provided balanced nutrition but varied in the inclusion of animal flesh and products.
• Diets based on the Mediterranean principles may contribute to reduced environmental harm compared to meat-heavy diets.

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