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"Harvard Diet" may help reduce risk of chronic diseases

By Mallika Marshall, MD

March 20, 2023 / 5:59 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON — Experts are discussing a method of healthy eating, but what is the "Harvard diet?"

Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate was first described back in 2011 and serves as a guide for balanced meals that can reduce the risk of chronic disease.

You start by filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with whole grains like quinoa, oats, brown rice, and the last quarter with what they call "protein power" such as fish, poultry, beans, and nuts.

Add healthy oils in moderation and choose water, coffee, or tea over juice or sugary drinks.

And finally, they say don't forget to stay active.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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