International Day of the Mediterranean Diet
Next: November 16, 2026
Olive oil, bread and a long table.
The story
Where it comes from
The International Day of the Mediterranean Diet was established by the UN General Assembly in December 2025, on a resolution presented by Italy for a group of Mediterranean countries, and was first observed in 2026, with FAO leading. The date recalls 16 November 2010, when UNESCO added the Mediterranean diet to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO describes it as far more than food: the crops, skills and traditions behind each meal, and above all eating together.
How it's celebrated
As this is the first year, there are no long-standing customs yet. FAO plans to use the day to celebrate healthy diets rooted in local traditions everywhere, not only around the Mediterranean. The simplest way to join in is the diet itself: vegetables, fruit, whole grains, pulses and olive oil, a little fish, cheese or meat, and time at the table with people you like.
Did you know
- The word 'diet' comes from the Greek diaita, meaning 'way of life'.
- In the 1960s the scientist Ancel Keys documented how the Mediterranean diet protects against heart disease.
- Japan's washoku joined the same UNESCO list in December 2013, at the Baku meeting that extended the Mediterranean diet's listing to seven countries.
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