Harvard nutrition expert Walter Willett shares daily diet habits

Walter Willett, an 81-year-old Harvard professor and one of the world’s most-cited nutrition experts, has shared details of his daily diet. Willett, a former head of the Nutrition Department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has spent decades researching the links between diet and chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

Willett follows a Mediterranean-style diet, prioritizing whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. His breakfast typically consists of steel-cut oats with Greek yogurt, nuts, and blueberries. For lunch, he often prepares a quick, low-cost meal consisting of whole-grain bread with peanut butter, honey or jam, and carrots, which he estimates costs approximately 72 cents and takes less than three minutes to prepare.

Regarding protein, he consumes about one serving of dairy and one serving of animal protein, such as poultry or fish, daily, while limiting red meat to no more than once per week. He also noted that while he enjoys a small glass of orange juice, he is mindful of its sugar content.