Four evidence-aware patterns, each with what it is, an evidence one-liner backed by a named
tier-A or tier-B source, and how this ecosystem's own tools already support it today or once
the linked app merges.
Mediterranean-style pattern
What it is: Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes and olive oil as the daily base, fish and poultry over red and processed meat, and meals built around what is in season rather than a fixed macro target.
Evidence: A Cochrane review of 30 randomized controlled trials found moderate-quality evidence of fewer strokes with a Mediterranean-style diet in primary prevention, alongside genuine uncertainty about clinical cardiovascular outcomes in secondary prevention, so the pattern reads as promising rather than proven for hard endpoints.
Cochrane Library / Rees et al., 2019, [A]
Ecosystem support: Grow the pattern from the grocery aisle: the groceries tool's regional and seasonal criteria already score toward the same producers and produce this pattern favors, and the diet profile allows a household to mark which pattern it is following via the diet profile.
Fibre-first pattern
What it is: Building meals around legumes, vegetables, fruit and whole grains first, so fibre intake climbs as a side effect of what fills the plate rather than a separate supplement or tracked target.
Evidence: WHO's 2023 carbohydrate-intake guideline and EFSA's dietary reference values converge on at least 25g of fibre a day for adults, linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer; the DGE (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung) sets a higher bar of 30g a day in its 2024 update, noting that German survey data shows average intake closer to 18-19g.
WHO, 2023, [A]; EFSA NDA Panel, 2010, [A]; DGE, 2024, [A]
Ecosystem support: A calorie-counter log turns "eat more fibre" into a visible daily gram count, and the groceries tool's fibre-relevant categories (whole grains, legumes, produce) already sit inside its values scoring.
Time-restricted eating (presented neutrally)
What it is: Compressing daily eating into a fixed window, commonly 8 to 10 hours, without necessarily changing what or how much is eaten within it.
Evidence: A 2026 Cochrane review of 22 randomized controlled trials in almost 2,000 adults with overweight or obesity found intermittent fasting, including time-restricted eating, produced weight loss similar to standard calorie-restricted diets, not clearly better; a milder 2 to 3 hour reduction in the daily eating window still produced modest results (roughly 2-3kg over 6-12 months) for some, so this pattern is neither a shortcut nor a myth, it is one option among several with comparable outcomes.
Cochrane Library / Garegnani et al., 2026, [A]
Ecosystem support: A calorie-counter log can mark an eating window without judging it, and a meal-planner plan can concentrate meals inside a chosen window instead of scattering them across the day.
Anti-inflammatory basics
What it is: Regular oily fish, nuts, olive oil, vegetables and whole grains, and less ultra-processed food and refined sugar; a pattern of ingredients rather than a single certified "anti-inflammatory diet".
Evidence: The EU list of permitted health claims contains no "anti-inflammatory" or "reduces inflammation" wording. What it does authorize for EPA and DHA (omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish) is narrower: at a daily intake of 250mg they "contribute to the normal function of the heart", an EFSA-assessed claim under EU regulation. That narrower, cardiovascular claim, not a blanket anti-inflammation promise, is the honest basis for this pattern.
EUR-Lex / Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, [A]
Ecosystem support: Groceries scores already weigh ultra-processing and packaging, two of the levers this pattern leans on, and a calorie-counter log can track oily-fish and nut frequency directly.