Dr. Grivetti's research blends classical approaches of social and biological sciences with historical perspectives. The unifying theme of his research is how and under what conditions human diets change, the mechanisms of change, and the nutritional implications of human behavior.

Dr. Grivetti's research has taken two sub-themes:

History, origin, and maintenance of safe, nutritionally sound diets: Such work has included identification and nutrient analysis of edible wild plants in Greece and Swaziland, and species consumed during famine in the Sahel of Western Africa; religious determinants of human diet; food-use patterns during and after World War II evidenced by Eastern European, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asian societies; and food patterns and food safety in post-war Vietnam.

Cultural-ethnic diet and nutritional status: such work has included changes associated with rural to urban migration in Greece; food patterns and access to health care by Native Americans; nutritional consequences associated with dietary changes associated with first-, second-, and third-generation immigrants to California, especially Asians, Hispanics, and Mediterraneans.

Dr. Grivetti is also the compiler of the University of California, Davis Olympic Centennial Athletic, Sport, Recreation Bibliography Project and the creator of American the Bountiful: Classic American Food from Antiquity to the Space Age, an exhibit of the history of American food, currently showing at the University of California, Davis Shields Library.

Grivetti, L. E. Informazione o Disinformazione: ResponsabilitI Degli Educatori Nutrizionali [Information or Mis-Information: Responsibilities of Nutrition Educators]. pp. 112-133 (in) Atti dela Convegno L'informazione Alimentare. Mangiare Meglio per Vivere Meglio. Milan: Selezione dal Reader's Digest, 1988.

Smith, G. N. and L .E. Grivetti. Church of the East. From Ancient Times Through World War One. Yearbook, Association of Pacific Coast Geographers. 1989;51: 101-123.

McArthur, L. H., L. E. Grivetti, and H. G. Schutz. Health Food Store Shopping Practices and Rationale of International Students and Students from the United States. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1989;23: 211-224.

Shack, K. W., L. E. Grivetti, and K. G. Dewey. Effects of Resettlement on Nutritional Status of Mothers and Children in Lowland Papua New Guinea. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1990;24: 37-54.

Shack, K. W., K. G. Dewey, and L. E. Grivetti Effects of Resettlement on the Dietary Intakes of Mothers and Children in Lowland Papua New Guinea. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1990;24: 55-70.

Shack, K. W., L. E. Grivetti, and K. G. Dewey. Cash Cropping, Subsistence Agriculture, and Nutritional Status among Mothers and Children in Lowland Papua New Guinea. Social Science and Medicine. 1990;31: 61-68.

Smidt, L. J., F. M. Cremin, L. E. Grivetti, A. J. Clifford. Influence of  Folate Status and Polyphenol Intake on Thiamin Status of Irish Women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1990;52: 1077-1082.

McArthur, L. H., L. E. Grivetti, and H. G. Schutz. Practices, Beliefs and Knowledge of International and U. S. Students Regarding Food Supplements and Health Foods. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1990;24: 233-249.

Smidt, L. J., F. M. Cremin, L. E. Grivetti, and A. J. Clifford. Influence of Thiamin Supplementation on the Health and General Well-Being of an Elderly Irish Population with Marginal Thiamin Deficiency. Journal of Gerontology. 1991;46: M16-22.

Grivetti, L. E. Nutrition Past -- Nutrition Today. Prescientific Origins of Nutrition and Dietetics. Part 1. Legacy of India. Nutrition Today. 1991;26(1): 13-24.

Grivetti, L. E. Nutrition Past -- Nutrition Today. Prescientific Origins of Nutrition and Dietetics. Part 2. Legacy of the Mediterranean. Nutrition Today. 1991;26(4): 18-29.

Grivetti, L. E. Nutrition Past -- Nutrition Today. Prescientific Origins of Nutrition and Dietetics. Part 3. Legacy of China. Nutrition Today. 1991;26(6): 6-17.

Grivetti, L. E. Nutritional Geography. pp. 126-127 (in) Modern Geography. An Encyclopedic Survey. Edited by G. Dunbar. New York: Garland Publishing, 1991.

Stern, J. S., D. C. Chen, S. Saitoh, Y. Shimomura, M. Suzuki, L. E. Grivetti. Eat More Rice (EMR). A Study to Increase Rice Consumption in Americans. pp. 141-145 (in) Obesity. Dietary Factors and Control. Edited by D.R. Romsos. Basel: Karger, 1991.

Grivetti, L. E. Clash of Cuisines. Notes on Christoforo Colombo 1492-1503. Nutrition Today. 1992;26(2): 13-15.

Stevens, D. A., L. E. Grivetti, R. B. McDonald. Nutrient Intake of Urban and Rural Elderly Receiving Home Delivered Meals. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1992;92: 714-718.

Grivetti, L. E. Nutrition Past -- Nutrition Today. Prescientific Origins of Nutrition and Dietetics. Part 4. Aztec Patterns and Spanish Legacy. Nutrition Today. 1992;27(3): 13-25.

Romero-Gwynn, E., D. Gwynn, B. Turner, G. Stanford, E. West, E. Williamson, L. Grivetti, and R. McDonald. Dietary Change Among Latinos of Mexican Descent in California. California Agriculture. 1992;46(4): 10-12.

Uhle, A. F., and L .E. Grivetti. Alpine and Brazilian Swiss Food Patterns After a Century of Isolation. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1993;29:119-138.

Humphry, C., M.S. Clegg, C. Keen, and L.E.Grivetti. Food Diversity and Drought Survival. The Hausa Example. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 1993;44:1-16.

Romero-Gwynn, E., D. Gwynn, L. Grivetti, R. McDonald, G. Stanford, B. Turner, E. West, and E. Williamson. Dietary Acculturation among Latinos of Mexican Descent. Nutrition Today. 1993;28(4):6-12.

Matalas, A., and L.E. Grivetti. Mediterranean Diet. Food Pattern Comparison Between 19th and 20th Century Greek Sailors. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 1993;44:261-279

Kurowski, H., S. Gospe, L.E. Grivetti, F.J. Zeman. Nutritional Factors and Anticonvulsant Drug Therapies: Effect on Growth Retardation in Children with Seizures. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1993;58:858-861.

Matalas, A.-L. and L.E. Grivetti. The Diet of Nineteenth-Century Greek Sailors: An Analysis of the Log of the Konstantinos. Food and Foodways. 1993;5:353-389.

Grivetti, L.E. Morning Meals: North American and Mediterranean Breakfast Patterns. The European Anglo-Saxon Heritage. Nutrition Today. 1995;30:24-29.

Grivetti, L.E., L.M. Bui, and L.T. Vuong. Nutrition in Vietnam: Historical Topics and Contemporary Research Opportunities. International Child Health. 1995;6:11-24.

Grivetti, L.E. Morning Meals: North American and Mediterranean Breakfast Patterns. Part 2. America At Breakfast. Nutrition Today. 1995;30:128-134.

Smith, G.C., M.S. Clegg, C.L. Keen, and L.E. Grivetti. Mineral Values of  Selected Plant Foods Common to Southern Burkina Faso and to Niamey, Niger, West Africa. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 1995;47:41-53.

Smith, G.C., S.R. Dueker, A.J. Clifford, and L.E. Grivetti. Carotenoid Values of Selected Plant Foods Common to Southern Burkina Faso, West Africa. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1996;35:43-58.

Grivetti, L.E., E.A. Applegate, P.M. Clarkson, A.C. Grandjean, R.B. McDonald, and C.M. Tipton. From Ancient Olympia to Modern Atlanta. Celebration of the Olympic Centennial. Nutrition Today. 1996;31(6): 241-249.

Applegate, E.A., Clarkson, P.M., Grandjean, A.C., Grivetti, L., McDonald, R.B., and C.M. Tipton. Introduction. Sympsium: Nutrition and Physical Performance: A Century of Progress and Tribute to the Modern Olympic Movement. Journal of Nutrition. 1997;127:857S-859S. (Article)

Grivetti, L.E. and E.A. Applegate. From Olympia to Atlanta: A Cultural-historical Perspective on Diet and Athletic Training. Symposium: Nutrition and Physical Performance: A Century of Progress and Tribute to the Modern Olympic Movement. Journal of Nutrition. 1997;127:860S-868S.(Article)

Applegate, E.A. and L.E. Grivetti. Search for the competitive edge. A history of dietary fads and supplements. Symposium: Nutrition and Physical Performance: A Century of Progress and Tribute to the Modern Olympic Movement. Journal of Nutrition. 1997;127:869S-873S.(Article)

Applegate, E.A., Baumgartner, B., Clarkson, P.M., Grivetti, L.E., Haislett, N., McDonald, R.B., Mills, B. and A. Oerter. Gold medal roundtable: Athlete Presentations, Audience Questions, and Summary Statements. Symposium: Nutrition and Physical Performance: A Century of Progress and Tribute to the Modern Olympic Movement. Journal of Nutrition. 1997;127:886S-892S.(Article)

Grivetti, L. E. Morning Meals. North American and Mediterranean Breakfast Patterns. Part 3. Mediterranean Patterns and Summary. Nutrition Today. 1997;32(4): 1-8.

Grivetti, L. E. Social Determinants of Food Intake. pp. 121-131 In: Nutritional Implications of Macronutrient Substitutes. New York Academy of Science. 1997; Volume 819. Edited by G. H. Anderson, B. J. Rolls, and D. G. Steffen. New York: The New York Academy of Sciences, pp. 121-131.

Glew, R. H., D.J. VanderJagt, C. Lockett, L. E. Grivetti, G. C. Smith, A. Pastuszyn, and M. Millson. Amino Acid, Fatty Acid, and Mineral Composition of 24 Indigenous Plants of Burkina Faso. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 1998;10: 205-217.

xGrivetti, L., D. Leon, K. Rasmussen, P. S. Shetty, R. Steckel, and J. Villar. Report of the IDECG Working Group on Variation in Fetal Growth and Adult Disease. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998;52: S102-103.

Dillinger, T. L., S. C. Jett, M. J. Macri, and L. E. Grivetti. Feast or Famine? Supplemental Food Programs and Their Impact on Rural and Urban Native Americans. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 1999;50: 173-187.

Carpenter, M. F., E. A. Laca, and L. E. Grivetti. Linking Livestock Production to Human Nutrition in Kazakstan.  pp. 158-168 In: Proceedings: Heifer Project International Symposium on Human Nutrition and Livestock in the Developing World. Edited by B. A. Miller. Little Rock, Arkansas: Heifer Project International, 1999.

Grivetti, L. E. Muslim Food- and Health-Related Behaviors. Pregnancy and Postnatal Periods. pp. 82-89 In: Proceedings, Cultural and Historical Aspects of Foods. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Edited by M. W. Kelsey and Z-A Holmes. Corvallis, Oregon: Nutrition and Food Management College of Home Economics and Education, Oregon State University, 1999.

Grivetti, L. E. Sound Nutrition in the Midst of Poverty. The Otomí Revisited. pp. 90 - 98 In: Proceedings, Cultural and Historical Aspects of Foods. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Edited by M.
W. Kelsey and Z-A Holmes. Corvallis, Oregon: Nutrition and Food Management College of Home Economics and Education, Oregon State University, 1999.

Grivetti, L. E., J. Corlett, C. Lockett. Classic American Foods. A Cultural-Historical Retrospective. pp. 99 - 115 In: Proceedings, Cultural and Historical Aspects of Foods. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Edited by M. W. Kelsey and Z-A Holmes. Corvallis, Oregon: Nutrition and Food Management College of Home Economics and Education, Oregon State University, 1999.

Wada, J. Y., B. Pogosian, Y. Yamani, and L. E. Grivetti. Japanese Festival Foods. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1999;38: 307-350.

Matalas, A. -L., C. E. Franti, and L. E. Grivetti. Comparative Study of Diets and Disease Prevalence in Greek Chians. Part 1. The Rural and Urban Residents of Chios. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1999;38: 351-380.

Matalas, A.-L., C. E. Franti, and L. E. Grivetti. Comparative Study of Diets and Disease Prevalence in Greek Chians. Part 2. Emigrants Residing in Athens and the United States. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 1999;38: 381-414.

Grivetti, L. E. and B. M. Ogle. Value of Traditional Foods in Meeting Macro- and Micronutrient Needs: The Wild Plant Connection. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2000;13: 1-16.

Lockett, C., and L. E. Grivetti. Food-Related Behaviors During Drought. A Study of Rural Fulani, Northeastern Nigeria. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.2000;51: 91-107.

Lockett, C., C. C. Calvert, and L. E. Grivetti. Energy and Micronutrient
Composition of Dietary and Medicinal Wild Plants Consumed During Drought. Study of Rural Fulani, Northeastern Nigeria. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2000;51: 195-208.

Dillinger, T. L., P. Barriga, S. Escarcega, M. Jimenez, D. S. Lowe, and L. E. Grivetti. Food of the Gods - Cure for Humanity? A Cultural History of the Medicinal and Ritual Use of Chocolate. Journal of Nutrition. 2000;130 (Supplement): 2057S-2072S.

Grivetti, L. G. Nutritional Geography. History and Trends. Nutritional Anthropology. 2000;23(2): 1-16.

Reed, B. A. and L. E. Grivetti. Controlling On-Farm Inventories of Bulk-Tank Raw Milk. An Opportunity to Protect Public Health. Journal of Dairy Science. 2001;83: 1-4.

Grivetti, L. E. Mediterranean Food Patterns. The View from Antiquity. Ancient Greeks and Romans. pp. 3-30 In. The Mediterranean Diet. Edited by A-L. Matala, A. Zampelas, V. Stavrinos, and I. Wolinsky. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, 2001; pp. 3-30.

Grivetti, L. G. Psychological and Cultural Aspects of Energy. Nutrition Reviews. 59 (1): 2001;S5-S12.

Bloom, K. J., and L. E. Grivetti. The Mysterious History of Partridge Poisoning. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. 2001;56: 68-76.

Grivetti, L. E., J. L. Corlett, and C. T. Lockett. Food in American History. Part 1. Maize. Bountiful Gifts: America on the Eve of European Colonization (Antiquity to 1565). Nutrition Today. 2001;36(1): 19-28.

Grivetti, L. E., J. L. Corlett, and C. T. Lockett. Food in American History. Part 2. Turkey. Birth of a Nation: Colonialization to the Revolution (1565 - 1776). Nutrition Today. 2001;36(2): 88-96.

Grivetti, L. E., J. L. Corlett, and C. T. Lockett. Food in American History. Part 3. Beans. Revolution and Expansion: The Frontier Experience (1776 - 1848). Nutrition Today. 2001;36(2) 172-181.

Corlett, J. L., Clegg, M. S., Keen, C. L., & Grivetti, L. E. Mineral content of culinary and medicinal plants cultivated by Hmong refugees living in Sacramento, California. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2002;53: 117-128.

Grivetti, L. E., J. L. Corlett, and C. T. Lockett. Food in American History. Part 5. Pork. A Nation Divided: The American Civil War Era (1861- 1865). Nutrition Today. 2002;37(3): 110-117.

Grivetti, L. E. Dietary Supplements in American Children. Scientific vs. Marketing Justifications. Nutrition Today. 2002;37(3): 128-129.

Dalsin, M. F., E. A. Laca, G. Abuova, and L. E. Grivetti. Livestock- Owning Households of Kazakstan. Part 1. Food Systems. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 2002;41:301-343.

Dalsin, M. F., E. A. Laca, G. Abuova, and L. E. Grivetti. Livestock- Owning Households of Kazakstan. Part 2. Food Patterns and Health. Seasonal and Regional Analysis. Ecology of Food and Nutrition.
2002;41:345-371.

Johnson, N., and L. E. Grivetti. Environmental Change in Northern Thailand. Impact on Wild Edible Plant Available. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 2002;41: 373-399.

Johnson, N., and L. E. Grivetti. Gathering Practices of Karen Women. Questionable Contribution to Beta-Carotene Intake. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2002;53: 489-501.

Corlett, J. L., E. A. Dean, L. E. Grivetti. Hmong Gardens. Botanical Diversity in an Urban Setting. Economic Botany. 2003;57:365-379

Grivetti, L. E. and T. Wilson. A Brief History of Human Beverage Consumption. Pre-history to the Present. In: Beverage Impacts on Health and Nutrition. Edited by T. Wilson and N. J. Temple, Nutrition and Health Series, Humana Press. Beverages in Nutrition and Health. 2004;1:3-18.