Objectives: the objective of this work was to study the basis of the gastronomy of the Balearic Islands and to look for the feeding patterns as well as the current nutritional and health profiles. Methods: bibliographic search on Balearic gastronomy and nutrition. Results: the traditional gastronomic model of the Balearic Islands is rich and varied and has products of recognized quality under European and national labels. Currently, the consumption of cereals, eggs, vegetables, fruits, pulses, meats, fish and seafood is lower than that observed for the national average. However, the consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is much higher than this average. Conclusions: current food consumption is very far from the traditional Mediterranean model. The nutritional and health profile is worrisome. The challenge of Balearic gastronomy is to combine tradition with current knowledge to achieve a nutritionally acceptable and healthy evolution.