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Ahh, January 1. While there’s nothing magical about the flip of the calendar, many of us take it as a cue to reignite our resolve. About four in 10 Americans regularly set resolutions, according to recentestimates, and you can probably guess one of the top five resolutions each year: improved diet. (ICYMI, that healthy eating resolution need not be restrictive! EatingWell dietitians suggest setting resolutions that add more good to your life rather than drastically limiting major elements, such as carbs or sugar.)
Pictured Recipe:Easy Salmon Cakes with Arugula Salad
With inflation shifting food prices to historic levels in some categories, the judges added financial factors into the overall consideration for the best diet of 2023. A couple more new-for-the-new-year features:
The #1 Habit You Should Break to Lose Weight, According to a Dietitian
A group of 33 nationally-recognized experts in diet, nutrition, obesity, food psychology, diabetes and heart disease took a deep dive into each of the 24 diets to answer questions about each diet in the follow areas:
After answering the questions to firm up their intel about each plan, the panelists rated each diet. TheU.S. News & World Reportteam then translated the collective ratings to a per-diet rating from one star (lowest) to five stars (highest) in all categories.
The Best Overall Diet of 2023
Six years running,theMediterranean diettakes home the trophy as the “Best Diet Overall.” Ranked highly for its long-term sustainability (meaning followers could actually stick with it for a lifetime without feeling overly restricted), this eating plan also earned top ranks as theBest Diet for Healthy Eating, the Best Plant-Based Dietand tied for first for theBest Family-Friendly DietandBest Diet for Bone and Joint Health. (P.S. A Mediterranean diet meal plan is also one of the best diets for the brain to help prevent dementia!)
Want to give it a go? Fuel up with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood and healthy fats, and savor a glass of red wine every so often (if you choose to drink alcohol). Limit processed foods and added sugars, sprinkle in some daily activity and social time with loved ones.
Exactly Why the Mediterranean Diet Is So Healthy
The following diets also improved from last year’s 2022 rankings across several diet categories:
The Worst Diets of 2023, According to Experts
Due to their lack of flexibility, overly-restrictive nature and the possible nutritional imbalances that may result from following these programs, the worst diets of the year include the Raw Food Diet, the keto diet, Atkins, OPTAVIA and SlimFast.
Mediterranean Diet vs. Keto Diet: Which Is Healthiest?
Most or all of these plans restrict at least one healthy food group and are less of a “lifestyle” plan and more of a short-term, lose-LBs-quick diet—which can lead to a rollercoaster on the scale.Researchers estimatethat about 80% to 95% of those who lose weight on restrictive plans gain all of it back; sometimes more. Studies have linked “yo-yo dieting” or “weight cycling” toincreased cancer riskandworse heart health outcomescompared to simply maintaining a consistent weight. (Although keto wins gold in the Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet category, this is likely why it is a low performer overall.)
All of the Best Diet Winners
Regardless of the category or your desired end goal—better heart health, lower diabetes risk, stronger bones, weight loss—the best diets of 2023 have a few things in common:
While the Mediterranean diet was selected as the MVP again this year, you need not stick to every principle to score some big health and longevity benefits. Sneaking an extra serving of antioxidant-rich fruit at lunch or swapping a portion of heart-healthy fish for deli meat at dinner need not be part of any specific “diet”—they’re just a smart (and tasty!) lifestyle tweaks.
The best diet for you, according to our on-staff dietitians, is one that includes all of your favorite foods in moderation—and yes, that can definitely includechocolateandcheese.
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