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Photo:Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickeyt, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickeyt, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
For some individuals, a simple flip of the calendar seems to hold magical powers. Millions of Americans enter each new year with a renewed sense of resolve to level-up some area of their lives—be it financial, physical, emotional or otherwise. For many of us, our resolutions relate to health in some way.
But it need not be January 1 for folks to focus on how they fuel. In fact, 52% of adults who took part in theInternational Food Information Council’s 2023 Food & Health Surveyconfirm that they followed a specific eating pattern or diet at some point during the past 365 days. Yet, “dieting” can be really challenging, regardless of your goal—weight loss, longevity, heart health, diabetes management. And despite their splashy promises and the before-and-after photos you might see all over social media, nearly allfad dietsdon’t work.
Deciding which diet to try (and sifting through which to skip due to potential health harms) can be a really daunting process. But you need not go it alone, asU.S. News & World Reporthas just revealed its list of the best diets, a ranking released each January.
Now in its 14th year, a panel of 43 experts, including doctors, registered dietitians and epidemiologists, helpedU.S. News & World Reportreview and score 30 diets to help people make more informed choices about which diets are safe and sustainable—and which diets are best to steer clear of.
Related:The #1 Mistake People Make When Starting a New Diet, According to a Dietitian
This year, the panelists considered the usual suspects (paleo, DASH, MIND, Zone, Atkins), then reviewed and ranked six new diets, which were chosen based on increasing popularity:
Just like there’s no universal “best” way to exercise, the best diet for each individual may vary. That being said, the panel focused on the following benchmarks to separate the best from the rest:
The Best Overall Diet in 2024
For seven years straight, theMediterranean diettakes home the trophy as the Best Diet Overall thanks to overall diet quality, its lack of restriction and its long-term sustainability.
Inspired to give it a try? Load up your plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood and healthy fats. If you drink alcohol, sip on a glass of red wine every so often. Limit processed foods and added sugars.Lifestyle habitslike sharing food with others and incorporating activity into your daily life are also an important part of the Mediterranean diet. These deliciousMediterranean diet recipesare the best way to get started.
The blood-pressure-mindedDASH dietcomes in second for Best Diet Overall this year, and the brain-boostingMIND dietclocks in at No. 3.
The Worst Diets of 2024, According to Experts
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Raw Food Diet, Herbalife Nutrition and Dukan were selected as the three worst diets of the year due to their restrictive nature or reliance on processed shakes and bars (which are, in addition to being expensive, not a way to teach sustainable healthy eating habits for a lifetime).
There are some outliers who rank poorly overall but still earn top marks in certain categories. Case in point: the Keto diet, which is 25 out of 30 in the general category, does result in swift short-term scale shifts. As a result, it tops the rankings for Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet.
Related:Does a Healthy Keto Diet Plan Even Exist?
All of the Best Diet Winners
A Deeper Dive into the Mediterranean Diet
We’re such huge fans of the Mediterranean diet that we’ve already tapped dietitians to create primers abouthow to start, to walk us through a30-day Mediterranean diet challenge, to create aMediterranean dietfood lineup we can use as a shopping list and beyond.
All of this is brilliant for background, but how does this lifestyle look IRL? We caught up withSuzy Karadsheh, who was raised in Port Said, Egypt, and now calls Atlanta home. Karadsheh is the founder ofThe Mediterranean Dishand author ofThe Mediterranean Dish: 120 Bold and Healthy Recipes You’ll Make on Repeat. The mom of two daughters and two dogs spends her days trying to inspire other busy humans to hop on the Mediterranean train.
One of the biggest myths she loves to bust:The Mediterranean isn’t just Greece and Italy—it encompasses 21 countries. “The Mediterranean way goes far beyond Southern Europe,” Karadsheh says. “That’s a lot of different cuisines to explore.”
Karadsheh believes that this diversity and the fresh flavors “are the secret as to why it is the top diet to follow. Yes, it is a satisfying and nutritious way to eat, but when you eat this way, you will never be bored!” Plus, there’s no hard and fast list of do’s and don’ts, and you need not count calories or macros, as some other fad diets might require you to. Bonus: Most of what you need to eat the Mediterranean way is already available in your local supermarket!
Related:The 12 Best Mediterranean Diet Foods on a Budget, According to a Dietitian
How to Determine the Best Diet for You
No matter your desired end game—lower risk for diabetes or heart disease, stronger bones, weight loss—the best diets of 2024 have a handful of features in common:
The Mediterranean diet was selected as the best bet again this year, but you need not follow it to a T to rack up some serious health and longevity benefits. Adding an extra serving of antioxidant-rich vegetables to your usual dinner menu or choosing heart-healthy canned salmon more often than deli meat for your daily sandwich doesn’t need to be part of any specific “diet”—they’re just smart (and tasty!) lifestyle tweaks.
The best diet for you, according toEatingWelldietitians, is one that includes all of your favorite foods in moderation. No labels or restriction required.
Related:I Tried Every Diet Ever to Lose Weight—Here’s What Happened
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