Mediterranean diet named best overall diet for 7th year in a row

Key takeaways:

• The Mediterranean diet was ranked first in seven of the 11 diet categories.
• The DASH diet ranked second in five categories.

For the 7th consecutive year, the Mediterranean diet was named the best overall diet by nutritional experts at U.S. News and World Report, the company announced.

The Mediterranean diet heavily centers around plant-based foods, healthy unsaturated fats and seafood while limiting sodium, saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was named the second-best overall diet, followed by the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet.

The Mediterranean diet also ranked first in seven other categories — including the best family-friendly diets and best diets for healthy eating — whereas the DASH diet ranked second in five categories.

A panel of 43 experts ranked 30 diets across 11 categories. While no new categories were added since last year’s rankings, six new diets were evaluated, including the vegan diet. Each diet was rated on a scale from one to five, with five being the highest.

The top diets for each category in 2024 include:

Best diets overall

1. Mediterranean diet
2. DASH diet
3. MIND diet

Best diets for diabetes

1. Mediterranean diet
2. DASH diet
3. Flexitarian diet

Best weight-loss diets

1. Weight Watchers (WW) diet
2. Mediterranean diet
3. Volumetrics diet

Best plant-based diets

1. Flexitarian diet
2. Mediterranean diet
3. Vegan diet

Best family-friendly diets

1. Mediterranean diet
2. Flexitarian diet
3. DASH diet

Best diet programs

1. WW diet
2. Mayo Clinic diet
3. Noom diet

Best diets for joint and bone health

1. Mediterranean diet
2. DASH diet
3. Flexitarian diet

Best diets for healthy eating

1. Mediterranean diet
2. Flexitarian diet
3. DASH diet

Best heart-healthy diets

1. Mediterranean diet
2. DASH diet
3. Ornish diet

Easiest diets to follow

1. Mediterranean diet
2. Flexitarian diet
3. DASH diet

Best fast weight-loss diets

1. Keto diet
2. Atkins diet
3. HMR diet

References:

• Mediterranean diet. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16037-mediterranean-diet. Accessed Dec. 20, 2023.
• U.S. News reveals the 2024 best diets. https://www.usnews.com/info/blogs/press-room/articles/2024-01-03/u-s-news-reveals-the-2024-best-diets. Accessed Dec. 20, 2023. Published Jan. 3, 2023.