Out with the old, in with the new. If you’re ready to put time and effort into a diet, it’s necessary to know the #1 diet of 2024. Whether your current diet isn’t working for you or you just want to give your weight-loss journey a total refresh, Eat This, Not That! is here with the latest scoop you’ll want to hear. We have the 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diets rankings so you know exactly how popular weight-loss methods stack up. Keep reading to learn more, and when you’re finished, be sure to check out 10 Best Breakfast Foods for Losing Weight & Gaining Muscle.
What is the #1 diet of 2024?
Drumroll, please! “The overall winner for 2024 is the Mediterranean diet,” Gretel Schueller, Managing Editor, Health, from U.S. News, tells us. And this diet received the #1 slot for good reason. According to Schueller, “It’s the 7th year in a row that it’s scored the top overall spot. The Mediterranean diet is really more a lifestyle approach than a diet, which is why it has such staying power. There are no complicated rules to remember or hard-to-track ingredients. The hallmarks of a best diet include balance, maintainability, palatability, family-friendliness, sustainability, along with healthfulness. The Mediterranean diet gets checkmarks in all of those boxes.”
In collaboration with the Harris Poll, the experts at U.S. News curated “an extremely rigorous methodology” to determine which diet deserved the #1 ranking. “Then, we brought in 43 leaders in the fields of nutrition, weight loss, and diet-related health conditions like heart disease and diabetes to evaluate and rank 30 diets,” Schueller tells us. “Basically, these are people whose job it is to stay ahead of the evolving science on the healthiest way to eat.”
These professionals ranked the diets based on key factors such as nutritional completeness, sustainability, and the scientific claims behind each eating regimen. Consistency really is key. Schuelle stresses, “Let’s face it, no matter how good the diet might seem—or how good it might make you look—if you can’t stick with it in the long run, eventually you’ll be right back where you started.”
How is the Mediterranean Diet beneficial for an all-around healthier lifestyle?
The MedDiet is favored by experts because it shines a spotlight on healthy foods, it’s flexible, it’s tasty, and it doesn’t completely cut out certain foods or groups. In addition, there’s so much scientific data that backs up all of the healthy goodness associated with this plant-based diet.
Schueller explains, “The Mediterranean diet also earns the top spot for several other categories: for easiest diet, healthiest diet, best for heart health, best for diabetes management, and best for bone and joint health. Such high accolades are not surprising, as numerous studies have found the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression, and breast cancer. Meals from the sunny Mediterranean region have also been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart, and longer life.”
The MedDiet isn’t structured to be a diet that’s specific to losing weight. However, if you control your calorie intake daily, practice portion control, and exercise, you can achieve your weight loss goal.
“The tenets of the Mediterranean diet are an emphasis on whole foods daily,” Schueller adds. “Vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, whole grains, and some healthy fats like nuts and olive oil should form the foundation of every meal. At least two times a week, add seafood. Finally, allow for a moderate amount of dairy, eggs, and poultry each week. Treat red meat and sweets as an occasional treat, and you’re set for life.”
Keep in mind that while the key principles of this diet encompass the eating habits of countries surrounding the Mediterranean, such as Italy and Greece, you can seamlessly work the MedDiet into your lifestyle and dietary preferences.
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Alexa Mellardo