The New Year usually brings resolutions to adopt healthier lifestyles, which often means achieving them better food choices.
This week, US News & World Report revealed its annual list of the best diets overall, as selected by a panel of medical and nutrition experts.
All specialists specialized in diabetes, heart health and weight loss.
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The diets were selected for their “nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, long-term sustainability and evidence-based efficacy,” according to the report, as well as their ability to achieve specific goals.
“There are important commonalities across the list of best diets,” Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Fox News. (Freirich was not involved in the study.)
The diets were selected for “nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, long-term sustainability and evidence-based efficacy.” (iStock)
“Each diet is evidence-based, includes a variety of foods from all food groups, and focuses on increasing unprocessed foods with high nutrient density.”
Below is a list of the diets that topped the list for 2025.
1. Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet it has long been associated with a long list of health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity and more.
Research has revealed a connection between the Mediterranean diet and increased longevity.
“Each diet is evidence-based, includes a variety of foods from all food groups, and focuses on increasing nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods.”
The diet is a plant-based eating plan that mimics the regional cuisines of countries along the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy and Greece.
Primary foods include whole vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, and herbs and spices in your diet, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Olive oil is the primary source of added fat.
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Other foods – including fish, poultry and dairy products – can be eaten in moderation.
The diet limits red meat, sweets, butter and sweet drinks.
Mediterranean diet health benefits stem from limiting saturated fat, refined carbohydrates (including sugars), and sodium, as well as promoting healthy unsaturated fats, fiber, and antioxidants, according to the Cleveland Clinic’s website.
2. DASH diet
The DASH diet — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — was developed by the US-based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to lower blood pressure and promote overall health.
The Mediterranean diet has long been associated with a long list of health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity and more. (iStock)
“This well-balanced diet emphasizes increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables along with whole foods, something most of us lack,” said Erin Palinski-Wade, a registered dietitian in New Jersey and author of “2-Day Diabetes.” Diet.”
“It’s a well-balanced, evidence-based diet plan that can offer a variety of health benefits.”
3. Flexitarian diet
For those who want to add more plant-based foods to their diet without fully committing to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, a flexitarian diet allows for occasional meat consumption, making it more affordable and sustainable for many individuals, Palinski-Wade said.
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“This diet ranks as one of the easiest diets to follow, thanks to its flexibility and lack of strict rules or restrictions,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Research also suggests that a flexitarian diet may be more effective than a traditional vegetarian or vegan diet in maintaining heart health.”
4. MIND diet
The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is a hybrid of the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet.
This diet is gaining popularity because it can help with brain health and potentially reduce the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’sPalinski-Wade pointed out.
The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is a hybrid of the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. (iStock)
“As a flexible meal plan aimed at maximizing total intake of nutrient-dense foods, it may not only improve cognitive health, but may also reduce the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetesheart disease and certain types of cancer,” she said.
5. The Mayo Clinic Diet
Designed by the Mayo Clinic, this 12-week diet program follows a food pyramid with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, most of which are low in calorie density, according to US News.
Members can sign up for a monthly or annual plan for access meal planstrackers and other tools to help with healthy eating habits.
6. TLC diet
Therapeutic lifestyle changes, also known as the TLC diet, is a program designed to control hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol).
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“The TLC diet is beneficial for heart health because it focuses on reducing saturated fat and cholesterol while emphasizing high-fiber plant foods and whole grains, effectively managing cholesterol levels, and supporting overall cardiovascular wellness,” Michelle Routhenstein, Based in New York preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com, previously told Fox News Digital.
7. Diet in menopause
This diet plan is tailored for middle-aged women who are approaching or entering menopause. It is designed to alleviate the side effects of hormonal fluctuations and prevent weight gain, writes US News.
The diet emphasizes whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lean proteins and soy products.
The menopause diet is designed to ease the side effects of hormonal fluctuations and prevent weight gain, US News writes. (iStock)
Limits simple carbohydrates, fatty foods, sugars, alcohol and caffeine.
The diet has “proven health benefits,” the report said.
8. Anti-inflammatory diet dr. Weil
It was designed by dr. Andrew Weil, a doctor of integrative medicine, this diet plan is designed to reduce and prevent inflammation.
The diet emphasizes unprocessed foods, including lean proteins, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables.
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“It’s a way of selecting and preparing anti-inflammatory foods based on scientific knowledge about how they can help your body sustain optimal health“, it says on the website of dr. Weil.
“In addition to affecting inflammation, this natural anti-inflammatory diet will provide sustained energy and an abundance of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, essential fatty acids, and protective phytonutrients.”
9. Volumetric diet
This diet allows for the consumption of all foods, but requires larger amounts of low-calorie, healthy meals to suppress hunger.
“This diet focuses on satiety and offers flexibility, making it easier to stick to,” Palinski-Wade said.
“All diets should be something you can maintain long-term for long-term success.”
“Focusing on adding high-volume foods, which are often high in fiber, can promote a range of health benefits, from weight loss to lower cholesterol and improved heart health.”
The dietitian noted that the Volumetrics diet is also easy to follow, as it does not include strict rules or restrictions and can be tailored to individual needs and preferences.
10. Cleveland Clinic Diet
The Cleveland Clinic launched its own diet app “designed to optimize well-being, weight loss and heart health,” the report said.
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The wellness tracker allows people to enter food intake and activity.
“The best diet is the one that best fits your lifestyle, medical history and health goals. Discussing dietary changes with your doctor and registered dietitian is a sure way to find the best diet for you.” (iStock)
Based on their answers to the questionnaire, each user is directed to enter the HeartSmart (heart friendly) or BodyGuard (general wellness) program.
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“The goal is to help educate consumers about healthy eating and eating for health instead of just looking at weight loss for overall health,” said Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition and one of the app’s developers. , in the report.
What is the best diet for you?
When recommending children to people, Freirich advises avoidance overly restrictive diets or a child who depends heavily on packaged food.
“All diets should be something you can maintain long-term for long-term success,” she said.
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“Most importantly, the best diet is the one that best fits your lifestyle, medical history and health goals. Discussing dietary changes with your doctor and registered dietitian is a sure way to find the best diet for you.”
