The Mediterranean diet came out on top in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the best diets. Last year, Mediterranean and DASH diets shared the top spot.
The Mediterranean diet has earned the top spot as the best overall diet in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report annual diet rankings. Last year, the perennial favorite tied for top place with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, but this year it bumped DASH to second.
A Mediterranean diet is generally low in red meat, sugar, and saturated fat. It’s higher in produce, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and fish. The publication ranked it high in terms of being nutritionally sound and including diverse foods. It also ranked first for best heart-healthy diet, best diabetes diet, and best diet for healthy eating.
After the Mediterranean and DASH, best overall third place is the Flexitarian Diet. It is mostly a plant-based plan, with meat in moderation. The MIND Diet and WW (formerly Weight Watchers) tied for fourth place. MIND combines part of the DASH and Mediterranean plans and aims to boost brain health. WW assigns points and a daily total to aim for, with more nutritious foods having fewer points.
Read the full report here.
Source: WebMD & NEJM Journal Watch
