These Are the Best Diets of 2023, According to our Registered Dietitian (2024)

This style of eating is one of the most balanced and sustainable you can follow, filled with the ideal mix of foods for good overall health, longstanding energy and disease prevention. Perhaps that’s why it’s the preferred diet across some of the Blue Zones — regions of the globe that are home to the healthiest and longest-living people in the world. "Many diets are burdensome and involve meticulous tracking of macronutrients and meal-timing," Sassos says. "While the Mediterranean diet may seem less structured, that’s because it’s more of a lifestyle and way of eating as opposed to a restrictive weight-loss plan. This approach makes maintaining healthy eating habits more sustainable in the long run." That said, if you are interested in a slightly more structured plan, you can check out Good Housekeeping's 28-Day Mediterranean diet plan.

WHAT YOU'LL EAT: The Mediterranean diet emphasizes a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, which naturally nourish your body with a plethora of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Healthy fats from sources like olive oil and avocados are front-and-center. You’ll also be able to enjoy plenty of protein-rich fatty fish alongside whole grains like barley and farro and an abundance of super-charged legumes, nuts and seeds that deliver more fiber and plant-based protein.

DASH stands for “dietary approaches to stop hypertension,” so it makes sense that the diet was initially developed to prevent and treat high blood pressure. Since then, it’s been proven to be effective in also lowering blood cholesterol, making it an ideal plan for individuals with heart disease, its risk factors or a family history of heart disease, Sassos says. In fact, recent research published in 2021 indicates that this diet indeed reduces blood pressure over time, while also promoting weight loss and dashing risk thresholds for type 2 diabetes and stroke.

It focuses on cutting out saturated and trans fats (found in full-fat dairy and many fried or packaged products) and cholesterol; it limits red meat, sodium (2,300 mg max a day) and added sugars from sugar-sweetened beverages or desserts; and you’re encouraged to limit your alcohol intake.

WHAT YOU'LL EAT: Low-fat or fat-free dairy provides protein and important vitamins and minerals without overloading on saturated fat; lots of fruits and veggies deliver fiber, vitamins and antioxidants that support healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels (it’s important to keep these in check to support a healthy heart); lean protein in the form of poultry and seafood versus red meats like beef; nuts and seeds.

Even though total body wellness is the best mindset to achieve long-term healthy eating success, some of us may need to focus on weight maintenance for health-related reasons. If that's you, the WeightWatchers Program is a solid choice because it allows you to have some control over what you choose to spend your points on (and certain foods don’t cost any points at all). “The ZeroPoints system allows members to choose from a list of more than 200 ZeroPoint foods that don't need to be weighed, measured or tracked, and Points values for every food are now the same for everyone (with some exceptions for those following their diabetes-tailored plan)—making it easier than ever to prioritize nutrient-dense foods like non-starchy vegetables, lean sources of protein and fat-free yogurt and cottage cheese,” Sassos explains.

This de-emphasis on extreme restriction while still setting dietary parameters could be one reason that people tend to be successful at achieving their weight goals on the WW plan. “Recent research published in JAMA Network Open suggests that WW is more than two times more effective for weight loss than do-it-yourself methods,” Sassos says. The tracking and community support aspects that you get through downloading the WW app likely also plays a role in success rates. “This highlights the power of the supportive WW community and resources that can help support long-term success in achieving your health and weight management goals,” Sassos adds.

WHAT YOU'LL EAT: All WW members start by taking a food assessment to arrive at unique diet recommendations based on your food preferences. Then you’ll get to choose from naturally sweet options like fruit versus packaged foods; fiber-filled picks like vegetables and beans; healthy unsaturated fats; and lean protein. Each member is provided with their own Points budget based on their individual metabolic rate (based on their age, height, weight, and sex assigned at birth). It also encourages you to nurture complementary healthy habits like prioritizing exercise, good sleep and stress management.

Created by researchers from RUSH University, one of the nation’s leaders in Alzheimer’s research, this eating style is basically a mash-up of the Mediterranean and DASH diets (it stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). “ The MIND diet is abundant in specific vitamins and antioxidants that support brain health and cognition,” Sassos says. And studies show that it can work to help preserve cognitive function and may decrease dementia risk.

While focusing on brain-centric foods, you’ll limit ones that aren’t so great for your noggin such as butter or margarine; red meats; cheese; sweets; and fried food.

WHAT YOU'LL EAT: Vegetables (particularly green leafy veggies), fruit (specifically berries), nuts (walnuts are particularly good for the brain due to being rich in omega-3s), beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and wine.

Health and nutrition experts tell us it's important to eat more plants — and if you’re a plant-based newbie and not sure where to start, this diet is for you. “A flexitarian way of eating is perfect for individuals who are looking to dabble in plant-based eating but aren’t ready to fully commit to a fully vegan or vegetarian lifestyle,” Sassos says. “It’s a great first-step approach to reaping the benefits that come with incorporating more plants into your eating repertoire.”

The diet urges you to gradually add more foods grounded in plants, without asking you to abandon animal products completely. The idea is that you’ll eventually get into a groove where you’re naturally eating fewer and fewer animal-based products without feeling like you’re missing out. This makes it both nutritious and easier to maintain than stricter plant-based diets.

WHAT YOU'LL EAT: Obviously there's an emphasis on plenty of fresh fruits and veggies (are you seeing a trend, yet?!); whole grains or plant-based pasta and rice; plant-based protein sources that come from nature (such as beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh and jackfruit) over processed meat-free products; healthy fats from olive or avocado oil and nuts and seeds.

It’s also common for flexitarians to be more mindful with the animal products that they do choose to consume. For instance, reaching for sustainable seafood or grass-fed meat when enjoying those types of foods.

“The Nordic Diet focuses on the traditional eating habits of individuals in Nordic countries including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, and Iceland,” Sassos explains. It prioritizes (and limits) many of the same foods that you do when eating the Mediterranean way, which means it helps tame inflammation that can lead to chronic disease over time.

One of the biggest differences is that olive oil isn’t necessarily the main oil/fat source. “The Nordic Diet uses high-quality canola oil, which is low in saturated fats and high in healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3s just like olive oil is,” says Sassos. “That being said, canola oil available in the U.S. can be highly processed, so I’d suggest still incorporating some olive oil to both add flavor while cooking and to reap its tremendous health benefits.”

WHAT YOU'LL EAT: The Nordic Diet prioritizes seasonal produce such as cabbage, root vegetables, apples, pears, and berries; whole grains such as oats and rye; dairy such as kefir (fermented milk) and skyr (similar to yogurt); fatty fish such as sardines and mackerel; legumes.