Ready for a healthy new year? Here’s the 2024 list of best diets

WASHINGTON – US News & World Report, the global authority in health rankings and consumer advice, has revealed the 2024 rankings of its annual evaluation of Best Diets.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Mediterranean diet takes the No. 1 spot for the Best Diet Overall, with its focus on diet quality rather than a single nutrient or food group and a daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, herbs and spices.

DASH diet – known for fighting high blood pressure, receives praise for its nutritional completeness, safety, ability to prevent or control diabetes and supporting heart health – comes in at No. 2 for Best Diet Overall this year.

The No. 3 Best Overall diet is the MIND diet, which takes two proven diets, DASH and Mediterranean, with added focus on foods that improve brain health.

The 2024 Best Diets rankings feature six newly evaluated diets, including the Vegan diet, which cracked the top 10 in all categories except for Best Diet Programs. Other new diets include:

For the seventh consecutive year, the Mediterranean diet takes the No. 1 spot on the list of best diets. FILE PHOTO

• Dukan diet
• Herbalife Nutrition
• HMR Program
• Profile Plan
• Plantstrong

“Choosing a diet can be tough. Each person has unique health considerations and goals, and there are many diets out there to choose from – and it’s hard to know which ones will actually work best for you,” said Gretel Schueller, managing editor of health at US News. “That’s why US News does the legwork for its users, gathering input from nationally recognized medical and nutrition experts to determine which diets rise to the top for nutritional completeness, ease of following and promoting a healthy lifestyle for the long term.”

Partnering with The Harris Poll on the Best Diets methodology – and including input from a panel of leading health experts – this year’s rankings examine 30 diets, with six additional diets evaluated since last year’s Best Diets rankings.

The rankings follow a methodology devised by US News in partnership with The Harris Poll, which factors in evaluations from 43 expert panelists – including medical doctors, registered dietitian nutritionists, nutritional epidemiologists and academic weight-loss researchers.

2024 Best Diets rankings

Best weight-loss diets
1. WeightWatchers (WW) diet
2. Mediterranean diet
3. Volumetrics diet

Best fast weight-loss diets
1. Keto diet
2. Atkins diet
3. HMR Program

Best diabetes diets
1. Mediterranean diet
2. DASH diet
3. Flexitarian diet

Best diets for bone and joint 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 diet programs
1. Weight Watchers (WW) diet
2. Mayo Clinic diet
3. Noom diet

Best family-friendly diets
1. Mediterranean diet
2. Flexitarian diet
3. DASH diet

Best heart-healthy diets
1. Mediterranean diet
2. DASH diet
3. Ornish diet

Best plant-based diets
1. Flexitarian diet
2. Mediterranean diet
3. Vegan diet

Easiest diets to follow
1. Mediterranean diet
2. Flexitarian diet
3. DASH diet

Those looking to choose a diet that’s right for them should consult a medical professional as part of their decision making process.