Best Diets Of 2022, Recommended By Experts

Why We Picked It: Inspired by the traditional eating patterns of southern Italy and Greece, the Mediterranean diet is deemed “the gold standard in preventive medicine,” due to its “harmonic combination” of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, according to a review of studies^[1]Martinez-Gonzalez M, Martin-Calvo N. Mediterranean diet and life expectancy; beyond olive oil, fruits and vegetables. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2016;19(6):401-407. . Rich in fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and fish, this diet yields health benefits, including increased life expectancy, reduced risk of chronic disease and improved quality of life. What’s more, the Mediterranean diet is easy to adopt, thanks to its slew of resources—which range from supportive apps to meal delivery services.

How It Works: The Mediterranean diet doesn’t require any calorie counting or rigorous restrictions. Instead, it recommends filling your plate with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, with moderate portions of fish and shellfish for protein. It also emphasizes extra virgin olive as the primary fat source and allows for a low to moderate amount of red wine, with fruit replacing traditional sweets as dessert.

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Fresh fruits and vegetables
✔ Whole grains, nuts and legumes
✔ Fish
✔ Extra virgin olive oil

Foods Restricted:

✖ Red meats
✖ Processed meats
✖ Sweets

Our Experts Say: “So many things to like,” says Janis Jibrin, a registered dietitian and expert panelist. “Research links it to heart and brain health and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, among other benefits. And it’s easy to adapt to most any palate.”

Why We Picked It: Also known as the “semi-vegetarian” diet, studies show emerging health benefits associated with the flexitarian diet, including weight loss, metabolic health and diabetes prevention^[2]Derbyshire EJ. Flexitarian Diets and Health: A Review of the Evidence-Based Literature. Front Nutr. 2017;3:55. . The diet—which emphasizes a largely vegetarian plate, with the occasional serving of meat or fish—is an excellent option for those who want to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet but can’t quite resist that slab of bacon at brunch.

How It Works: The flexitarian diet is exactly what it sounds like: flexible. There’s no clear definition, but it’s generally characterized by being mainly plant-based, with the occasional inclusion of meat or fish. Iterations of the flexitarian diet include restricting red meat, poultry or fish, either monthly or weekly. Meanwhile, others even avoid the consumption of dairy products and eggs.

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Vegetables
✔ Fruits
✔ Whole grains and legumes

Foods Restricted:

✖ Red meat and poultry
✖ Fish
✖ Dairy and eggs

Our Experts Say: “Overall, it’s very reasonable and healthy,” says Melina Jampolis, M.D., a physician nutrition specialist and panelist for our ranking. “Some people may not feel as satiated with less meat, but fruits and vegetables should help fill you up along with high-fiber beans. No major food groups are omitted, so it’s a balanced diet, and the emphasis on plants and spices really helps with inflammation.”

Why We Picked It: Developed by a team of weight loss experts at the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center, this diet scored high marks across several categories. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat protein sources. But what really makes this diet stand out is its emphasis on lifestyle changes. It educates followers about aspects of health that go beyond the plate—such as exercise and menu planning—to take a more holistic approach to well-being.

How It Works: The Mayo Clinic diet consists of two parts—part one is a two-week phase designed to help you lose 6 to 10 pounds while part two focuses on long-term health. You follow food guidelines set by the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid and aim to hit certain calorie and servings goals, which are based on your weight and sex. Like our other top-ranking diets, it doesn’t eliminate any foods, but instead restricts servings of certain ones. And when it comes to fruits and vegetables, eat away!

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Fruits
✔ Vegetables
✔ Whole grains

Foods Restricted:

✖ Sweets
✖ Saturated and trans fats
✖ Added sugars

Our Experts Say: “I like the ‘live it’ aspect that encourages a lifestyle way of eating rather than a dieting approach, which seems to promote an ‘on or off a diet’ thinking,” says Nina Kolbe, a registered dietitian and expert panelist. “The meals focus on eating foods high in fiber and water content allowing large portions. This low caloric density type of eating helps keep our plate and stomach full, promoting a feeling of satiety or fullness. There are very few risks associated with this type of meal pattern and the benefits are numerous.”

Why We Picked It: The Volumetrics diet, developed by Penn State nutrition professor Barbara Rolls Ph.D., boasts the highest average score among our panelists for short-term and long-term weight loss. Rather than focusing on eating less, the diet encourages people to choose foods with low energy density. Such foods fill you up on fewer calories, the idea goes, which is likely why foods with low energy density correlate with weight loss, according to an array of studies^[3]Stelmach-Mardas M, Rodacki T, Dobrowolska-Iwanek J, et al. Link between Food Energy Density and Body Weight Changes in Obese Adults. Nutrients. 2016;8(4):229. .

How It Works: On the Volumetrics diet, you eat foods with lower caloric density, which is determined by dividing the number of calories by the number of grams found on food labels. The idea is you can feel full while still shedding pounds. Lower caloric density foods are typically high in fiber and water content.

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Fresh fruit
✔ Vegetables
✔ Soups
✔ Whole-grain pasta
✔ Low-fat poultry
✔ Low-fat dairy

Foods Restricted:

✖ High-caloric density foods

Our Experts Say: “I use this concept all the time in my weight loss practice—especially the idea of adding vegetables to everything to decrease the calorie density of all meals while increasing the volume to feel fuller and the nutrient density to be healthier,” says Dr. Jampolis.

However, she points out some important health caveats to consider. “Using it exclusively as a foundation for weight loss and optimal health may lead you to reduce healthy fats like nuts and avocado too much, which help increase the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients and help keep you fuller longer, so going too low-fat is not optimal,” she says. “And including pasta as a low energy-dense food could lead to overconsumption, which could be problematic for diabetes.”

Why We Picked It: While not as robust as Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem is a great commercial diet option for people who just want to be told (and given) what to eat. You receive a personalized weight loss plan based on factors like your gender, weight, height, activity level and more. Nutrisystem then sends you pre-packaged, pre-portioned meals compliant with your plan, taking away the hard work—like calorie counting, shopping and cooking—that dieting usually entails.

How It Works: Plans start at $9.99 a day, which consists of five breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks per week. The $13.57 a day plan gives you seven days worth of meals. Nutrisystem will pick your meals for you, or you can browse the hundreds of meals available, which range from smoothies to flatbreads to salads to ice cream. Nutrisystem also has plans geared toward vegetarians and diabetics.

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Healthy fats
✔ Lean proteins
✔ Dietary fiber

Foods Restricted:

✖ None; Nutrisystem focuses on moderation and portion control and even allows for desserts

Our Experts Say: “The research, and my own clinical experience, shows that pre-portioned, pre-packaged food can be very helpful, especially for people who feel out of control around food,” says Jibrin. “However, it might get expensive.”

Why We Picked It: The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was designed specifically with heart health in mind. It takes a low-sodium approach to eating, and studies show the DASH diet effectively lowers blood pressure and “bad” LDL cholesterol^[4]DASH Eating Plan. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Accessed 04/06/2021. .

How It Works: The DASH diet recommends meals rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy and limited in saturated fat. On the DASH diet, you use a chart to estimate your daily calorie needs, which are then used to figure out how many servings from each food group you should have.

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Grains
✔ Meat, poultry, fish
✔ Fruit and vegetables

Foods Restricted:

✖ Sweets and added sugars
✖ Foods high in saturated fats

Our Experts Say: “You may find it harder to eat out with the reduced sodium … and cooking without adding salt may be more challenging as well, but adding in spices and herbs can make this diet even healthier,” says Dr. Jampolis. “My only critique is the lack of focus on seafood/fatty fish, and for diabetics I would recommend substituting some of the daily carbs with lean protein or unsaturated fat, which research shows still allows you to get the heart health benefits the diet was designed for.”

Why We Picked It: A hybrid of the Meditarrenan diet and DASH diet, the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet purports to slow cognitive decline with aging—but it also provides clear health benefits for diabetics. Studies suggest people with type 2 diabetes are particularly at risk for cognitive decline, making the MIND diet that much more beneficial^[5]Cherbuin N, Walsh E. Sugar in mind: Untangling a sweet and sour relationship beyond type 2 diabetes. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology. 2019;54. . Studies also link a Mediterreanean diet rich in fruits, vegetables and legumes (all staples of the MIND diet, too) to better brain function among people with type 2 diabetes^[6]Mattei J, Bigornia S, Sotos-Prieto M, Scott T, Gao X, Tucker K. The Mediterranean Diet and 2-Year Change in Cognitive Function by Status of Type 2 Diabetes and Glycemic Control. Diabetes Care. 2019. .

How It Works: The MIND diet combines certain hallmarks of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, emphasizing a plant-based plate and limited intake of animal products and highly-saturated fats. Specifically, it highlights leafy green vegetables and berries.

Unlike the two diets it draws inspiration from, though, the MIND diet doesn’t necessarily emphasize fruit (an important caveat for people with diabetes), dairy or potatoes.

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Green leafy vegetables
✔ Berries
✔ Whole grains

Foods Restricted:

✖ Red meats
✖ Butter and margarine
✖ Sweets and pastries

Our Experts Say: “This diet is a combination of the Meditereanean diet and the DASH diet, so it’s both heart-healthy and, again, the moderate carbs could give it a little edge over the DASH diet for diabetes,” says Dr. Jampolis. “It may be a little more challenging to hit the specific weekly food targets, but if you do, your brain will surely benefit.”

Why We Picked It: The plant-focused Nordic diet is packed with nutrients, with a number of studies confirming its nutritional value. Specifically, research shows the Nordic diet can result in a decreased risk of stroke^[7]Hansen C, Overvad K, Kyrø C, Olsen A, Tjønneland A, Johnsen S,Jakobsen M, Dahm C. Adherence to a Healthy Nordic Diet and Risk of Stroke. Stroke. 2017. , lower risk of disease and death in middle-aged and older men^[8]Tertsunen HM, Hantunen S, Tuomainen TP. et al. Healthy Nordic diet and risk of disease death among men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. Eur J Nutr. 2020;59:3545–3553. , improved blood lipid profile, better insulin sensitivity and lower blood pressure^[9]V Adamsson, Cederholm A, Vessby T, Risérus B,Johansson U, Gunnar. What is a healthy Nordic diet? Foods and nutrients in the NORDIET study. Food & nutrition research. 2012. . It also satisfies both macro- and micronutrient intake recommendations —all with ingredients readily available at grocery stores.

How It Works: Similar to how the Mediterranean diet takes its cue from the region it’s named after, the Nordic diet replicates the eating patterns in northern Europe. It emphasizes fruits, root vegetables, berries, fish and eggs, and it uses animal products sparingly as side dishes.

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Fruit
✔ Vegetables
✔ Legumes
✔ Fish and eggs

Foods Restricted:

✖ Meat products and poultry
✖ Dairy
✖ Sweets and desserts

Our Experts Say: “The diet’s focus on seasonality, local eating and minimal eating out could be more challenging to follow, but it’s certainly a nutrient-dense and healthy diet,” says Dr. Jampolis. “My only concern would be eating too much seafood high in mercury, so I recommend familiarizing yourself with fish that are higher in mercury or simply consuming a variety of fish on a regular basis.”

Why We Picked It: You don’t need to be the next Gordon Ramsey to excel at a diet—especially if it’s the paleo diet. Dubbed the “caveman diet,” the paleo diet is a great option for people who can’t—or simply don’t want to—cook. Most of your meals consist of the basic ingredients our paleolithic ancestors survived on, as well as the plethora of meal delivery options and pre-packaged foods you can find at nearly any grocery store.

How It Works: The paleo diet excludes foods that weren’t around during the Stone Age—so grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugars and processed oils are off limits. Instead, it focuses on lean meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, roots, eggs and nuts.

Foods Emphasized:

✔ Lean meat
✔ Fish
✔ Vegetables
✔ Fruit
✔ Eggs

Foods Restricted:

✖ Grains
✖ Legumes
✖ Dairy products
✖ Salt and refined sugars

Our Experts Say: “While this diet has a cult following and could lead to weight loss due to its emphasis on protein, fruits and vegetables and minimally processed foods, cutting all whole grains, dairy, and healthful foods like beans and sweet potatoes is unnecessary and not the healthiest approach to weight loss or optimal health,” says Dr. Jampolis. “As with other lower-carb diets, it may help diabetics better control blood sugar and, unlike many other lower-carb diets, fruit is allowed, which makes it a better choice.”