Best Diets 2022

For the past 12 years, US News and World Reports put out a listing of the “Best Diets”. It is interesting to see the opinions and compare them to the diets we hear about from our friends and neighbors.

This year the top three diets are very similar- and this tells us something from the experts. All three of the “diets” focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and limited high saturated fat and sugar.

The Best Overall Diets are:

  1. The Mediterranean Diet
  2. The DASH Diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension)
  3. The Flexitarian Diet (think Flexible + Vegetarian)

Besides their similarities in the foods, all three of these ways of eating are at their core simple and sustainable. There are no strict rules or restrictions. This makes them sustainable. And the more consistent and long-term, the better the overall health results. This leads me to the next benefit of these types of eating plans…..

All three lead to significant long-term health benefits. Decreases in risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and obesity come along with all three of these ways of eating.

There are a few popular diets that I had to search for on the list. Intermittent Fasting (#27 Best Overall), Paleo (#30), and Keto (#37) are all so popular these days. Why are they so low on the list if there are success stories in our neighborhoods? Bottom line, all three are complicated, restrictive, and difficult to stick to long term.

Clearly, I am all about balanced, simple, non-restrictive ways of eating so my advice is to do your research and check with your doctor before you start any new eating plan. Each one of us is unique and has different needs. Just because your neighbor says Keto is the best…do your research. And likewise, for The Mediterranean Diet! And this listing is a great place to start your research (find the link below).

Resources:

https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-diets-overall

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-nutritionists-keep-putting-mediterranean-dash-diets-at-the-top-of-their-list