What is the best diet for overall health? This diet ranks the charts year after year

So, what is the best diet for overall health? Year after year, experts tell us to look to the Mediterranean lifestyle and way of eating.

What is the best diet for overall health? Studies show it is the Mediterranean diet

More a style of eating than an official diet, the Mediterranean diet features locally sourced plant foods as mainstays: nuts, olives, legumes, fruits, greens and vegetables, and herbs and spices. Dairy foods, fish, and lamb are included in small amounts. Sugary desserts are uncommon in the diet, although honey is used as a sweetener.

Why adopt this diet? The Mediterranean diet is the most studied one out there. Research consistently links this style of eating to a lower risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, as well as easier weight management. In fact, the Mediterranean diet was ranked # 1 in 2024 by U.S. News’ team of experts in seven categories: Best Overall Diet, Best Diabetes Diet, Best Heart-Healthy Diet, Easiest Diet to Follow, Best Diet for Bone and Joint Health, Best Family-Friendly Diet, and Best Diet for Healthy Eating.

Because the Mediterranean diet avoids calorie counting and a high-structure format, it was not highly ranked in the Best Weight-Loss Diet category. However, why not use it as the foundation for your eating style and simply plug in the calorie tracking? It clearly checks all the boxes for overall health and fitness! Not to mention that many people, including registered dietitians, consider it a very healthy and enjoyable eating style.

The Mediterranean diet allows for a more liberal fat intake than low-fat diets, including the American Heart Association diet. The principal fat sources are olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, fish oil, and olives, rather than processed meats, fatty meats, trans fats, and butter.

Foods to emphasize

• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Whole grains
• Olive oil
• Nuts
• Legumes
• Fish
• Herbs and spices

Foods to eat in limited portions

• Cheese
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Eggs
• Poultry and lean meat

Foods to enjoy occasionally

• Sweets
• Animal fats like butter
• Processed meats

The Mediterranean diet also suggests wine in moderation. It's a traditional beverage throughout the Mediterranean region, where wine production and consumption are widespread. Red wine is the preferred choice, often enjoyed during meals, over the course of a week, avoiding binge drinking. If you don’t imbibe, don't worry. You can still enjoy other aspects of the Mediterranean lifestyle!

Don’t assume that the term "Mediterranean diet" means your foods and recipes must be from the Mediterranean region. In fact, you could create a similar plant-based diet using foods from Central America or Asia.

Check out this daily menu using recipes from the MyNetDiary Premium collection:

• Breakfast: Avocado and Hummus Toast


• Lunch: Arugula White Bean Salad and Barley Lentil Soup


• Snack: Citrus Marinated Olives and Crispy Zucchini Chips


• Dinner: Pan-seared Scallops with Spinach, Simple Greek Island Salad, crusty bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Pros of the Mediterranean diet

• Filling with whole-plant foods leaving little room for empty-calorie foods or big servings. This keeps you satisfied.


• Enjoyable because of the endless, delicious possibilities, considering the wealth of foods available. The Mediterranean diet has a higher fat content, which makes it more satisfying.


• Adaptable to many regional food preferences - you need not eat only foods from the Mediterranean region. You could put together a Mediterranean-style diet using foods from Southeast Asia.


• Highly nutritious and plentiful plant foods mean loads of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This type of diet is friendly to healthy gut bacteria.


• Health benefits associated with a lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, a lower risk of Alzheimer’s, improved gut health, improved brain health, healthier vitamin D levels, and better lung function are all part of the package. Wow!

Cons of the Mediterranean diet

• Lack of clear rules. People who prefer strict dieting rules might find this diet too open-ended.
• Missing favorite foods? Large meat portions are not part of this diet, so if you are a red-and-processed meat lover, it may not be easy. Also, if you have a sweet tooth, you may find it challenging to have desserts only occasionally.
• You don't like olive oil. Not necessarily a deal-killer because you could use canola, walnut, or avocado oils. Simply emphasize plant-sourced oils rather than fats from meats or dairy products.

Mediterranean diet and lifestyle resources

• Starting a Mediterranean Diet? Here’s how to follow one of the world’s healthiest diets using the MyNetDiary app.
• The MyNetDiary Premium Recipe collection includes over 400 Mediterranean-style recipes. Cooking for a Mediterranean diet will be easy for you when you select the Mediterranean tag.
• With the MyNetDiary recipe import feature, you can import recipes from Mediterranean recipe websites such as Oldways into your MyNetDiary account.
• You can also make your favorite recipes more Mediterranean by increasing the vegetables, switching to olive oil, or adding beans or other plant-based protein sources. MyNetDiary will provide an updated analysis of your new recipe.
• The Mediterranean Living website features a list of resources.

Enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle long-term for lifelong benefits

Now that you know what the best diet for overall health is, you can see if the Mediterranean diet fits your plan if you desire to make long-term diet changes to improve health and weight. The Mediterranean diet isn't something you go on for a few weeks and then abandon. It's a lifestyle and is undoubtedly weight-loss-friendly when blended with calorie tracking! It's been the long-term diet for millions of people living around the Mediterranean region. Variations on the plant-based theme are certainly viable long-term eating plans anywhere in the world.

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Adapted from original content by Donna P Feldman MS RDN.

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Updated by Brenda Braslow on July 21, 2024

Meal Planning & Diets->Mediterranean Style Weight Loss->Diets