It’s that time of year again when U.S. News & World Report releases its annual Best and Worst Diets list. The expert panel evaluating the diet is made up of 69 experts in various fields, including doctors, registered dietitians, nutritional epidemiologists, chefs, and weight loss researchers.
This publication is in its 15th year of determining which diets actually work and which should be reconsidered or avoided altogether. For 2025, US News changed from ranking diets to rating them on a scale of 1 to 5, examining 38 diets in 21 different categories.
They say this shift is because consumers are adopting eating patterns aimed at overall health and chronic disease prevention, and people are looking for ways to diet beyond just weight loss. . The goal of this revised rating system is to provide consumers with a more personalized experience as they consider their health priorities and dietary goals, said Gretel Schuler, health editor at U.S. News. he said in a press release.
When evaluating each meal, our expert panelists considered:
Nutritional Integrity Health Risks and Benefits Long-Term Sustainability Evidence-Based Effectiveness
They also evaluated the pros and cons of each diet, as well as the specific goals it seemed most effective to address.
With this in mind. US News added 12 new categories to the original nine categories for evaluation. All of these focus on specific health and lifestyle needs. Newly added categories include the best diets for arthritis, brain health and cognition, gut health, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inflammation, menopause, prediabetes, and more.
“A rating system makes more sense than a ranking,” says Emily Lachtrup, a nutritionist and Eating Well editor. “This allows people to learn about the health benefits of different diets and ways of eating, and to choose a diet just because it’s ranked #1, even if it’s not the best fit for their lifestyle or habits.” Instead, you can choose what works best for you.”
Looking ahead to 2025, U.S. News will introduce 13 newly reviewed diets not previously featured, including the Acid Reflux Diet, the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet, the Alkaline Diet, the Body Reset Diet, the BRAT Diet, and the Cleveland Clinic Diet. I also added a new diet. , the Gut Psychological Syndrome (GAPS) diet, the gluten-free diet, the gout diet, the low-FODMAP diet, the low-residue diet, and the Whole30.
We have selected several of the categories below and included the diets that received the highest scores in each category (including the best overall diet).
Best overall diet for 2025
Looking ahead to 2025, US News has rated the following four diets as the best possible eating patterns for the year.
Mediterranean Diet (4.8 rating) DASH Diet (4.6 rating) Flexitarian Diet (4.5 rating) MIND Diet (4.4 rating)
For the eighth year in a row, the Mediterranean diet has taken the top spot. Although the Mediterranean Diet holds the number one honor, it shares the same category with other diets that follow closely behind, such as the DASH Diet, the Flexitarian Diet, and the Mind Diet. There’s a good reason for this, Rahtrup says, and they all have common characteristics.
“They all prioritize nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fish, and limit refined grains, added sugars, and highly processed foods,” Rahtrupp explains. . “Most importantly, it’s a flexible diet with no restrictions. It’s highly adaptable, so you can change it based on your preferences and adjust it based on your medical needs.”
The Mediterranean diet has become somewhat popular, so you’re probably already familiar with it, but you may be less familiar with other diets. In summary, the Mediterranean diet focuses on whole foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, seafood, legumes, and olive oil. This eating pattern also encourages you to enjoy small amounts of dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, as well as pickles and fermented seasonings such as olives, capers, and kimchi.
Specifically designed to promote healthy blood pressure, the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is similar to the Mediterranean diet, but restricts sodium more strictly. Sodium is also an essential mineral, but too much has been shown to increase blood pressure due to its ability to retain water.
The MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Delayed Neurodegeneration) is a fusion of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. In particular, we focus on foods that are proven to support brain health and reduce the risk of various types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Foods emphasized in the MIND diet include whole grains, leafy greens, berries, nuts, beans, vegetables, fish, poultry, and olive oil.
If you’re considering going the vegetarian route, but aren’t sure if you can stick to a strict vegetarian diet, a flexitarian diet is worth trying. A typical vegetarian diet is plant-based, but dairy products and eggs are allowed and all meat, fish, and poultry are excluded. A plant-focused flexitarian diet doesn’t completely eliminate meat, fish, and poultry; it simply reduces them. This results in a vegetarian-like meal. This is a great way to eat less meat while still enjoying it.
Best diets by category
The best diet for brain health and cognition
Mind Diet (Rating 4.7)
Mediterranean Diet (Rating 4.6)
Flexitarian Diet (Rating 3.9)
DASH Diet (Rating 3.8)
best diet for diabetes
Mediterranean Diet (Rating 4.7)
Flexitarian Diet (Rating 4.1)
DASH Diet (Rating 3.8)
Mind Diet (Rating 3.8)
The best diet for gut health
Mediterranean Diet (Rating 4.3)
DASH Diet (Rating 4.1)
Flexitarian Diet (Rating 4.1)
Mind Diet (Rating 4.1)
Vegan Diet (Rating 4.1)
best diet for weight loss
Weight Watchers (4.3 rating)
Mediterranean Diet (Rating 3.9)
Volumetrics (Rating 3.8)
Best quick weight loss diet
Jenny Craig Diet (Rating 3.7)
Keto Diet (Rating 3.6)
SlimFast Diet (Rating 3.6)
Nutrisystem Diet (Rating 3.6)
Weight Watchers (3.6 rating)
Best diet for heart health
DASH Diet (Rating 4.9)
Mediterranean Diet (Rating 4.8)
Flexitarian Diet (Rating 4.3)
Mind Diet (Rating 4.3)
Vegan Diet (Rating 4.3)
The worst diet of 2025
It would be careless not to mention the meals with the lowest scores. Diets that scored less than 2 on a scale of 1 to 5 include the AIP diet, Low Residue diet, Keto diet, BRAT diet, GAPS diet, OPTAVIA, Alkaline diet, Atkins diet, SlimFast diet, and Body Reset diet.
If you keep in mind the criteria by which all diets are reviewed, including nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, long-term sustainability, and evidence-based effectiveness, these are the worst. No wonder it has been honored as the diet of the world. Some of these diets, such as the intentionally bland BRAT diet, are very restrictive and only meant to be followed for a short period of time, so it’s no wonder you only get a few points on them.
Other diets, like the GAPS diet, don’t have much evidence to support their health claims. Diets like the SlimFast Diet also limit your intake of branded SlimFast products like shakes and snacks, which can mean you miss out on the benefits of eating whole foods throughout the day.
Lachtrup added: “Nutrition and health aren’t black and white, so it can be difficult to determine which dietary patterns are best or worst. That said, the subdivisions are restrictive and have no support in science. Dietary patterns such as BRAT and low-residue are often used short-term when medically necessary, while others are more of a fad diet. classified into categories.”
conclusion
It’s important to remember that no single diet method is best for everyone. We all have different needs, preferences, and lifestyles, so choose what works best for you. We have meal plans and recipes for all four major diets, including delicious and approachable one-skillet Mediterranean dinners, DASH diet lunches, and beginner-friendly MIND and flexitarian diet recipes. Please give it a try.
And remember that food is only part of the whole health equation. Physical activity, managing stressors, getting quality sleep, spending time with loved ones, and eating a healthy, varied diet all work together to contribute to overall well-being and quality of life. .
