Best Diets To Follow In 2019: Mediterranean, DASH, Flexitarian

A new year means new health and fitness goals. With 2018 out and 2019 in, many see it as the perfect chance to establish new habits and finally use that gym membership that has been sitting dormant or to choose and stick to a new diet.

On Wednesday, U.S. News & World Report released its annual rankings of 2019's best diets and the publication has ranked what diets you should follow based on your goals.

"Whether you’re trying to lose weight or manage your cholesterol, the 2019 Best Diets rankings provide each person a chance to evaluate what eating plan will work best for them and their particular needs," Angela Haupt, Assistant Managing Editor of Health at U.S. News, said in a press release. "By profiling and providing in-depth data on more than 40 diets, as well as sample meals, consumers can rely on U.S. News for the tools they need to feel empowered to make well-informed lifestyle and wellness changes."

The Mediterranean diet was ranked by U.S. News as the No. 1 overall diet. U.S. News explains that the Mediterranean diet is low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods. While there isn't one specific diet, U.S. News points readers to a Mediterannean diet pyramid developed by researchers in Boston.

The DASH diet was the No. 2 overall best diet and the Flexitarian was ranked No. 3. The DASH diet stands for dieteary approaches to stop hypertension, according to U.S. News. The diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy and discourages foods high in saturated fat as well as sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets, the publication writes. The Flexitarian diet recommends eating mostly vegetarian but not eliminating meat completely.

Here are the top five diets in every category ranked by U.S. News:

Best Overall Diets

Mediterranean Diet (1)

DASH Diet (2)

Flexitarian Diet (3)

MIND Diet (4)

Weight Watchers (4)

Best Weight Loss Diets

Weight Watchers (1)

Volumetrics (2)

Flexitarian Diet (3)

Jenny Craig (3)

Vegan Diet (3)

Best Fast Weight Loss Diets

HMR Program (1)

Atkins (2)

Keto Diet (2)

Optavia (2)

Weight Watchers (2)

Best Diets For Diabetes

Mediterranean Diet (1)

DASH Diet (2)

Flexitarian Diet (2)

Mayo Clinic Diet (2)

Volumetrics (2)

Best Heart-Healthy Diets

Mediterranean Diet (1)

Ornish Diet (1)

DASH Diet (3)

MIND Diet (4)

TLC Diet (4)

Vegan Diet (4)

Easiest Diets To Follow

Mediterranean Diet (1)

Flexitarian Diet (2)

Weight Watchers (2)

MIND Diet (4)

DASH Diet (5)

Fertility Diet (5)

Best Diets For Healthy Eating

Mediterranean Diet (1)

DASH Diet (2)

Flexitarian Diet (3)

MIND Diet (4)

TLC Diet (4)

Best Plant-Based Diets

Mediterranean Diet (1)

Flexitarian Diet (2)

Nordic Diet (3)

Ornish Diet (3)

Vegetarian Diet (5)

Best Commercial Diets

Weight Watchers (1)

Jenny Craig (2)

Nutritarian Diet (3)

South Beach Diet (4)

Biggest Loser Diet (5)

Nutrisystem (5)

Zone Diet (5)

U.S. News says its rankings are compiled with input from a panel of nationally recognized experts in diet, nutrition, obesity, food psychology, diabetes and heart disease. The panel reviewed U.S. News' diet profiles, added their own research and rated each diet in seven categories, the publication said. You can read the full methodology here.

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