Mediterranean diet named 'best diet overall' for 6th year in a row
Looking to make dietary changes in 2023? There are plenty of options if you're on the hunt for a new meal plan or hoping to make some lifestyle changes when it comes to food.
One way of eating continues to top the list for experts.
The Mediterranean diet ranked No. 1 on U.S. News & World Report's list of Best Diets for 2023, which was released Tuesday.
The list includes 24 diets that were examined by a panel of health experts. This is the sixth consecutive year that the Mediterranean Diet has been ranked at the top.
Along with snagging the best overall category, the Mediterranean diet ranked first for Best Plant-Based Diets, Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health, Best Family Friendly Diets and Best Diets for Healthy Eating.
So, what makes this diet so special?
What is the Mediterranean diet?The Mediterranean diet follows the traditions of how residents of countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have traditionally eaten.
There are 21 countries surrounding the sea including Italy, Greece, Croatia, Lebanon, Monaco and Turkey.
"There isn't 'a single' Mediterranean diet. Greeks eat differently from Italians," U.S. News and World Report says in its announcement post. "But they share many of the same principles."
The diet is characterized by eating primarily plant-based foods, including fruits and vegetables, while also fitting in beans, nuts, whole grains, seafood and lean poultry. There is a focus on unsaturated fat from sources like extra-virgin olive oil, too.
Whole fat dairy, sweets, red and processed meat, snack food, sugary drinks, butter, sugary drinks are also to be limited, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The diet is one of the better studied diets: Research has repeatedly supported its possible benefits.
Source: USA Today
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