This may be the solution to eat healthier 0:38
(CNN) -
The gold medal for best diet 2021 went to the Mediterranean diet for the fourth year in a row, according to rankings announced Monday by USNews & World Report.
Tied for the silver were the DASH diet, which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension, and the flexitarian diet, which encourages being a vegetarian most of the time, but is flexible enough to allow for an occasional burger.
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What do all these diets have in common?
They emphasize reducing or eliminating processed foods and focus on meals full of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
The Dukin and keto diets, which emphasize eating high-protein or high-fat foods with minimal carbohydrates, ranked last and penultimate on the diet rankings.
Those diets often get a bad rating from experts because they are extremely restrictive, difficult to follow, and eliminate entire food groups, which is not recommended in dietary guidelines.
To judge diets, a panel of experts on heart disease and diabetes, nutrition, diet, food psychology, and obesity reviewed research on diets from medical journals, government reports, and other resources.
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"We have convened a panel of 24 experts who live and breathe studies on diet, weight loss and obesity," said Angela Haupt, editor-in-chief for health at US News & World Report.
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They rate each diet on a number of different measures: how easy it is to follow, how likely it is to lead to long-term weight loss, how healthy and safe it is, and how effective it is in preventing or controlling conditions chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, "he said.
More honors for the Mediterranean diet
In addition to ranking as the best diet, the analysis of 39 meal plans also gave the Mediterranean diet the first place in the category of best plant-based diet.
The flexitarian diet ranked second, followed by the Nordic diet, which promotes the consumption of locally sourced low-glycemic foods.
The Mediterranean diet was also linked with the DASH diet and the Ornish diet as the winners in the best heart-healthy diet.
The Ornish diet was created in 1977 by Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in California.
Ornish calls the diet the only scientifically proven program to reverse heart disease in a randomized clinical trial without drugs or surgery.
However, experts have said that the diet is restrictive and difficult to follow.
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The Mediterranean diet also tied the Flexitarian diet for first place in the best diabetes diet;
it also tied with WW (Weight Watchers) in the category of the easiest diet to follow and with DASH as the best diet for healthy eating.
These high accolades are not surprising, as numerous studies have found that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression, and breast cancer.
Food from the sunny Mediterranean region has also been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart, and a longer life.
The diet features simple plant-based cooking, with most of each meal focusing on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with some nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra virgin olive oil.
Say goodbye to refined sugar and flour except on rare occasions.
Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are rarely, if ever, consumed.
Meat can look odd, usually just to add flavor to a dish.
Instead, meals can include eggs, dairy, and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet.
Fish, however, is a staple food.
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"It's more than a diet, it's a lifestyle," said Atlanta registered dietitian Rahaf Al Bochi, who teaches the Mediterranean diet to her clients, in a previous interview with CNN.
"It also encourages eating with friends and family, socializing during meals, mindful eating of your favorite foods, as well as mindful movement and exercise for a completely healthy lifestyle."
The best general diet for weight loss
For this category, the expert panel analyzed the short-term and long-term weight loss success of a diet, weighing both equally.
The popular WW (Weight Watchers) tied the Flexitarian diet at the top of the list.
"Research shows that vegetarians tend to eat fewer calories, weigh less and have a lower body mass index (a measure of body fat) than people who eat meat," according to the analysis of the Flexitarian Diet.
"If you emphasize the plant component of this diet - eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains - you will probably feel satisfied with fewer calories than you are used to."
Weight Watchers, which also won first place in the best commercial diet category, has an important component necessary in any successful diet: support.
In addition to in-person meetings and optional one-on-one consultants, the plan offers an online community.
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"Programs like WW that offer emotional support and group gatherings lead to greater compliance than a diet you make yourself," the analysis said.
Some new diets were also evaluated
This year four new diets were added to the rankings, Haupt said: the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet, the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet, the modified ketogenic diet and the Noom diet.
"Among all of these, Noom had the best performance - No. 12 overall, which is impressive for a newcomer," Haupt said.
Based on a food logging app, Noom wants you to log every meal, snack, and exercise activity, as well as your daily weight.
Noom encourages "low calorie density" foods, which are high in water and low in calories by volume.
Like WW, Noom offers support groups where dieters can "help each other with everything from how to curb distraction at mealtime to how to make plain water more fun," he said. Haupt.
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The modified keto diet, also known as keto 2.0, is a little less restrictive than its mother, the classic ketogenic.
For example, people on a modified ketogenic diet consume approximately 82% of their daily calories from fat versus 90% from the traditional ketogenic diet, 12% from protein instead of 6%, and 6% from carbohydrates instead of 4%, according to the report.
However, the new version was criticized by experts, coming in at 35th place, only slightly better than the traditional keto ranking of 37 out of 39 diets.
The keto 2.0 diet "allows a little more leeway in what you eat, but the experts said it's still too restrictive," Haupt said.
The Autoimmune Protocol diet, also known as the Paleo autoimmune diet, was developed to reduce inflammation and alleviate the symptoms of autoimmune disorders.
It requires people to eliminate food for at least a month and monitor symptoms when food is reintroduced.
Experts called the diet restrictive, suggesting that more research is needed to corroborate the benefits.
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The Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet, or GAPS, is for people with a strange spectrum of conditions: severe digestive and immune system problems, learning disabilities, and serious neurological conditions.
GAPS was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, who "believes that the food, drink, and products people consume play an important role in their brain function," according to the USNews & World report.
Like the keto diet, GAPS is second to last in the best diets.
How to start the Mediterranean diet
Do you want to make the Mediterranean diet one of your goals this year?
Start by cooking one meal a week of beans, whole grains, and vegetables, using herbs and spices for flavor.
When one night a week is too easy, add two and make your meatless meals from there.
Grains that have changed little over the centuries, known as "ancient grains," are also a key feature of the Mediterranean diet.
Quinoa, amaranth, millet, farro, spelled, kamut (a grain of wheat said to have been discovered in an Egyptian tomb) and teff (an Ethiopian grain the size of a poppy seed) are some examples of ancient grains.
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When you eat meat, eat small amounts.
For a main dish, that means no more than 3 ounces of chicken or lean meat.
Better yet: use small pieces of chicken or slices of lean meat to flavor a plant-based meal, like a stir fry.
And rethink the dessert.
Mediterranean cultures close their meals with seasonal fruits.
If you get tired of eating raw fresh fruit, get creative.
Poach pears in pomegranate juice with a little honey, then reduce the sauce and serve over Greek yogurt.
Roast pineapple or other fruits and drizzle with honey.
Make a fruit sorbet, including avocado (it's actually a fruit).
Fill a fig or date with goat cheese and sprinkle some nuts on it.
Create a crisp apple crumble with brown rice or even a whole wheat fruit tart.
Mediterranean diet