With so many diets and meal plans claiming to improve health, it is hard to tell the difference between fads and diets that actually work. It can be confusing to remember that the best diets are not only about quick weight loss, but they also provide the nutrients that our bodies need for optimal performance.
As a rule of thumb, a good diet will also generally have evidence to support its effectiveness at helping you to lower your risk of disease, such as heart disease and certain cancers, along with losing weight. While breaking unhealthy eating habits may initially be a little difficult, a good diet is varied, sustainable, and worth the effort.
Recently, the U.S. News & World Report released its “Best Diets Overall 2025 Report.” For this, a panel of leading medical and nutrition experts specializing in diabetes, weight loss, and heart health reviewed each of the 38 diets included in this year’s report and rated them across 21 categories for health risks and benefits, nutritional completeness, evidence-based effectiveness, and for promoting a long-term healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
This report was designed to highlight well-researched, science-backed diet profiles to help you find the one that might be best for your lifestyle and health goals.
Table of Contents
2025’s Top 10 Best Overall Diets
1. The Mediterranean Diet
For the eighth consecutive year, it should come as no surprise that the Mediterranean Diet did very well in this report. With a rating of 4.8 out of 5, the Mediterranean diet once again is ranked first in Best Diets Overall due to its focus on diet quality rather than a single nutrient or food groups and recommendation for daily varied consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, herbs, and spices.
Years of research back this filling, family-friendly, budget-smart, low-fat, simple but effective, planet-friendly approach. This diet also claimed the top spot in Best Diets for Diabetes, second for Best Heart-Healthy Diets, first for Easiest Diets to Follow, second for Best Diets for Brain Health, first in Best Diets for Gut Health, first in Best Diets for Healthy Eating, #1 in Best Diets for Inflammation, and ranked second for Best Weight Loss Diets.
2. The DASH Diet
The DASH Diet claims the #2 spot for Best Diet Overall again this year with an overall score of 4.6. Developed as an approach to stop hypertension, this flexible, balanced, and heart-healthy meal plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy. Praised for nutritional completeness, this filling, clearly defined, planet-friendly, family-friendly, budget-smart, low-fat diet provides strict recommendations on actual amounts and limits for the types of foods consumed.
This diet also comes in at #1 in Best Heart-Healthy Diets, #4 in Best Diabetes Diets, #4 in Best Diets for Brain Health, #5 in Best Diets for Gut Health, #2 in Best Diets for Healthy Eating, #3 in Easiest Diets to Follow, #4 in Best Diets for Inflammation, and third in Best Weight-Loss Diets.
3. The Flexitarian Diet
Moving up from fifth place last year, the Flexitarian Diet ranked #3 in Best Diets Overall this year with a score of 4.5. This convenient, nutritionally sound, flexible, semi-vegetarian diet shows that you don’t have to eliminate meat to get the health benefits that are associated with being a vegetarian. While the focus is still on eating more herbs, spices, and plant-based foods, you can be more flexible about eating meat, preferably moderately, while avoiding saturated fats and processed foods.
This low-fat, planet-friendly, family-friendly, budget-smart diet is more about adding food groups to your diet rather than eliminating them completely. This diverse and filling diet also ranked #3 in Best Diets for Brain Health, #3 in Best Diets for Healthy Eating, #2 in Easiest Diets to Follow, #2 in Best Diabetes Diets, #3 in Best Diets for Gut Health, #6 in Best Weight-Loss Diets, #3 in Best Diets for Inflammation, and #5 in Best Heart-Friendly Diets.
4. The MIND Diet
The MIND Diet came in third for Best Diet Overall with an overall score of 4.4. This brain-friendly diet focuses on food that can specifically help to improve brain health to potentially lower the risk of mental decline. This low-carb, planet-friendly, family-friendly, and budget-smart diet encourages eating less bad fats, processed foods, and sugars that can increase inflammation, oxidative stress, and amyloid beta deposits. This diet also placed #1 in Best Diets for Brain Health, #4 in Best Diets for Healthy Eating, #3 in Best Diabetes Diets, #3 in Best Heart-Healthy Diets, #5 in Best Diets for Inflammation, and #4 in Best Diets for Gut Health.
5. The Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic Diet ranked fourth in Best Diet Overall with an overall score of 4.0. Using evidence-based behavioral science, this diet is a 12-week program designed to establish healthy habits for life. This family-friendly, budget-smart, low-carb, low-fat diet helps you recalibrate your eating habits by breaking bad ones and replacing them with good ones, and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This diet also ranked #2 in Best Diets for Diabetes, #10 in Best Diets for Heart Health, #6 in Best Diets for Brain Health, #8 in Best Diets for Gut Health, #6 in Best Diets for Healthy Eating, and fourth in Best Diets for Weight Loss.
6. The TLC Diet
Moving up from ninth place last year, the TLC Diet ranked sixth in Best Diets Overall with a score of 3.9. The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet calls for eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, bread, cereals, and lean meats. The guidelines are broad enough that you’ll have a lot of latitude with what you eat. This nutritionally sound, diverse, filling, family-friendly, budget-smart, planet-friendly, low-fat diet recommends eating regularly, practicing portion control, and eating more vegetables to make you feel full. This diet also ranked #8 in Best Diets for Brain Health, #6 in Best Heart-Healthy Diets, #7 in Best Diets for Gut Health, and seventh in Best Diets for Healthy Eating.
7. Menopause Diet
With a score of 3.7, the Menopause Diet was designed around the concept that what you eat can help to alleviate symptoms because hormones fluctuate during midlife, causing weight gain and unpleasant side effects for many women. This flexible, filling, and sustainable plant-based, family-friendly, heart-healthy, diabetes-friendly, gut-smart diet that is similar to the Mediterranean and Flexitarian diets has proven benefits and no off-limit foods or food groups, but suggests avoiding processed foods, added sugars, and high sodium intake, while promoting eating more nutrient-dense whole foods.
8. Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet
With a score of 3.6, Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory diet is geared towards lowering chronic inflammation and related illness, providing clear dietary guidelines for food intake. Similar to the Mediterranean diet, this eating pattern places emphasis on nutrient-dense whole foods while limiting refined sugar, processed foods, and saturated fats. This fiber and antioxidant-rich, diabetes-friendly, family-friendly, and heart-healthy plan placed #2 in Best Diets for Inflammation, #9 in Best Diets for Heart Health, #5 in Best Diets for Brain Health, and #6 in Best Diets for Gut Health.
9. Volumetrics Diet
Dropping from seventh place last year, coming in at 9th with a score of 3.6 this diet is designed to help you feel full and satiated, Volumetrics categorizes food into four groups based on caloric density, emphasizing managing portion sizes while consuming nutrient-dense, low-calorie options like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. This relatively easy-to-follow plant-based, low-calorie, diabetes-friendly, family-friendly, and heart-friendly diet with proven health benefits was also ranked third in Best Diets for Weight Loss.
10. Cleveland Clinic Diet
Rounding off the 2025 list in tenth place with a score of 3.5, based on scientific evidence, this easy-to-follow, low-calorie, anti-inflammatory, diabetes-friendly, heart-healthy Cleveland Clinic Diet motivates with an interactive diet app and tracker that was designed to help optimize wellness, weight loss, heart health, and well-being. This diet promotes eating nutrient-dense whole foods while limiting ultra-processed foods, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and foods high in sodium. This plan was ranked #7 in Best Diets for Brain Health, #5 in Best Diets for Healthy Eating, and eighth in Best Diets for Weight Loss.
Wrapping It Up
Decades of research highlight that there is no magic pill or shortcut when it comes to weight loss, and there is no single approach that will work the same for everyone. When it comes to a diet you must take into account your personality and lifestyle, because no matter how good the diet looks or how good it might make you look, if you can’t sustain it for the long haul you will end up right back to where you started, and that probably includes gaining a few extra pounds.
Weight loss does require some effort, which means that you must include physical activity/exercise along with making more healthful dietary choices. As part of a healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise work together to help promote optimal health.
Physical activity is much like a diet, in that you are more likely to stick with something fun that you enjoy. Try not to be too restrictive in your dietary choices; that is where most people make mistakes. Denying yourself of everything only sets you up for failure. The key is to enjoy those little indulgences in moderation while watching portion sizes.
During your journey for improved health, you may hit a few bumps along the way. Try to keep in mind that these are only temporary, and they present an opportunity to learn before continuing on your path. Setbacks do not mean failure; never give up, learn, adjust, and carry on because you are worth all of the benefits that you will gain. If at first you don’t succeed, pick yourself up and try again.
You got this. Move more. Eat smart. Feel better. Be well.
This article was written by TJ Webber at the WHN News Desk.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
