Popular diets come and go. They often get recycled, renamed, or tweak the rules a bit to repackage them into sexy ads to lure you in.
For example, comparisons of low vs. high fat/ carb diets show NO real difference in long-term weight loss. People lose weight on any diet but almost always gain it back.
Healthy eating is not about any one nutrient.
The BIG picture
The biggest impact on your health is:
How much you eat, aka calories, and diet Quality
Food patterns are the collection of the foods you eat on a regular basis. Research supports these healthy dietary patterns:
- Mediterranean diet
- DASH diet (similar to the Mediterranean, lower in salt)
- Plant-based (balanced diets, not just focused on eliminating animal products)
Why are these healthy?
- Contain many foods that provide a large array of vitamins and minerals, particularly fruits and vegetables
- High in potassium, primarily from fruits, vegetables, and sometimes dairy
- Moderate in lean proteins like fish, legumes (soy, lentils, beans)
- Limited in fatty meats and processed foods
- Low in sodium
- Low in saturated fat
- Low in added sugars (not naturally occurring)
Thus, eating many plant foods and lean proteins and limiting saturated fats, salt, and added sugar is the easiest way to eat healthy.
Find a pattern you can stick to. Enjoy your food, but give your body the nutrients it needs to be well.
Long-term success
It’s not just about what you eat, but how. These behaviors are tried and true methods for long-term success in weight loss as well as healthy eating.
Content presented here, although created by US Registered Dietitians and PhD-level Nutritional Biologists, is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. Consult your health care provider before using any supplements or making dietary changes.