by Caitlin H,
September 25, 2023
Scroll through any weight-loss-related social media feed and you’re likely to see it filled with everyone from fitness influencers to celebrities touting diets that helped them lose weight in record time. Here’s the thing: Many diets — such as very low-fat and very low-carb — may actually help you lose weight, but that doesn’t mean they’re good for you.
That’s according to a recent report from the American Heart Association (AHA) published in the journal Circulation. This comprehensive report ranks the most popular diets related to heart health based on recommendations from the American Heart Association, including:
- lots of fruits and vegetables
- whole grains
- Nuts, fish, seafood, and nonfat dairy products contain unprocessed, lean protein
- Olive and vegetable oils
And limit your spending:
- manufactured food
- Foods with added sugar
- Alcohol
The report ranks the most popular diets into four tiers based on how heart-healthy they are. Here’s a deeper look:
The Most Heart-Healthy Diets – Tiers 1 and 2
The Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet were among the highest-ranked diets in the report. Both focus on eating whole grains, vegetables, lean proteins, legumes, and low-fat dairy products.
Developed by nutritionists and chefs, Diet-to-Go’s Mediterranean eating plan delivers a delicious menu packed with heart-healthy foods right to your door. It can also help you adopt a Mediterranean food culture designed to allow you to focus on enjoying your food rather than worrying about dieting. That means you’ll get mouth-watering meals like cinnamon walnut oatmeal for breakfast, turkey pancakes for lunch, and grilled salmon with pineapple salsa for dinner – with no cooking required!
Also at the top of the list are pescatarian and vegetarian diets. A pescatarian diet allows you to eat fish but not meat, while a vegetarian diet is plant-based.
Diet-to-Go’s vegetarian meal plans are adapted from our #1 Balanced Menu to give you nutritious meals that control calories, control sodium, carbs, fat and cholesterol. Our vegetarian plans include breakfasts like Egg Pie and Cherry Almond Bars, lunches like Spanish Stuffed Peppers and Mushroom Ravioli, and dinners like Black Bean Chili and Asian Soybeans. We’ve been helping people lose weight and eat healthily with a vegetarian menu for over 30 years! *
Worst Heart-Healthy Diets – Tiers 3 and 4
According to the report, ketogenic and paleo diets were the worst for heart health. The ketogenic diet typically limits intake to about 30 servings of net carbs per day, while the paleo diet includes fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and some fruits and vegetables—foods available to humans during the Paleolithic era.
The report highlights that limiting carbohydrates to less than 10% of daily calories removes many heart-healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains that have the nutritional qualities needed for a balanced diet.
The report notes that these diets offer benefits such as reducing refined grains and added sugars and encouraging the consumption of vegetables such as asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli. However, their focus on fatty meats like bacon and steak may lead to an increase in LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease.
bottom line
Research shows that the best, healthiest eating habits are those that can be maintained over the long term. At Diet-to-Go, we believe in a common-sense approach to healthy eating that allows you to enjoy the foods you love in smaller amounts.
Our most popular balanced menu has been helping people achieve their goals for over 30 years. Our chefs and nutritionists design restaurant-quality, mouth-watering meal plans to control calories and portions and deliver heart-healthy meals including lean protein and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
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Author: Caitlin H
Food community manager
Caitlin is the Diet-to-Go community manager and an avid runner. She is passionate about connecting with others online and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. She believes moderation is key and that people will have the greatest weight loss success if they practice common-sense healthy eating and fitness.