For the third straight year, The Mediterranean Diet tops U.S. News and World Report’s list of best overall diets for 2020, and just in time for the new year diet blitz when millions of Americans are plotting their course for a healthier year ahead.
The Mediterranean Diet Plan, which emphasizes plenty of lean meats like fish along with fresh vegetables, vitamin-rich nuts and beans, and healthy oils, has long been a darling of the nutritionist set, lauded for its diversity and balance. The diet finished first in Best Overall Diet but also topped a number of other sub-categories within the report including Best Diet for Healthy Eating, Best Diet for Diabetes, Best Plant-Based Diet (though it is not fully vegetarian), and Easiest Diet to Follow.
The DASH Diet, onerich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods and promoted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, finished second overall, tied with the Flexitarian Diet, which stresses more vegetables and vegetarian food, with meat and other animal byproducts consumed in strict moderation.
Other categories included Best Commercial Diet in which Weight Watchers took the top spot followed by Jenny Craig. Best Diet for Weight Loss was snagged by the Health Management Resources Program—or The HMR Diet—which focuses on medical supervision and targeted meal replacement via low-calorie shakes, meals, nutrition bars, and multigrain cereal.
Methodology:
According to the report, U.S. News convened anexpert panelof the country’s top nutritionists, dietary consultants, and physicians specializing in diabetes, heart health, and weight loss. Through an in-depth survey, 25 panelists scored 35 diets in seven areas, including ease of compliance, likelihood of losing significant weight in the short and long term, and effectiveness against cardiovascular disease and diabetes. For further details on how the rankings were calculated, see the completemethodologyhere.
Related Reading: Meal Prep Containers That Will Get You Excited to Make Lunch
Noticeably missing from the top results was the uber-popular Keto Diet—a strict low carb, high fat/protein diet, which has captured the attention of millions of Americans over the past several years but has been criticized for its long-term risk to heart health. Keto finished 34th out of the 35 total diets considered.
See the winners for each diet category below and click on the links for a complete list of the winners.
We can never hold back on a sale, but wecertainlycan’t miss any sale that has to do with All-Clad. Which brings us to letting you know that Macy’s is offering a limited sale on a slew of All-Clad products from now until Jan. 5. You can fill your kitchen with a number of nonstick and stainless steel pots and pans, appliances like waffle irons and slow cookers, and even tea kettles and utensils. Ahead, some of the best All-Clad deals you won’t want to pass up.
Fry up everything from eggs to burgers with these two nonstick pans, which come in two sizes: 8.5- and 10.5-inch. Not only are both pans oven safe, but they’re also built to nest in each other, so they won’t take up much space when they’re not being used. Buy Now
Searing and frying has never been easier, thanks to this hard anodized fry pan set from All-Clad. The 8-inch and 10-inch nonstick pans are built with flared sides—for easy turning and stirring—and the diagonal stainless steel handles stay cool while you cook. Buy Now
This stainless steel multi-cooker is just as versatile as it looks: Boil large batches of pasta, steam corn, and even simmer your favorite soup with this set. The set comes with an 8-quart pot and lid, which can be simply used on its own. Or you can drop in the steamer basket for all your vegetable needs or slide in the perforated insert to make cooking and draining pasta so much easier. Buy Now
We can hardly pass up on this 7-piece stainless steel cookware set that’s over 50% off, down from $629.99. This collection is designed exclusively for Macy’s and includes a 10-inch fry pan, a 2-quart covered saucepan, a 3-quart covered sauté pan, and a 6-quart covered stockpot. Buy Now
Home cooks: Rejoice with this hard anodized nonstick 7-piece set. You’ll never have to cook with any other pots or pans once you splurge on this set, complete with a 10-inch fry pan, a 2.5-quart saucepan with lid, a 4-quart sauté pan with lid, and an 8-quart stockpot with lid. Buy Now
Tired of substituting a bowl that doesn’t really fit on top of your pan when you need a double boiler? That’s no longer a problem once you have All-Clad’s double boiler insert which comfortably sits on top of a saucepan. Buy Now
Make perfect waffles with this round waffle maker. The machine is built with six browning settings—so everyone can be happy with how crisp or well-done the waffles are—and there’s an audible alert that dings once the waffles are cooked. Buy Now
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Whether for the new year or just to live a bit healthier, wellness is seemingly top-of-mind at this time of year. Taking part in a Dry January, eating more plant-based foods, and even counting calories and macros are common practice for those who are concerned about their health and weight. But while making healthier choices will make you feel better, losing your beloved sparkling wine and Champagne could make you question your continued judgement. This is where low-sugar wine, or low-dosage wine (as well as zero-dosage wine), can hit the sweet spot.
“For people who don’t want to do ‘Dry January’ or cut out alcohol entirely, but are still looking to up their wellness game in the new year, going for low-dosage bubbly is actually a great way to reduce unnecessary sugar while still enjoying the small indulgence of a glass or two of sparkling wine,” says Amanda Thomson, founder and CEO of Thomson and Scott, which manufactures low-dosage Prosecco.
Thomson and Scott Skinny Prosecco, price varies on Drizly
Rooted in the Champagne region of France, dosage is the practice of adding a bit of sweet wine to balance out what can sometimes be a very acidic or dry wine during the process of making sparkling wine and Champagne. Wines with very little added or residual sugar will be labeled low- or zero-dosage or extra brut, and will typically contain less than 6 grams of sugar per liter. However, for comparison’s sake, many of the most well-known Prosecco brands on the market contain 12 to 15 grams of sugar per liter, making them a booby trap for those who are watching their sugar intake.
Low-dosage and zero-dosage wines have been on the market for years, but are gaining attention right now for their lack of sugar.
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There is a reason keto, paleo, and Whole30 lifestyle changes have become so popular–because the decrease in sugar intake these diets demand works for both improved health and weight loss. And for those who are fresh off a round or want to continue watching their sugar intake, low-dosage and no-dosage sparkling wine allows the chance to imbibe without feeling extra guilty about their choice.
“I fell in love with low-dosage sparkling wines specifically because I just felt better when I drank them. This starts with knowing what’s in our glass, including how much sugar,” says Thomson.
While sugar and caloric intake are major reasons that consumers are turning to the low- and no-dosage wines, there are other reasons that they should regularly make it into your wine rotation, whether you are watching your sugar or not.
Liz Martinez, wine director and sommelier at Detroit, Mich.-based Prime + Proper, says that she has an affinity for low- and no-dosage sparkling wines for two reasons: It showcases the skill of the winemaker and it also provides a better pairing with meals.
“I love a low- or no-dosage sparkler because the final product is more austere, more precise, laser focused, and allows you to really taste the wine for its sense of place, and it takes a lot of skill to produce a wine with nothing to hide. Low- or no-dosage wines are less manipulated and are great with food. More acid and less sugar equals better pairings,” she says.
Threshold Champagne Glasses, 4 for $23.74 at Target
Thomson echoes this sentiment and explains that the lack of sugar in the wine helps sippers to better decipher the layers of flavor that sparkling wines contain, whether they are buttery and smooth or citrus-filled with a bite of green apple.
“The beauty of low-dosage wines is that the character of the wine comes through quite beautifully. These wines are crisp and bright, with notes of green apple and citrus. In Champagnes, the toasty or yeasty character we all love, as well as the minerality, is often more prominent. It’s a great way to showcase quality and purity in a wine, as nothing is masked by the addition of sugar,” she says.
Who hasn’t planned to eat healthy only to have your lettuce go bad in the back of your fridge as it fills up with takeout boxes? And pretty much everyone has been bummed to see that something you intended to use when whipping up a recipe was long forgotten behind brown bag lunches. The good news? Decluttering your fridge, pantry, and kitchen can not only make your feel accomplished, but can also make it easier to eat healthy, and ensure that you’re wasting less food and slashing your grocery bill. Read ahead for tried and true tips from experts on how to get organized.
1. Toss What You Don’t Need
If a diet regimen or healthy eating plan is your aim, then the first thing you should do is get rid of foods that don’t fit into your overarching strategy. “The biggest mistake people make is putting unhealthy foods anywhere at all in their fridge,” says Pat Salber, M.D., founder of “The Doctor Weighs In.”
“So as painful as it is, I suggest doing a thorough fridge-cleaning and throwing away (not giving away) [sugary] sodas, foods loaded with artificial ingredients (all that stuff with unpronounceable names), sugary yogurts, and super-caloric foods, including those sitting on your condiment shelves. If it is not there, you can’t eat it.”
Other foods you might want to consider tossing include juice (which is loaded with sugar and lacks fiber) and commercially prepared salad dressings (which are packed with chemicals and preservatives), saysKimberly Snyder, nutritionist and New York Times best-selling author of the “Beauty Detox” book series and “Radical Beauty.” “Everything you see in your space should be supportive of your goals and reflective of how you want to live,” she says. “If it [is] not…just throw it away.”
Have a relative with a sweet tooth who refuses to live in a cookie-free home? A simple thing to do is keep unhealthy foods out of view, says registered dietitianMegan Denos, R.D.N. “One easy thing you can do now to make it easier to eat healthy is to remember ‘out of sight, out of mind.’” says Denos. “Keep the foods that you want ‘out of mind’ [like junk foods!] hidden away and in hard-to-access places.” If you have to whip out a step stool every time you want a handful of chips, you might be less likely to do it than if they hang out on your counter.
3. Make a Plan
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Having an organized kitchen starts with knowing what you’re going to get when you go food shopping, experts say. “The biggest mistake people make when organizing their fridge is buying food without having a plan, which usually leads to buying unnecessary items,” says Andres Ayesta, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., registered dietitian/nutritionist and owner ofVive Nutrition. “For example, buying five different types of vegetables without really having a plan on how you will cook them or eat them will likely cause them to stay there for a week before you toss them out.” Bottom line? Know before you go: Plot out what you’ll use each purchase for rather than throwing random things in your cart.
Snyder recommends stocking up your fridge with staples like leafy greens, healthy veggies, organic fruits, organic free-range local eggs, avocados, raw almonds, chia, unsweetened almond or coconut milk, and quinoa, to start.
4. Don’t Overfill It
The amount of food you buy will depend on your household and needs, but it’s important to avoid stuffing your pantry and fridge to the gills. “The biggest mistake people make when organizing their fridge or pantry is packing it so full that they don’t even know what’s in it,” says Denos. “ Let’s face it: you can’t eat food that you don’t know is there. In order to eat healthy foods, it’s important that you a) can easily see them and b) remember that they are there.”
Wondering where you should keep your veggies? Not hidden away in the back of your crisper drawer! “Don’t hide produce away in the bottom drawers,” says Denos. “It’s so easy to forget about all of your fresh fruits and vegetables when they are tucked away in the bottom drawers of your refrigerator. By keeping them out in the open (and at eye-level), you’ll remember that you have them and eat them before they go bad.”
This also goes for your pantry: If it’s at eye level, it will be top of mind. “Keep healthy foods at eye-level (probably the middle shelf of your fridge or pantry),” she says. “Since this is where your eyes will go first, choosing the healthier options will be a no brainer.”
Fruits, meanwhile, will “live happily in a basket in plain sight,” says Salber, perfect for making sure you actually see them when you’re hankering for something to eat.
6. Do the Prep Work
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Once you have your meal plan designed, and your food purchased, prep work is the next step to making your life easier. “Get the tedious work out of the way,” Ayesta says. “As soon as you do your groceries, prep all your food to have it ready for cooking: pre-cut your vegetables and store them in sealed containers like mason jars to preserve them longer, portion the meats you will be eating in the next 2-3 days in Ziploc bags. Leave foods that last longer in your drawers (usually dressings, and canned products).”
Prep Naturals Meal Prep Containers, $34.99 on Amazon
These leak-proof glass containers are one way to keep your fridge organized and food fresh.
Right now and for today only, Best Buy has aMr. Coffee 10-cup coffee makerdown to just $45 (originally $90). This machine receives stellar marks in over 600 verified purchase reviews. Why? TheMr. Coffee Optimal Brewsports a built-in water filter that removes chlorine and other contaminants from water which means better-tasting coffee for you. Plus the sleek, stainless steel carafe keeps your morning java hot for as long as you need, and smart brew-pause function allows you to pour a cup mid-brew.
Best Buy
From great-tasting coffee to better-tasting water. If drinking more of it was on your New Year’s resolution list, you might want to consider a few nifty gadgets to help promote your h2o habit. Right now Best Buy has a bevy ofAquasana water bottleswith built-in filters marked down 50%. These 17-ounce smarty-designed bottles remove roughly 99% of bacteria, lead, chlorine and other contaminants, and are currently down to just $20 (forstainless steel) and $15 (forglass) during the one day sale.
If your water and coffee game are both already on point, Best Buy has two more daily deals to check out. A handyInsignia 12-inch modular induction cooktop— perfect for the office or RV — is half off down to just $70, while thisInsignia 6-slice toaster ovenwith air fryer function is $40 off, down to just $60 during the one day sale.
Everything but the waterbottles qualify for Best Buy’s fast and free shipping but all of today’s sale items can be ordered online and picked up in-store for free.
Cooking habits change depending on where you are and so do internet-searching habits around cooking, recipes, and those all-important kitchen tools. Empire Today recently looked at which kitchen tools and gadgets each U.S. state was Googling most in 2019, and on two of the busiest e-commerce days of the year: Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Gadgetry9 Kitchen Gadgets That Are Just So ExtraThough some newer kitchen tools and gadgets like the Instant Pot multi-cooker and air fryer made the list in certain states. Other states were more interested in classics like blenders, citrus juicers, and coffee makers—perhaps looking for the latest and/or greatest model or simply searching for that perfect deal.
Overall, immersion blenders were the most-searched-for kitchen gadget nationwide (veggie spiralizer was top of the list in 2018) and was the top gadget in three separate states. Bacon presstook the top spot overall during Black Friday and Cyber Monday-searching; clearly on folks’ mind for holiday gifting this year.
From the BBQ-obsessed Southern states to the health-conscious Pacific Northwest and every state in between (plus Alaska, Hawaii, and D.C.) here are the most-Googled kitchen gadgets in the U.S., along with a few of our top picks in each category.
Pour-over coffee is one of the newer trends in home coffee-making and captured the attention of Iowans in 2019. You can find them very inexpensively or buy thiscomplete pour-over systemfor a bit more.
Is Bourbon soup a thing? Who knows, but it seems like Kentuckians like this handy hand-held blender and have been searching for it quite a bit in the past year.
KitchenAid 2-Speed Immersion Blender, $49.99 on Best Buy
Just the thing for fast blending without any fuss.
If you’ve spent any time in New Orleans, you’d know tasty fried foods like beignets and fried oyster po’ boys take center stage. Looks like Louisianans have been searching out ways to make them at home.
With as much beef as they’ve got in Montana, it’s not exactly shocking its residents are interested in the easiest method for slicing steaks and roasts.
