Summer is here again, and that means many of us will be spending more time outside, enjoying the warmer temperatures, flaunting summer outfits at the beach or picnicking at the park. Whether you’re looking to maintain your look or are playing catchup from a period of inactivity, it’s worth keeping up with popular diet trends so we can look and feel our best.

But given the many options, how can you be sure that the diet you select is truly appropriate for your overall health or fitness goals? There are so many popular diets with fancy names, like keto, mediterranean, paleo, and flexitarian, and they all make different claims about nutrition.

If you’re wondering about the difference between DASH and MIND, or whether intermittent fasting is really a good idea, here’s a quick list of the most popular types of diets, including a handy chart that summarizes the pros and cons of each, as it relates to food options.

Popular Diet Trends Taking Over Plates Everywhere

The best diets are the most balanced and flexible, meaning that there aren’t too many forbidden foods or restrictions. They also target a different aspect of health, from boosting brain power to reducing the risk of heart disease, to simply losing some weight or sculpting an eye-catching physique.

A good diet should challenge you, but still be permissive enough that you can enjoy one of life’s greatest gifts — sharing delectable meals with loved ones.

Diets Receiving Universal Acclaim

Mediterranean Diet

This diet is inspired by the cuisine of Southern Europe, and features lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, along with seafood and olive oil. As the diet is modeled after the habits of the ancient Romans, it’s an approach steeped in both flavor and history.

A protein-packed summery dish such as this Godshall’s Turkey Bacon Spanish Salad can give you all the energy you need for the longer days.

DASH Diet

Nearly half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), which can lead to heart problems and other health issues. The DASH Diet gets its name from an acronym combatting this widespread problem — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — and encourages you to meet your daily caloric needs with nutritious options that limit sugars and saturated fat.

Flexitarian Diet

A largely plant-based diet popularized by dietician Dawn Jackson Blatner, this approach to eating holds appeal because of its flexibility and allowance for the occasional moderated inclusion of meat and fish.

One of the best parts of a flexitarian diet? The chance to partake in this Beef Bacon Panzanella Salad.

MIND Diet

Sometimes the diets that stand the best chance of being consistently followed aren’t singular diets, but a combination of dietary philosophies tailored to your lifestyle — and the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) Diet is one such example. The name, and its ethos, is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, but minimizes the inclusion of starch and sugars.

Diets to be Treated With Caution

Intermittent Fasting

Instead of limiting foods, this diet has you follow a schedule, alternating between periods of normal eating and periods where you drastically reduce your caloric intake.

Whole30 Diet

Advocating for a rapid readjustment of your eating habits in the interest of a healthier lifestyle, this regimen eliminates grains, legumes, sugar, dairy, and alcohol.

Ketogenic (Keto) Diet

“Ketosis” is the process of breaking down dietary and stored fat into ketones, and maintaining that state of metabolism is the goal of this high-fat, high-protein, low-carb plan.

Paleo Diet

Like the Mediterranean Diet, this approach involves mirroring the eating habits of a much earlier version of humanity. With roots in the Stone Age, this diet eliminates foods such as refined sugar, salt, grains, legumes, and dairy.

The Flexibility Factor

Diets without many “off-limits” foods are easier to follow, and give you the opportunity to consume a wide range of nutrients. You can still eat what you love, as long as you moderate and focus on the healthiest, most natural versions of your favorite foods.

For example, by swapping out red meats like beef and pork with lean meat such as Godshall’s Uncured Turkey Bacon, you can still include bacon’s distinctive crunch with your brunch, all while maintaining a healthy diet.

Getting up in the morning is a whole lot easier when you can look forward to a delicious breakfast like this Canadian Turkey Bacon Eggs Benedict.

Here’s a look at what’s permitted and prohibited in the eight popular diets listed above:

Discovering the Right Type of Diet for You

It’s important to remember that just as there are a lot of delicious foods to try from around the world, with different flavor profiles and nutrients, we as humans also come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes — each beautiful and worth celebrating in their own right. 

For the best diet results, do your own research first, talk to your health practitioner, and go with a plan that feels right to you. Because when you’re feeling good, your glow is bright enough to make even the summer sun envious.

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Editorial note
Original publish date: May 27th 2022
Last updated: July 30th 2024