Popular Diet Plans: How Do They Measure Up?

When you're first starting to eat healthy, it can be overwhelming to see all of the options for dietary plans. Is one any better than the other? Here's a quick snapshot of three of the most popular eating plans available.

Mediterranean diet

Studies abound to show the benefits of following a Mediterranean diet over a Western one. It can reduce the risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and improve cardiovascular health.

A Mediterranean diet follows these basic characteristics:

High intake- Fruit, nuts, olive oil, vegetables, whole grains

Moderate intake- Poultry, fish

Low intake- Sugar, red meat, dairy

The diet is somewhat open-ended, as it doesn't provide any strict guidelines. This could be a positive or negative depending on what you're looking for. If you simply need a shopping list to stick to for your meals, this diet makes it easy. If you want a more regimented eating plan, this diet may not be as helpful for you.

DASH diet

DASH, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a plan promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute as a way to lower sodium intake and promote low blood pressure. It's been proven effective for reducing high blood pressure, positively affecting heart health as a result.

The DASH diet focuses on the following foods:

High intake- Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, chicken, fish, meat, beans, nuts

Low intake- Fat, red meat, sugar, and sodium

DASH doesn't require giving up any food group completely, so it may be a good option if you aren't up for that extreme of a change. However, it does require keeping an eye on how much sodium you consume each day. Given that most Americans consume well over the recommended 1,500 mg daily limit, that can be a difficult task.

TLC diet

The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet was designed by the National Institute of Health and is endorsed by the American Heart Association. Its aim is to lower levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

The focus of the diet includes:

High intake: Fiber-rich foods, such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as low-fat dairy and fish

Low intake: Saturated fats, such as fried foods, fatty and processed meats, and high-fat dairy

The goal of the diet is to drop LDL cholesterol by 8 to 10 percent in just six weeks. That requires becoming adept at reading nutrition labels to make sure there aren't any hidden fats in the food. It also involves cutting out taste-enhancing ingredients like butter and creamy sauces, so be prepared for that change.