The 10 Most Popular Diets Explained by a Dietitian
While dietitians often urge patients to stop dieting and develop a healthy relationship with food, diet culture still remains prominent, especially with the rise of social media. A recent study was completed to find out what the most popular trending diets in America are for 2025.
Find out how each of the 10 diets ranked below and if any of them are worth the popularity.
Alkaline Diet
The tenth most popular diet is the Alkaline diet, with over 100k monthly searches and over 900k hashtags. This diet focuses on whole plant-based foods with the purpose of altering the body’s pH. The foods to be avoided are those that are more acidic, which are meat, poultry, dairy, fish, eggs, alcohol, and grains.
The foods to be included are those that are neutral in pH and alkaline in pH, which are whole plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. The body’s blood pH, like temperature, is a highly regulated system. There is little scientific evidence that the food we eat can control this delicately balanced system. This may also be a difficult and strict diet to follow for some.
Carnivore Diet
The ninth most popular diet is the Carnivore diet, with over 200k monthly searches and 794k hashtags. This is one of the more controversial dietary patterns because it is entirely animal-based and removes all plant foods, including fruits and vegetables.
This diet is extremely low in carbohydrates and fiber and high in saturated fat and salt. Because of this nutrient profile, this diet is not considered heart-healthy.
Noom Diet
The Noom diet is the eighth most popular diet, with over 300k monthly searches and 300k hashtags. This is a paid diet program that involves online coaching. Their focus is sustainable weight management and emphasizes behavior change.
However, this may not work for all people because of the time needed to log foods in the Noom app.
Paleo Diet
The paleo diet is the seventh most popular diet, with over 2 million hashtags and 200k monthly searches. This diet is supposed to mimic the diet of the Paleolithic era and removes beans, dairy, and grains from the diet. It is a whole-food approach focusing on fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and meat and fish.
Because of the restrictive nature of the diet, it may be difficult to sustain and negatively impact a healthy food relationship. There may also be a risk of nutritional deficiencies due to the avoidance of major food groups.
GOLO Diet
The GOLO diet is the sixth most popular diet with over 800k monthly searches and 82k hashtags. This diet is focused on insulin resistance and weight loss, with recommended herbal supplements as part of the dietary plan. There are costs associated with this diet and does not have sufficient research to support it. It does however advocate for a whole foods balanced diet.
Plant-Based Diet
The plant-based diet is the fifth most popular diet with over 100k monthly searches and 5 million hashtags. This dietary pattern is different from veganism, in that animal foods do not have to be completely removed from the diet. Meat, fish, and dairy products may still be included but in smaller amounts than an omnivore diet.
This dietary pattern is beneficial for a healthy relationship with food as it is more flexible when it comes to dietary choices. With lower amounts of animal products in the diet, nutritional deficiencies like B12 can be a concern if proper nutrition education is not taken into account.
Whole-30 Diet
The Whole-30 diet is fourth in popularity, with 6 million hashtags and over 100k monthly searches. This diet is an elimination diet aimed at targeting food sensitivities and gut health. The cons are that it is very strict in that certain steps must be followed to eliminate some foods and keep other food groups. The research behind this diet is also insufficient to indicate any benefits.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet was the third most popular diet, with over a million monthly searches and over 700k hashtags. This is one of the most researched dietary patterns and is associated with longevity. This is more of a lifestyle change than a diet, as no portion sizes are measured and no calories or macros are counted.
The foundation of this dietary pattern is to include more plant foods in the diet, like fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and beans and legumes. Animal foods are still included in the diet but are recommended in smaller amounts than the Western American diet would include. There is also an emphasis on olive oil due to its omega-3 content, antioxidants, and unsaturated fatty acids.
Keto Diet
The Keto diet was the runner-up in popularity with 13 million hashtags and over a million monthly searches. This diet is focused on weight loss by restricting carbohydrates from the diet. The study noted that there is a risk of nutrient deficiencies without careful planning and that long-term adherence may be an issue. Dietitians know that restrictive diets are not beneficial for developing a healthy relationship with food. Although the keto diet has been effective for short-term weight loss for some people, this outcome is likely due to eliminating an entire macronutrient group and, therefore, eating less than normal. Once the weight is lost, people may transition back to their usual eating habits, and their weight may fluctuate back and forth as sustainable lifestyle changes are not made
Note: This research was completed by a Keto diet organization so bias may be implied.
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers was the most popular diet, with over 2 million online searches per month! This diet is often in the media due to its celebrity endorsement. It’s a paid program with an online support community and personalized coaching. They used a point tracking system to help clients lose weight. Many people enjoy the number of resources available in the program as well as having the community motivation.
Should I Be Following One of these Diets?
The bottom line is that restrictive diets and diet programs can be hard to follow and may not guarantee the long-lasting success that people are after. Out of all of them, the plant-based diet and Mediterranean diet are the most research-backed and are the most flexible. Both emphasize the importance of adding more plants and whole foods into the diet while still including some animal-based products.
Diet culture can be mentally exhausting, but making lifestyle changes that fit your needs and preferences is a much gentler and more effective way to approach food. Diet is highly individual and a one-size-fits-all dieting approach is likely not the answer.