GOOD NEWS: The best diet of the year has been named. And it includes wine.

We’re three days into the new year and if you’re anything like me, you haven’t given your New Year’s resolutions a second thought let alone actually tried to begin implementing them in your life. That is, if you even believe in New Year’s resolutions.

But if your goals for 2019 includes making healthier food choices (read: no more late night Maccas UberEats delivery… or is that just me?) and less eating out and more cooking at home (or… actually learning to cook. Just me again?) then we have some very good news – because the best diet of 2019 has already been named. And yes, it includes wine.

So, there’s no need to follow some fad diet that promises you the secret to success in one easy step (sorry, that just doesn’t and will never exist) – because you can still eat all your favourite foods with the Mediterranean diet.

Taking out the top award in the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings of the best diets released on Wednesday, the review of 41 diets – including the keto diet, Weight Watchers, and Atkins – by a panel of nutritionists and specialists in diabetes, heart health, and weight loss, determined the Mediterranean diet as the best overall diet for the year ahead.

It also came out on top for a few other subcategories, including best diet for healthy eating, best plant-based diet, best diet for diabetes and easiest diet to follow.

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which aims to help people lower their blood pressure, came in at second. Next was the flexitarian diet, a modified vegetarian diet, and coming in fourth was the MIND diet, which focuses on foods good for brain health.

Watch: 7 health myths debunked. You might want to leave these behind in 2019. Post continues after… 

So what does the Mediterranean diet actually entail? As you can guess from the name, the diet hails from countries that border the Mediterranean sea, where people traditionally ate meals rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains, beans and seeds, lean meats, fish, and lots of extra virgin olive oil. What they don’t eat much of is red meat, saturated fats and sugar.

As the Mediterranean diet is not really a structured diet plan as we know it but more of an eating philosophy if you will, you can eat a diverse variety of foods in moderation. The key is balance and unlike restrictive diets, the Mediterranean way of eating doesn’t ban any foods and says it’s A-ok to treat yourself with sweets and a glass of red wine now and again.

With a diet that’s so easy to follow and certified by 41 experts, the Mediterranean diet might just be your pathway to eating better and healthier for 2019.

Do you follow the Mediterranean diet? Let us know in the comments below.