Mind your food: Which US states have the best and worst diets

A report by Trace One takes a look into eating habits across America and have managed to reveal which US states have the best and worst diets in the country.

In order to measure this Healthy Diet Index, Trace One took into consideration nine different factors such as fruit and vegetable consumption, how much alcohol or sugar-sweetened beverages are drunk, and food insecurity.

Major factors accounted for include diet-related health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pleasure, and many others.

Newsweek highlights that the Trace One report also used data from the Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent to calculate each US state’s overall score.

Looking at the data collected from 50 states, some patterns are noticeable. For instance, most of the healthiest eaters focused either in the Western states or in New England, while the least healthy dominated the US South.

Newsweek points out that the study concludes that poorer families tend to turn to cheaper, calorie-dense food because of a lack of access to more nutritious alternatives.

For example, Vermont is in the fifth place when it comes to having a healthy diet. Newsweek writes that New England overall topped the fruit and vegetable intake, with 66% of residents of the Green Mountain State consuming fruits every day.

South Carolina hits the fifth spot when it comes to unhealthy eating. According to the Greenville Business Magazine, a local outlet, the Palmetto State is sixth in adult diabetes in the United States and seventh on deaths by strokes.

Minnesota hits the fourth spot when it comes to having the healthiest diet. Not only that, but the North Star State is well-known for having a longer life expectancy and overall being one of the healthiest US states. According to WDIO, Minnesotans have a high level of physical activity.

Alabama ranks fourth on unhealthy eating habits in the United States. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, 17% of adults and 23% of the children face food insecurity in the Heart of Dixie.

The state of Washington gets the bronze on the Trace One Healthy Diet Index. The Evergreen State is well known for its high quality of life, beautiful natural scenery, and progressive mindset.

Mississippi gets the dubious honor of finishing third when it comes to having the least healthy diet in the United States. The Mississippi State Department of Health confesses that the Magnolia State ranks last, or close to last, in almost every health indicator.

Colorado is the runner-up to the ranking made by Trace One. However, other lists, such as the one made by Gurneys, place the Centennial State as the indisputable monarch of healthy eating in the United States.

Arkansas continues the trend of southern US states having the worst eating habits. The Natural State ranks near the bottom when it comes to the best states to live in, according to a 2024 piece by The Arkansas Times.

Finally, according to the Trace One report, Utah is the US state with the healthiest diet. Newsweek highlights that Utah residents reportedly eat plenty of fruit, consume few sugary drinks, and have a low rate of diet-related health problems.

On the other end of the spectrum, Louisiana earns the distinction of being the US states with the worst diet. However, between whiskey and Cajun food, who can blame them? After all, the healthiest doesn’t necessarily mean the happiest.

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