New year, new you? Your nutrition can help you not only look but feel better — and experts point to plant-based diets as a health-forward option for 2024 and beyond.
“Low carbohydrate diets do tend to promote weight loss, but the nutritional value of the diet still really matters. So what you want to be doing is looking for diets that are high in protein and fiber, but you want to be getting those nutrients from plant-based foods more than meat based foods,” says Dr. Céline Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. “When you make those adjustments to your diet, we do see a greater weight loss.”
Vegan diets aren’t the only way to eat plant-based. The Mediterranean diet, for example — which as made headlines for its health benefits — also focuses on whole, plant ingredients. Patterned on the traditional cuisines of the region, the diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, legumes, nuts and whole grains.
“This is basically a low carbohydrate diet that’s also low in animal fats and proteins,” Gounder said. “You’re going to have a lot of fish, beans, lentils, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.” She also noted the foods tend to be healthier when flavored with herbs and spices as opposed to salt.
Is a plant-based diet healthier than meat?In terms of protein, Gounder suggests looking towards more plant-based proteins like beans and lentils as opposed to red meat.And she offered a word of caution about some meat alternatives made with processed plant proteins.”Things like plant based burgers, for example, are getting more and more popular. “
