Is a plant-based diet really healthier? Experts weigh in on nutrition for the new year.

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.