If you’re like more than 40% of Americans, chances are you’re going to be making at least one New Year’s resolution soon.
But did you know that only 8% of New Year’s resolutions actually succeed?
Here are some simple tips for making your Smart Food Resolutions STICK this New Year:
Plan Ahead
“If you fail to plan…you plan to fail”. You can’t act surprised when hunger sneaks up on you if you haven’t prepared meals and snacks ahead of time:
- Make a point to bring your lunch to work – avoid vending machine & fast food meals in lieu of healthier home-packed ones.
- Skip the lunch meeting – why do we always have to meet over a meal? Push lunch meetings to coffee or tea, and savor a healthier lunch on your own time.
- Weeknight meals, we eat at home – cook at home during the week, making restaurant meals a “sometimes thing”. Buy yourself a really good cookbook to encourage more at-home meals – here’s one of my favorite cookbooks, FEAST.
- Use weekends to prep batch meals like chili, casseroles, and pre-cut baggies of fruits and vegetables for easy meals and snacks on the go during the week.
Focus on Eating More
That’s right – eat MORE. It gets tiresome to hear all about what you can’t and shouldn’t eat. This New Year, focus on what you can eat more of….fiber:
- Aim for 5 grams of fiber or more – choose foods with 5 g fiber or more per serving; putting together 5 types of 5 gram foods will help you meet your daily goal of 25 g fiber.
- Break the bag habit – snack on whole foods: fruits, vegetables, lowfat dairy, and whole grain foods. If it comes out of a bag – it shouldn’t be your snack selection!
- Get your good fats on – don’t fear fat. Heart-healthy fats, like the kinds found in avocado oil, nuts, and seeds help keep you full while conveying valuable nutrients.
Make Smart Swaps
Sometimes the simplest changes can have the greatest effects. These small swaps can have a big impact:
- Rethink your drink – take a close look at your beverage choices, and get rid of those with any added sugars. Go for naturally-flavored water and iced tea when you can.
- Snack smart – ditch the potato chips and pretzels for more nutrient dense options like nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit.