New Year's Resolutions

By Hannah Newsome, RD, CSO, LD

It’s January and you know what that means—New Year’s resolutions. New year, new you, right? Often, resolutions are centered on improving one’s health and/or losing weight. Diet companies thrive this time of year and offer enticing deals for their programs.

But, what if this year was different? What if instead of resolving to buckle down and lose the weight, you chose to simply cook more meals at home? Instead of trying a new diet plan, you plan to try a new fruit and/or vegetable each week? It’s fairly common for most people’s resolutions to be long forgotten come February, possibly in part because their goals were pretty lofty to begin with.

Here are 3 attainable and measurable nutrition-related goals to consider this New Year.

1. Find a physical activity you actually enjoy doing.

Movement of any kind is beneficial to our health, whether it be running or dancing in your living room. Exercise does not mean you have to spend hours in the gym multiple times per week. Try something new and outside the box and aim for 3-4 ‘movement days’ each week. Sites like YouTube and Pinterest offer a wide variety of free workout videos.

2. Drink more water.

Water is key to our health and survival, but it can get pretty boring after a while. Jazz up water by steeping citrus or berries overnight in a pitcher of water to add some flavor and color. Men should aim for 3.7 liters daily and women 2.7 liters daily according to The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

3. Pack your lunch.

Instead of ordering food, take some time the night before to pack a lunch. Leftovers make great lunch options, so consider cooking a little extra. Pick one day per week when you can order from your favorite restaurant.

New Year’s resolutions can be helpful in making positive changes to your health, but scale back and make 1-2 changes at a time. Once those changes become habit, add another 1-2 new things to try. Happy New Year!