Order now: The Plant-Powered Plan to Beat Diabetes

12 Dietitian Tips for Healthy New Years Goals

Sharon Palmer

Looking to catch a healthy habit or two for your new years goals? Check out these 12 expert dietitian tips on how you can create heathy new year’s resolutions that are sustainable for the long haul.

Along with the coming of a new year, our thoughts often go to new years goals for health and fitness. But before you buy into the latest diet fad, keep it real by focusing on healthful, sustainable diet changes. What that means is diet changes that you can make as part of your overall lifestyle for the long-term. Fad diets that are so miserable you can’t wait to go off them are the opposite of sustainable diet changes. Instead, focus on catching a healthy habit or two in order to build a balanced lifestyle that supports overall good health. So, I asked some of my favorite registered dietitian nutritionists to weigh in on their favorite tips for habit stacking your goals for health in order to kick off the New Year. Happy New Year!

Eat and Live Well,

Sharon

12 Dietitian Tips for Healthy New Years Goals

Take time to plan good nutrition. Try meal prepping, starting with this recipe for 4-Way Meal Prep.

1. Plan Time for Healthy Eating and Exercise.  “Take a minute to sit down and look at your schedule: when are the best times that you can fit in meal planning and exercise? Go ahead and schedule times when they work best for you. Having something on the calendar will make it part of your routine. If it’s inconvenient then you likely won’t stick with it, so be realistic with your planning,” says Samara Abbott, RDN, G&G Nutrition Co.

2. Create a Support System. “Whether it’s a family member, co-worker or friend, find someone to help you stay on track and to help make lifestyle change more fun (i.e. a workout buddy, someone to exchange recipe ideas with) and someone to share successes and challenges with!” says Chef Julie Andrews, MS, RDN, CD.

Include more healthful ingredients for self care, not punishment. Try this recipe for Chia Seed Pudding with Berries.

3. Commit to Loving Yourself.  “Make healthier lifestyle choices (food, exercise, managing stress, etc.) because you want to do something good for yourself, not as punishment,” says Stacy Lewis, MS, RDN, LD.

4. Visualize Your New Years Goals. “Walk through your day and think about what needs to happen for you to achieve your goal. By doing this, you’ll have more strategies to support your success,” says Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RDN, Go Wellness.

Tofu Kale Power Bowl with Tahini Dressing

5. Go Plant-Based Once a Week.  “Once a week try a complete plant based meal and add more spices to your meals to add flavor and health benefits,” says Gauri Junnarkar, MS, RD, LD, CDE, BAMS, LMT, AyurNutrition.

6. See Exercise as More than Weight.  “Begin to see exercise as a way to improve sleep, improve mood, become stronger and prevent disease. Set small, manageable goals such as including a vegetable at each meal instead of restricting foods and enjoying cooking and sharing meals,” says Kim Melton, RD at Nutrition Pro Consulting.

Be thankful for beautiful, delicious, healthy food. Elevate it in dishes like Jade Edamame Brussels Sprout Rice Bowl.

7. Elevate Food.  “Elevate food to the level of respect it deserves. Make the time every day to savor it and appreciate it daily,” says Amanda Archibald, RD, The Genomic Kitchen.

Smoky Chili with Sweet Potatoes

8.  Commit to One Change in Eating.  “I always advise people to commit to one thing in their eating pattern that they should have more of, not less. Rather than ‘I can’t have as much XYZ’, it’s much less stressful focusing on ‘I should have another serving of fruit’ or ‘another glass of water’, ‘fit protein into my snacks’, or ‘try to eat more legumes’. It also takes the focus off of less nutrient dense foods without demonizing them or making you crave them since you ‘can’t’ have them,” says Kelly Jones, MS RD, CSSD.

Build in healthful indulgence with recipes like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chickpea Bars.

9. Build in Treat Foods. “Give up the notion of cheat days, which is a very negative and definitely not empowering. Instead, treat yourself regularly to the foods you love. Learn to fit them in to your healthful eating pattern instead of “cheating” on them. I’d much rather you eat a couple of squares of chocolate every single day than to gorge yourself once or twice a week and feel guilt or remorse. Give yourself permission to love the living daylights out of it. Then remind yourself that a little bit of fun food in an otherwise healthful diet is just fine. And you get to enjoy some more tomorrow,” says Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND.

Build in time for self-care—do it with a healthful, delicious beverages, such as this Lavender Chai Latte.

10. Shop Smart. “Buy what you need, knowing that it will be consumed within a day or two. Limit purchasing large amounts of foods that may go stale, spoiled or uneaten,” says Sylvia Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, founder of Hispanic Nutrition.

11. Leave More Time for Self-Care. “The work will always be there in the morning, but your health and sanity may not be. Take time in the day to walk away, clear the head, and do some deep breathing. Allowing time to wind down at the end of the day so it’s not just going from working on the computer straight to bed. And most importantly, making sleep a priority. Remember – if you don’t take care of yourself, who will?” says Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT.

12. Remember, Small Changes = Lasting Changes. “Instead of overhauling everything at once, master one new behavior and then add on new ones–instead of saying you’ll ‘exercise’ every day, start with one or two times a week for a few weeks. Also – put it in your calendar like any other appointment!” says Dr. Felicia D. Stoler.

For other tips on healthy eating for the New Year, check out:

New Year’s Diet Resolutions You Can Live With
19 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions from Dietitians

Image: this recipe for Beet Bean Burgers is in California Vegan.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *