It’s 2013 New Year’s resolution time. Making a list of resolutions is a good way to focus on positive changes, as long as they’re realistic. Resolutions that require you to make drastic and impossible changes aren’t likely to be successful. Even if your goal is a major do-over, it’s better to resolve to make small do-able changes and build on those throughout the year. You don’t want to feel like a failure before January is over.
With that in mind, here are some suggestions for diet and nutrition resolutions worth making and well worth keeping:
- Eat more plant foods. Your plate should not be hijacked by a giant slab of meat. Roughly 3/4 of your meal volume should be a variety of plant based foods: vegetables, fruit, beans, grain foods and nuts.
- Get your taste buds off sweets. This includes all added sweeteners: sugar, honey, agave, corn syrup and all artificial sweeteners.
- Get over “low fat”. Fats are healthy, they add flavor to food and they create satiety. The key is to emphasize vegetable fats and use sparingly.
- If you don’t want to cook, fine. Just don’t make that an excuse to give up on healthier food choices. There are many other convenient prepared foods besides cheeseburgers and frozen pizza. Explore more of those choices in the grocery store, speciality food store and in restaurants.
- Be proactive for healthy choices when dining out. Ask for half portions. Ask for healthier side dishes. Request that fries and chips be left off your plate. Get salad dressing on the side. Share appetizers, entrees and desserts.
