Healthy Meals To Help Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Are you making any New Year’s resolutions this year? It’s exciting to make a plan at the beginning of a new year, but it can be difficult to make resolutions stick past February.

Here, we offer some tips for successful goal setting:

• Break it down. Setting clear weekly and monthly targets will help propel you to the big goal you’ve set for the year.

• Start with something easy. Don’t try to jump in all at once, completely changing the way you eat, rather choosing small things to change or shift. Try eating more fruit, drinking more water, or abstaining from alcohol on the weekdays. Once you’ve mastered those, add to your plan until you’ve accomplished what you set out to do.

• Know your why. If you’re just eating healthier because you think you should, that’s probably not a recipe for success. Think about how you want your life to change, and write it down so you don’t lose sight of your motivation.

• Accept imperfection. All or nothing thinking can be destructive when you’re trying to make lifestyle changes. Know that you’re going to miss the mark sometimes. Instead of giving up, decide to make a better choice the next time and keep going.

• Find an accountability partner (or several!). Having someone who knows your goals and will support your efforts can be extremely motivating. Enlist the help of a close friend or join a group of likeminded people to help keep you on track.

If your goal is to eat healthier in the new year, keep your plan manageable. Clean out your kitchen, replacing processed foods with healthier options. Make nutritious foods more convenient than unhealthier options, replace things you want to resist rather then just trying to avoid them. Don’t go with fad diets, instead building your diet around sound nutritional advice. Limit your saturated fat and added sugar, eat plenty of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, and consume lean proteins and whole grains. And while it may seem cliched to call breakfast the most important meal of the day, it’s a smart way to start it. Here’s a sample meal plan to get you started:

• Breakfast: Begin the day with a healthy fruit and protein smoothie or whole grain cereal and a piece of fruit. Focus on protein and fiber to give you plenty of energy to greet the day.

• Lunch: A turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with a salad and some clear soup can help you power through the afternoon.

• Dinner: Steamed vegetables, grilled salmon, brown rice, and a side salad make a nice end to your day. If you’re craving dessert, have a piece of fruit.

• Snacks:  Keep nutritious snacks on hand so that you can easily grab them when you’re feeling peckish. Fruit, crunchy raw vegetables, nuts, and seeds are all great options as long as you limit the nuts to avoid too much fat.

No matter what food you need to keep your New Year’s resolutions, you’ll find it at NetCost Market. For over 20 years, we’ve helped our customers save time and money while offering them the world of food. We’re a local supermarket with a global reach, providing a selection of everyday food products as well as culinary delights from around the world. It’s our goal to provide authentic, high-quality food products from local farmers as well as global suppliers. When you shop with NetCost Market, you’ll find a gratifying shopping experience that even allows you to order groceries online and receive contactless grocery delivery at your home.