So your New Year’s resolution is to start eating healthier. Yay! But let’s be real here, changing your eating habits to a healthier one can be quite challenging. Never fear though, since we’re determined to help you make 2016 a year that you stick with your resolution. Here, we’ve listed down some of the easy ways on how to commit to your healthy eating resolution while still having fun along the way.
- Choose a healthy eating method that’s enjoyable, sustainable and fits your lifestyle.
I just can’t stress this enough: The reason why most diet plans fail is because they aren’t sustainable and enjoyable. When we try quick dieting fixes like juice cleanses or eating cabbage soup all day long, we only end up feeling deprived, tired and hungrier, and this is what leads us back to the unhealthy eating habits we’re trying to fix.
So how can you avoid this trap? Simply find a healthy eating method that’s sustainable and fits your lifestyle. For some, it may mean following a dietary framework like Paleo diet. For others, it may mean skipping the diet label and eating real food. Remember that there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all diet, and different methods work for different people. Just make sure that whatever method you use is one that you’ll enjoy and be able to maintain over time.
- Identify the reason why you need to change your eating habits.
Changing eating habits can be difficult, but you’ll be able to get over that hurdle by identifying the reason why you feel like you need to change your eating habits. Is it to have clearer skin? More self-confidence? More energy? Whatever your reason is, write it down in a piece of paper and look back to it when you feel like giving up on your resolution.
- Educate yourself about the right foods to eat and eating habits to practise.
When we understand how food impacts every aspect of our life, making healthy food choices will be a lot easier for us. To properly educate yourself about such matters, simply check out books like Salt Sugar Fat and Grain Brain. Watching documentaries like GMO OMG and Food Matters is also great way to learn about food. If possible, consulting a fitness expert in Singapore is also a great way to get all the information you need and educate yourself.
- Plan out each of your meals.
Meal planning is another excellent way of setting your healthy eating resolution up for success. Set aside an hour or two each week to plan your meals, your grocery shopping list and your food preparations techniques. When you invest enough money and time into this plan, you’re much more likely to stick and be successful with it.
- Cook enough dinner so you’ll have leftovers for lunch.
This trick goes hand-in-hand with the meal planning strategy. When planning out your dinner meals for the week, make sure that you stick with recipes that’ll create enough leftovers for lunch the following day. By doing this, you’ll be able to stick with your resolution and save some time in the kitchen as well.
- Get rid of junk foods.
A sure way for you to stick with your healthy eating resolution is to make your environment work for you, not against you. This simply means getting rid of all the junk food that’ll tempt and derail your good intentions in your house. Seeing and eating no junk means better chances of sticking with your New Year’s resolution after all.
- Find and eat healthy foods that you actually love.
Eating healthy doesn’t really mean eating salad all day long. Sticking with your healthy resolution can actually be done in a more delicious way. Do this by focusing on foods that you actually enjoy, such as brown rice tortilla pizzas, chocolate banana ice cream, and avocado toast with poached egg.
- Get your family’s and friends’ support for your resolution.
Sticking with this kind of resolution becomes a lot easier when you have the support of your family and friends, so try inviting them to join you on your journey to eating healthy. You can share your recipes with one another, take turns on making meals for each other, organize a crock pot party, and conduct weekly check-ins to hold each other accountable for their resolution.
Sure, changing your eating habits into a healthier one will be challenging, but by following these tips in mind, you’ll surely be able to stick with your healthy eating resolution throughout the whole year.
