50 Easy Food Resolutions To Help You Eat Better In The New Year
After an indulgent holiday season and overdoing it a bit with New Year's Eve foods, it's natural to feel like a change is in order. In our experience, extreme overhauls in our diets don't last that long, so we've highlighted the latest health research and best healthy recipes we could find to compile a list of 50 reasonable, food-related New Year's resolutions. Think of them as baby steps to take a few at a time in an effort to better your eating habits throughout 2017.
Forget about skipping meals
Go into the new year with the refreshing knowledge that starving yourself just doesn't work. There are many reasons why you should never skip meals, including mood and efficiency, so wise up and eat up!
Focus on foods with fatty acids
Strategies a healthy meal plan that's high in omega-3 fatty acids for tons of health benefits, like lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Where to find those acids? In salmon, avocados, peanut butter and beyond.
Practice self-control at your favorite chain
You don't have to be a hermit when you're on a diet plan—just do your research to find out the healthiest items on the menu before you order. Favourite chains like Olive Garden, Applebee's and Chili's now offer lighter fare.
Reach for healthier party foods
Being social is way more fun when nibbles are involved, but make an effort to munch on smart party fare that won't blow your diet. Turns out that still leaves lots of tasty options for you to choose from.
Be careful with your beverage choices
Seasonal drinks like hot chocolate and pumpkin spice lattés are fun to sip, but can contain a sneaky amount of calories and fat, so keep your consumption to a minimum.
Master make-ahead breakfasts
With a bit of planning, you can start your day with a nutritious and tasty meal—even during the work week. Skip your typical grab-and-go bagel and try out genius muffin tin recipes like granola cups and mini frittatas.
Test out a low-fat baking hack
Craving something sweet? Whip up an applesauce cake for a flavourful treat with way less fat than your typical confections.
Eat cellulite-fighting ingredients
Simply add a few specific ingredients to your diet to start smoothing out those unwanted bumps. Dark berries, for example, are great for enhancing collagen production and breaking down fat to help get rid of cellulite.
Download a new nutrition app
Spend a little less time choosing between Snapchat filters and test drive these new healthy eating apps. They're super helpful with decoding the back of snack boxes, finding good eats in new cities, and everything in between.
Think ahead about snacktime
Instead of eating your way through a bag of chips, satiate midday hunger with two-ingredient snacks that clock in under 200 calories. We especially dig the healthy take on deviled eggs filled with guac.
Get some more Z's
Did you know that you tend to consume extra calories when you're short on sleep? A recent study shows that lack of QT with your pillow leads to intake of 385 more calories than normal the following day.
Make some simple swaps
Cool weather totally makes us crave comfort foods, but a few healthy food swaps like quinoa in place of pasta and sweet potatoes instead of regular mashed spuds gives you the same warm and fuzzy feeling, with less impact on your waistline.
Munch on more nuts
A handful of nuts a day could significantly slash the risk of major diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Next time you're hungry, nibble on walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts and cashews!
Start the day with oatmeal
Not your favourite breakfast item? These oatmeal recipes sprinkle in all sorts of goodness that might change your tune, plus they'll keep you full until lunchtime.
Give gluten-free apps a try
Bread and crackers are staples when it comes to hors d'oeuvres, but this clever bacon-apple crostini is about to become your go-to party snack.
Do a total fridge makeover
Take control of your kitchen, starting with a life-changing fridge makeover. A focused grocery list helps cut calories and makes meals totally stress-free.
Boost your broccoli intake
If "yuck" is still your response to this green veg, you definitely haven't tried these killer roasted broccoli recipes. Broccoli is high in fibre, promotes memory retention and fights inflammation.
Get creative with dessert
There are plenty of low-sugar desserts that are delicious spins on your favourites, like these amazing crust-less apple pies.
Take notes from nutritionists
If you feel like you've tried every weight-loss trick in the book to no avail, make sure you take these insights from the professionals to heart. They're the key to results that last.
Make a special veggie main
Don't let vegetables feel like an afterthought. Make them the centrepiece of your dinner table and you'll discover so many more amazing ways to prepare them—just look at this epic whole roasted cauliflower.
Cook with canola oil
Healthy fats are so hot right now (we love you, avocado), and a new study alerted us to the surprising benefits of canola oil. It targets that pesky belly fat in a way that many ingredients can't!
Say yes to squash
No spiralizer necessary—spaghetti squash is an amazing substitute for starchy pasta, and these easy recipes might convince you to ditch carb-loaded noodles on the regular.
Use up your tea supply
We already know about the many health benefits of drinking tea—antioxidants and fat-burning to name a few—but did you know you can use the bags to add complex flavor to your food? Tea-infused treats, for the win!
Try out sweet potato toast
This clever trend totally blew our mind in 2016, and after putting it to the test, we'll be eating plenty of it in the new year. Top your sweet potato toast with PB&J, avocado, a fried egg and beyond.
Banish belly fat
Exercise is well and good for thinning your mid-section, but you need to know what foods to avoid for a flat stomach. Say goodbye to processed snacks and white bread.
Bolster your immune system
Fight off flu season by loading up on ingredients that can keep you from getting sick. Plenty of citrus, peppers, greens and more will help you stay healthy so you'll continue to kill your resolutions.
Start drinking pickle juice
We're not just talking about pickle backs. Drinking pickle juice is great for staying hydrated, relieving muscle cramps after a workout and giving you a generous dose of vitamins C and E.
Fuel up before a jog
Before you pound the pavement, make sure you're properly fed. Pre-run meals should include healthy fats, smart carbs and lots of fluids so you can smash your personal record.
Give your diet the grown-up treatment
After you toss your graduation cap, it's time to toss some things from your fridge, too.
Reach for apple cider vinegar
It may sound strange, but a spoonful of cider vinegar could be just the thing to soothe an upset stomach. Stir up some apple cider skinny tonic to help with digestion or just to feel less flabby after an irresponsible meal.
Make a habit of vegetarian meals
Meatless Monday caught on for a reason—it just feels good to give your body a break from tough-to-digest meats and load up on other nutritious ingredients. Dig into these vegetarian recipes to try something different.
Say no to sugary cereals
Step away from the Cocoa Puffs. Educate yourself on the particularly bad breakfast cereals on grocery store shelves, and you'll find that many contain more sugar than a donut. Yikes.
Overhaul your pantry
Say what you will about Khloé Kardashian, but the girl know how to organise your pantry. Storing your healthiest snacks in clear containers encourages those options over junk food, and having your ingredients on display might inspire you to cook something up.
Replace carbs with zucchini
This veg is so much more than a side dish. Our zucchini recipes get creative by slicing them into ribbons for pasta-free lasagna or ravioli, or carving them into boats and stuffing them with with cheese and more veggies—sounds like a new regular in the dinner rotation!
Skip the soda
Think you're being smart by drinking Diet Coke? Think again. Turns out, soda drinkers eat more calories by snacking on foods high in sugar, sodium, fat and cholesterol.
Get on your smoothie game
If you're bored with yogurt and fruit, you might be more inclined to eat it blended into a fruit smoothie and topped with berries, shredded coconut and nuts. The perfect on-the-go breakfast, no spoons required.
Give ground turkey a go
Throw together ground turkey recipes like comforting soup, burgers and burrito bowls for a leaner alternative to ground beef, with less saturated fat.
Do a full kitchen sweep
Read up on the surprising things to ban from your kitchen like tempting cookie jars and white plates, which cause people to eat 20% more than they would when food is served on dark-coloured plates.
Bite into a BLT without the bread
The combination of bacon, lettuce and tomato is hard to resist, and thanks to this clever tomato bun BLT you can still chow down on it all, without sliced bread to weigh you down.
Lay off the artificial sweetener
While studies have turned up mixed results on the health risks of artificial sweeteners, reducing your intake can help your taste-buds adjust so you can once again appreciate the natural sweetness of, say, fresh fruit.
Amp up classic cauliflower
Those crunchy, white florets shouldn't be limited to crudité platters. One taste of kicked-up cauliflower wings, cauliflower toast and more creative cauliflower recipes and you'll be hooked.
Change up your avocado toast
Avo toast will always hold a special place in our hearts, but once we discovered the possibility of avocado egg boats, toast took a back seat. Whip these up to wow a brunch crowd, or just a killer solo breakfast.
Drink way more water
Lack of water can do way more damage than dry mouth. Read up on the many surprising signs you're dehydrated and get to chugging that H20. Your body (and the people around you) will thank you.
Have pudding for breakfast
Chia pudding that is. Danica Patrick swears by the stuff, which is packed with omega-3s, fibre and antioxidants. Plus, it's basically like having dessert first thing in the morning.
Chow down on chickpeas
Don't let store-bought health snacks bore you to death with blandness. Roast up a batch of chickpea nuts sprinkled with your choice of seasonings for something flavorful and crunchy to hold you over between meals.
Tone down the drinking
Even if you stick to a strict diet throughout the day, you can easily undo your hard work by throwing back a few drinks. Be in the know about the calories in alcoholic drinks so you can pick your poison wisely.
Treat yourself to pasta
Every healthy eating plan should make room for your favorite foods, even if it's just once in a while. Get your noodle fix with these skinny pasta recipes.
Be a smart snacker
If flat abs are your #1 go this year, you'll want to know what the go-to snacks are for people who've already got that six pack. If only the abs would come just by eating this stuff ...
Start reading labels
Whole Foods seems like the mecca for all things "good for you," but it turns out a lot of it is just good marketing. Learn to decipher the info on nutrition labels so you can identify those not-so-healthy products in disguise.
Don't deprive yourself of pizza
Pizza may as well be one of the core necessities for life, so why not embrace some of the healthier ways to eat pizza instead of quitting, cold turkey?
Article Source: http://www.delish.com/food/g3848/50-easy-food-resolutions/
Image Source: http://del.h-cdn.co/assets/16/51/980x735/gallery-1482272210-gettyimages-550754363.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Indulgent (adj.) ~ having or indicating a tendency to be overly generous to or lenient with someone
2. Hermit (n.) ~ a person living in solitude as a religious discipline
3. Nibble (n.) ~ an instance of nibbling something
4. Satiate (v.) ~ satisfied to the full satiated
5. Hors d'oeuvres (n.) ~ a small savory dish, typically one served as an appetizer at the beginning of a meal
6. Pesky (adj.) ~ causing trouble annoying
7. Banish (v.) ~ forbid, abolish, or get rid of (something unwanted)
8. Flabby (adj.) ~ (of a part of a person's body) soft, loose, and fleshy
9. Crudité (n.) ~ traditional French appetizers consisting of sliced or whole raw vegetables which are sometimes dipped in a vinaigrette or other dipping sauce
10. Cold turkey (idiom) ~ in a sudden and abrupt manner
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Is there anything about your eating habit that you would like to change? What is it and why would you like to change it?
2. Have you ever tried any kind of diet? Was it effective for you? Describe the diet.
3. How often do you drink soda or other alcoholic beverages? How do these drinks affect your health?
4. What is the best advice you could give someone who is trying to eat healthier?
5. What kinds of food do you usually stock in your fridge and pantry? Are these choices healthy?
