Tips to Keep Well in the New Year

Written by Aoife Hearne RD (Registered Dietician)

Like so much of 2020, the holiday celebrations were different this year than any before it.  No matter how you celebrated, the New Year is a chance to move on and begin anew. What better way to celebrate 2021, the UN International year of Fruit and Vegetables, by pressing the reset button and get back on track with your eating. Before you make any change / adjustment to your eating start thinking about WHY you want to do this, and what benefits you will get from these changes.  That way, when you have challenging times (and they always come at some point) you have a clear idea in your head about why it’s important to you to help you push through.

Before you jump into making changes to food choices, let’s build a strong foundation for eating well by building these habits into our daily lives:

1. Move away from the “all-or-nothing” attitude to eating which is all around this time of year. Persistence rather than perfection is what is needed for eating well. Everyone has a bad day, weekend, or week of eating. Try not to dwell on it. The most important thing is to get back on track as soon as you can! Food is not moral - it is not “good” or “bad” and you are not “good” or “bad” based on your food choices. Work towards making healthier choices as much as possible; eating perfectly 100% of the time is not a realistic goal.
2. Get back to basics by making a meal plan each week and writing a shopping list to match it. This is such an important habit that is often undervalued.  By making choices around meals and snacks at home in a relaxed environment you can ensure that that majority of food that makes it on your shopping list are fresh whole foods e.g. fruits, vegetables, lean meats/fish/poultry, wholegrain carbohydrates and dairy.  Of course fun foods can get on the list too, but the goal is to have less processed foods on our shopping list.
3. Make the healthy choices easy to do. Set up reminders to make your healthy habits EASY to accomplish. Even with very low motivation, if the changes you make are easy and you feel better doing them, you will most likely keep doing them. For example, leave fresh fruit on the counter in your kitchen - you are more likely to grab a piece of fruit running out the door in the morning if you can see it.
4. Aim for a little and often approach to eating. Start with breakfast and eat at regular times throughout the day.  Good choices at breakfast can set you up for a successful day of eating well.  Eating regularly ensures that you are not overly hungry at meal times.  This is an important strategy to help you eat more mindfully. It will also ensure you have enough energy for your daily exercise.
5. Keep a food and mood diary. This can really help you track what you eat and become more connected and engaged with the food you are eating, how much you are eating and why you are eating certain foods. 

Now let’s move onto food - here’s your eating well checklist:

1. All foods can fit. Move away from diet mentality and giving foods the forbidden label. Instead choose lots of whole foods (e.g. fruits, vegetables, lean meats/fish/poultry, wholegrain carbohydrates and dairy) throughout the day. Start listening to your tummy - when you start to feel full - stop eating.  A balanced plate has something from each food group - wholegrain carbohydrate, lean protein and vegetables (fresh or frozen can work).
2. Eat on the bright side by getting colour from a variety of fruits and vegetables in all your meals. The current recommendation from the Food Pyramid is to eat 5-7 portions of fruit and vegetables each day.  To keep it simple, aim for 2 pieces of fruit each day and 1/2 plate vegetables (200-250g raw weight) at lunch and dinner.
3. Nourish your brain and your physical energy stores by choosing high fibre carbohydrates. Wholegrain carbohydrates (such as oats, wholegrain breads, potatoes, wholewheat pasta) provide a long lasting energy source to keep you powered up right throughout the day. In addition to this, wholegrain carbohydrates are an important source of fibre in the diet which plays an essential role in keeping your gut healthy.
4. Power up with lean protein Your body needs protein at each meal (suggested portion is 1/4 plate) and snack for growth and repair each day.  Choose protein sources that are as close to their natural form as possible i.e. whole cuts of fresh meat, fish and eggs.  Remember, a chicken breast (without breading) will have less processing than chicken nuggets. 
5. Drink fluids regularly throughout the day. Fluids are important to maintain hydration and for recovery after exercise. Being well-hydrated will help you enjoy your exercise more. Water is the best choice. Along with milk, unsweetened tea and coffee (in moderation) can also contribute your fluid needs.

Bonus Tip - when you do include fun foods, eat them mindfully (never when you are extremely hungry) and stop when you start to feel full.  Most people know that an apple is a better choice nutritionally than a slice of chocolate cake.  You are welcome to have the cake - just acknowledge your choices so you are aware of what you’re choosing (which is where the food diary comes in!).