10 tips to healthy eating for 2021
Happy New Year! Well, it’s that time of year when most of us are creating goals and resolutions for the year ahead. Healthy eating and losing weight are two common goals for many people especially after the holiday indulgence. I have been thinking a lot about healthy eating and how I want 2021 so I thought I would share my top tips around healthy eating and how to put this into action for 2021. I had trouble keeping this list to 10 items and under! For me, healthy eating isn’t just about losing weight. It’s so much more than this. This list isn’t about how to lose weight but rather it’s about having a healthy relationship with food.
Think about your health and wellness vision for the year. Where do you want to be in 11 months? How can food support you in these goals?
Mindset: Write a list of all the foods you want to consume and why you want to consume them. The ‘why’ will support you on your journey and anchor you. My thought process around food is to focus on what I can/should eat as opposed to what I can’t/shouldn’t eat. I feel like this provides a much healthier mindset and also opens up the world of food and opportunity as opposed to creating a limited world.
Removing Food: If you want to cut out certain foods, think about the foods you want to cut and why you want to cut them out. The ‘why’ will support you on your journey and anchor you. If cutting out certain foods, think about replacements and have a plan in place. Consider setting a time frame for cutting out that food. Are you going to cut it out for a week? A month? A couple of months?
Meal planning: This is super important and it will make a huge difference in seeing your vision come to life. I recommend spending at least 30 minutes creating a menu for the week and writing a grocery list prior to going to the grocery store. I know you are going to tell me you don’t have time, but this is key!
Commit to one new recipe a week: This decision has revolutionized how I eat. It was hard for me to get out of my set routine but now I love spending time looking at cookbooks or websites to get new ideas and be inspired. I have lots of great cookbook ideas on my Inspiration page. And of course there a lots of recipes on my blog.
Incorporate more fruit and vegetables into your diet: Let’s face it, we probably all need to eat more fruit and vegetables. How many servings of fruit and vegetables do you eat a day? There are different guidelines out there but a heathy diet includes 2 cups of fruit a day and 3 cups of vegetables a day at a minimum. I like to try and eat 5 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Fruit and vegetables are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Eat seasonal/local: Many of us are out of touch with the food we eat, where it comes from and the seasonality of the food we eat. Consider buying a share in CSA and/or sourcing food locally when possible. Or maybe opt to start growing your own food - start small with herbs and lettuce. Or maybe commit to cooking one meal a week with ingredients that are in season. This can be hard to do when many of us can buy whatever we want, whenever we want so be sure to plan in advance prior to going to the grocery store.
Reduce intake of processed food: Processed food has a lot of preservations, additives, sodium and sugar. Start replacing processed food with home made options. Start small (salad dressing is a good starting point) and keep adding to it (I just started making sourdough bread and my daughter loves it!). Start reading food labels and ingredient lists and become familiar with what is in the food you eat. This can be overwhelming so don’t try to replace everything at once (trust me!). Want more information? Check out this website.
Eat together at the table: Commit to eating together around the dinner table as much as possible. Avoid eating in front of the tv. Consider setting the table with flowers or a table cloth and introduce new traditions such as a gratitude circle prior to eating. Healthy eating is not just about what you are eating but also about being mindful and appreciating the food you are eating it and who you are eating it with.
Drink more water: Drinking water is the one of the easiest ways to keep your body healthy. Most of us are dehydrated. You probably would be surprised to know that the recommendation for adequate fluid intake in a temperature climate is 15.5 cups of fluids a day for men (3.7 liters) and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. We consume a couple of cups of fuid through the food we eat but this still means that women should be drinking 9 cups of water a day to meet this recommendation. If you live in a dry climate or in a hot climate, you will need to drink more. So get drinking!
Here’s to healthy eating in 2021! Excited to hear from you all and see how it goes. Feel free to reach out to me at alex@arainbowaday.com
Happy New Year!
