10 Ways to Eat Healthier in the New Year

Take charge of your health in the new year with these easy-to-implement and impactful changes to your diet.

January 28, 2021

By: Leesa Morales, MScN

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Photo By: Leesa Morales

Resolve to Eat Healthier

Instead of focusing on what can be removed from your plate this year, let’s discuss what you can add to it to create meals that are both crave-worthy and health-boosting. January’s annual “fresh slate” state of mind can make it all too tempting to try a new diet, cut out whole food groups, overhaul your pantry or commit to unrealistic goals in order to substantiate your health-centered resolutions. But I don’t believe that’s necessary. Instead, let’s get you dancing in the kitchen with joy at first bite, and hopefully have you feeling like your healthiest self yet.

1. Snack the Rainbow

When it comes to eating healthily between meals, preparation is key. Having a variety of quick, wholesome snack options at the ready is critical, especially when the most tempting choices are often those that require minimal effort to prepare. Advice I give to my clients is to keep ingredients on hand that might be thought of as a deconstructed charcuterie board: washed and sliced vegetables such as radishes, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper; berries, grapes, apples, citrus and other seasonal fruit that has been chopped, sliced, peeled or washed; cheese that has been sliced or cubed; and at least a few palate-pleasing accompaniments like hummus, pesto, olives, nuts and unsweetened dried fruit. Within this edible rainbow at your fingertips, every snacking session can be interesting, unique and completely satisfying.

2. Switch to Homemade Dressings and Sauces

Making your own sauces, dressings and marinades at home creates endless opportunity for customization, and because you don’t have to worry about shelf-life stabilization, you can easily cut down on the sugar and sodium content compared to the prepackaged options in the grocery store. Start with a creamy base, like nut or seed butter, olive oil, avocado or coconut milk, then enhance with fresh or dried herbs, spices, peppers or garlic, brighten with citrus or vinegar, sweeten with raw honey, real maple syrup or dates, and add depth with sea salt, soy sauce or miso. It can be as simple as whisking ingredients in a jar, or pureeing in a blender or food processor for a smooth, creamy consistency. Dressings made with unrefined ingredients are a simple and delicious way to add an extra boost of healthy fats, fiber and antioxidants to any meal.

3. Spice Up Your Life

Herbs and spices have a lot to offer when it comes to simultaneously enhancing the flavor and nutrition of a meal. And if you can tolerate a little spice, the long-term health benefits are worth the burn! According to a 2019 review from the University of Oxford, eating spicy foods more than once a week may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. What’s more, herbs and spices such as clove, rosemary, sage, oregano and cinnamon can be helpful in lowering cholesterol and improving mood.

Hot tip! When you're not incorporating herbs and spices into your favorite meals, you can also brew flavorful cold or hot tea using any combination that pleases your palate. Try a combination of grated ginger, cinnamon sticks, crushed fennel seeds and orange peel in the cooler months, and mint, hibiscus, cardamom and saffron in the warmer months.

4. Garnish, Generously

Colorful, flavorful garnishes can immediately and drastically improve the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of a meal, all while making them a whole lot prettier. For breakfast and sweet treats, try sprinkling on a combination of bee pollen, cocoa nibs, grated citrus zest, freeze-dried berries, chopped nuts and edible fresh or dried flowers. For savory meals look to leafy herbs like cilantro, parsley and dill, avocado, sprouts, mild or spicy peppers, seeds like sunflower, hemp, or sesame and a squeeze of fresh citrus. Sweet potato nachos, as pictured above, create a beautiful blank canvas for you to create your own colorful garnish masterpiece. The combination of flavors, colors and textures make it completely mouth-watering.

5. Fiber at Every Meal

There are so many delicious, colorful fiber-rich foods to choose from that you will surely have fun reaching this goal. Try to include at least one of the following on your plate at every meal: fruit and vegetables (yes, potatoes count!); whole grains, wild, black or brown rice; nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas; and fresh herbs and spices. A 2018 review from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrates that a high-fiber diet has the potential to lower the risk of developing certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. Fiber also feeds the beneficial gut bacteria in our microbiome, which may support a healthy digestive tract according to a 2018 study in the journal ScienceDirect.

6. Add Tomato Products

When in season, a fresh, vine-ripened tomato warmed by the summer sun is truly an experience of flavor. Luckily for us, tomatoes are harvested at peak freshness and processed into a variety of shelf-stable products that we can enjoy all year long. Tomatoes, especially canned, are rich in plant compounds that possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may be protective against cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders, according to a 2020 study in the journal Pharmacological Research. Absorption of these plant compounds, most notably the antioxidant lycopene, is enhanced with the addition of olive oil, so be sure to drizzle your next tomato-infused creation before digging in!

7. Diversify Your Protein

If you frequently find yourself hungry before mealtime, you may want to try increasing the amount of protein on your plate. Protein promotes the feeling of fullness more effectively than both carbohydrates and fat, and the effects of a high-protein meal can improve satiety for up to 24 hours, meaning less cravings and snacking in between meals. There are more protein options than ever before, and I want to invite you to diversify your sources! Opt for crispy pan-fried tempeh (as pictured above) or tofu in your next rice dish, add dry peas, lentils, or beans to your next pot of soup, use bone broth to cook your grains, choose steel-cut oats instead of instant, add nuts and seeds to your salads, and keep a variety of tinned fish on hand for a hearty addition to roasted vegetables (sardines), pasta sauce (anchovies), or whip up a batch of fish cakes (mackerel) or salmon burgers (salmon) when the refrigerator is looking bare. The options are endless! Don’t settle for the same protein every time — get curious and try something new.

8. Fill Up on Soup

Soups, stews and chilis are the perfect vehicle for increasing vegetable, bean, pea and lentil intake. And there is an unlimited bounty of recipe options to choose from. From creamy parsnip and chestnut in the winter to a brothy beet borscht with dill in the spring, all the way to a cooling cucumber gazpacho in the summer and a hearty sweet potato lentil chili in the fall, there is no reason to go soup-less in any season. In addition to helping you increase fiber and plant-based protein intake, soup also helps restore electrolytes, improves hydration and is typically gentle on the digestive system. Try to incorporate soup into your meal plan at least once a week.

9. Add a Serving of Nuts

Beyond lending flavor and crunch to your favorite meals and snacks, nuts also offer a quick and satisfying source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and other bioactive compounds that may positively impact health due to their antioxidant potential, according to a 2017 systematic review in the journal Nutrients. Although considered a high-calorie food, nut consumption does not contribute to weight gain, according to that same study, and alternatively may improve fat metabolism and boost satiety, or the feeling of fullness. Indulge simply by the handful or add your favorite nuts to salads, oatmeal, yogurt, baked goods, roasted vegetables or pasta. For a fun experiment, try buying the raw, unsalted variety and toast and season them to your liking using any combination of herbs and spices in your pantry.

10. Make Olive Oil Your Primary Oil

The Mediterranean diet is widely recognized in publications including the British Journal of Nutrition, for its positive impacts on health and longevity, and it continues to be ranked among experts, including Harvard Medical School, as one of the healthiest ways to eat. Olive oil is a significant component and the primary fat in the Mediterranean diet. And when it comes to wellness, no other cooking oils have quite the same research-backed reputation as olive oil according to European Food Safety Authority findings. The evidence in favor of olive oil's potential for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and heart health-supporting benefits is insurmountable, as outlined in a 2007 study in Pharmacological Research. Plus, it only takes 2 tablespoons of olive oil daily, say findings from the European Food Safety Authority, to reap the health benefits. From a culinary standpoint, olive oil’s light, occasionally peppery flavor also makes it an ideal base for homemade sauces, marinades and dressings, as well as a health-boosting swap for vegetable or canola oil in baked goods. Cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality and the least refined option available on the market.