- Set realistic goals for yourself
Come up with resolutions and goals that are realistic and achievable — ones you feel good about. Try not to choose resolutions or set goals that are rooted in guilt or pressure from external sources.
- Set positive “addition goals” for yourself
Set positive “addition goals” instead of “subtraction goals.” Rather than focusing on what you want to remove from your diet (enter feelings of depravation!), try focussing on what you can add to improve your nutrition (e.g. adding a high fibre breakfast to your day or increasing your water intake)
- Start small and build upon your success
Small incremental successes that you can build upon are more achievable and often more sustainable. For example, if your goal is to increase your vegetable intake, try introducing a new vegetable or one new vegetarian or plant-based recipe each week, rather than trying to overhaul all of your meals at once.
- Practice mindful and intuitive eating
Are you sitting down to eat with minimal distractions? Are you truly enjoying the taste of your food? Are you listening to your body so you're eating when hungry and stopping when full? Keeping simple questions like this in mind when you’re eating, or planning to eat, can play a valuable role in developing healthier eating habits.
- Have a game plan for the week
One key tip for not falling back into unhealthy habits is to make sure you have healthy options ready when needed. Whether this includes meal planning and prepping on the weekend, or having healthy grab-and-go snacks ready for work, taking the guesswork (and the rush) out of the equation can help reduce the temptation to grab takeout or less nutritious choices.
- Be kind to yourself
If you're not reaching your goals as quickly or as easily as you hoped and planned, remember that everyone's health journey is different and it's more important to establish sustainable, long-lasting healthy habits rather than short-lived or quick results.
- Think progress, not perfection
Remember the goal you’re trying to achieve — to develop healthier eating habits. If your efforts are resulting in you eating more healthy food and less unhealthy food, that’s a victory you should recognize. Expecting too much of yourself too quickly can be discouraging and lead to a decrease in efforts to improve.
- Ditch the all-or-nothing mentality
Some days are better than others when it comes to healthy habits and that's ok! Don’t beat yourself up if you fall off track. Remember your end goal and stay positive. Tomorrow’s a new day!
Following our dietitians’ tips can be a start to a healthier you. Just remember you’re not alone and there are resources out there to help you on your journey.
If you’d like more tips on how to support your nutrition goals from registered dietitians, try visiting UnlockFood.ca by Dietitians of Canada.