Happy New Year! Happy New … Diet?

It's nearly the New Year, and many people set themselves New Year's resolutions to help guide them into building new healthy habits. These healthy resolutions often include eating healthier.

There's just one problem; most people don't stick to them!

In fact, YouGov reports that only about 25% of people stick to their New Year's resolutions.

We want you to join the elite 25% who stick to their new year's resolution, so we've made a list of our New Year's tips to help you sticks to your new lifestyle.

Stock a Pantry

Our first tip is to stock up on some pantry staples. Having a well-stocked pantry has been a significant life-hack this year during the first lockdown, and both for the environment and your wallet.

A well-stocked pantry contains at least some grains, flour, oil, vinegar, tinned foods, salts and spices, and nuts and seeds. Having these basic pantry staples in your home makes it less likely that you order unhealthy foods.

Using the pantry staples as a foundation, you always have a tasty, healthy meal within reach and you reduce your chances of slipping up and buying that cheeky take-away that you are keen to leave back in 2020. Even if you suddenly crave sweet or unhealthy foods, you could whip up homemade cookies or pancakes in minutes as you already have most ingredients in!

A Step-by-Step Change in Diet

Going "cold turkey" before you've finished the leftover cold Christmas turkey is an ill-advised decision.

A reason many people give up on healthy lifestyle resolutions is that the changes are overwhelming. To prevent this, we suggest a step-by-step change in your diet and lifestyle. If you want a healthier diet, have a look at your current diet, and choose a few things a week that you are going to cut out or substitute. This means the changes are small enough not to overwhelm, but over several months the changes will seem huge!

In a diet, this could mean anything from cutting out chocolate for carob to substituting white rice to whole grain brown rice. Don't be afraid of new foods, as you may be really surprised at how tasty a healthy meal can be!

Focus on Flavour

Nutrients are essential, but very few people can stick to a diet that lacks flavour.

We've all been there; we try to make a conscious effort to eat healthier, eat three bland salads, decide that healthy food is for rabbits, and give up. When people start their healthy lifestyle journeys, they neglect the flavour of nutrition.

Investing in herbs and spices (honestly, £10 goes a long way) is a great start. When you have a few basic spices, watch a few Youtube videos during your commute and learn how to combine spices to up your game. Quick tips:

- Lemon juice is a great flavour booster in most meals.

- Using kosher salt (sea salt flakes) adds something. Trust us.

- Marinating meat and then freezing it means you have flavourful meals that you need to pop in the oven or pan whenever you need them.

In Short

It is achievable to make New Year's resolutions and to stick to them. Make the New Year's resolutions achievable and manageable, and you can get started. Planning is key, so why not order some pantry staples and download some new healthy recipes now? This means you can hit the ground running on January 1st and in a year you will be able to look back on a year where you achieved all those New Year's goals!