Choosing A New Year Diet: What To Consider

With the new year comes the temptation to overhaul your diet and eating habits. But before you embark on a new regime, it's worth considering a few things. Firstly, is it sustainable? Does it fit your budget and lifestyle? Secondly, is it healthy? A balanced diet includes a mix of staple foods, legumes, fruit and vegetables, and foods from animal sources. It's also important to remember that food is fuel and that you don't need to cut out entire food groups or restrict yourself. Instead, practice mindful eating and savour your food.

Opt for real foods like dried fruits and nuts

When choosing a New Year's diet plan, it's important to opt for real foods like dried fruits and nuts. Packaged foods with ingredients you can pronounce are also a good option. This approach can help you feel good about sticking to your healthy eating plan and remove the stress of diets and restrictions.

Choosing meals made from basic ingredients tends to be healthier than ultra-processed foods high in salt, saturated fat and sugar. It's also important to be mindful of your eating habits. Savour the flavours and aromas of your food, and eat slowly. This way, you'll get the most enjoyment and satisfaction from the initial few mouthfuls of a dish.

In addition, a healthy diet includes a mix of staple foods such as wheat, maize, rice and potatoes, as well as legumes like lentils and beans. Wholegrain foods like unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice are rich in fibre and can help you feel full for longer. For snacks, choose raw vegetables, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit instead of sugary, fatty or salty foods.

Finally, a healthy eating plan should incorporate the appropriate amount of each nutrient – protein, fat, fibre, etc. – rather than cutting out an entire food group. This approach will help you achieve a balanced diet and get closer to your goals.

Choose wholegrain foods

When choosing a new year's diet plan, it's important to consider your goals, budget, and time constraints. A sustainable and achievable food plan is one that fits your financial and time budget. For example, if you like to go out for dinner a few times a week, choosing intermittent fasting with an eight-hour eating window may not be feasible.

It's also crucial to focus on real, fresh foods and avoid ultra-processed options high in salt, saturated fat, and sugar. Opt for whole grains such as unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice, which are rich in valuable fibre and can help you feel full for longer. Choose wholegrain foods as part of a balanced diet that includes a mix of staple foods, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, and foods from animal sources.

• Wholegrain foods are rich in valuable fibre, which aids digestion and can help lower cholesterol levels. Fibre also helps you feel full for longer, making it easier to manage your weight.
• Unprocessed wholegrains like maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates, providing your body with sustained energy throughout the day.
• Wholegrains are often packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc. These nutrients support overall health and well-being.
• By choosing wholegrain foods, you'll also benefit from the presence of antioxidants, which help protect your body from damage caused by free radicals.
• Some wholegrains, such as oats, contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre that has been linked to improved heart health and lower cholesterol levels.

Incorporating wholegrain foods into your diet is a healthy choice that can offer numerous benefits. Remember to vary your diet and include a range of nutritious foods to ensure you're getting all the necessary nutrients.

Practice mindful eating

When choosing a new year's diet plan, it's important to consider what is sustainable, achievable, nutritious and enjoyable. A food plan is sustainable if it fits your financial and time budget. For example, if you like to go out for dinner a few times a week, choosing intermittent fasting with an eight-hour eating window may not be the best option for you.

It's also important to remember that food is fuel and that you should consume it intentionally. This means incorporating the appropriate amount of each nutrient – protein, fat, fibre, etc. – into your healthy eating plan rather than cutting out an entire food group. For example, carbs are not your enemy – your body uses carbohydrates for energy and you need them as part of a balanced diet.

One way to practice mindful eating is to opt for meals made from basic ingredients. This tends to be much healthier than choosing ultra-processed foods high in salt, saturated fat and sugar. When you do eat, opt for small portions, eat slowly and really savour the flavours and aromas. You get most enjoyment and satisfaction from the initial few mouthfuls of a dish and less satisfaction as you continue to eat.

Finally, be kind to yourself. Nobody has a perfect diet all the time and the occasional slip-up is unlikely to make a difference to your health. So don't be too hard on yourself if you don't always stick to your plan.

Be kind to yourself

It's important to be kind to yourself when choosing a New Year's diet plan. Nobody has a perfect diet all the time, and the occasional slip-up is unlikely to make a difference to your health. So, don't be too hard on yourself if you don't always stick to your plan.

Instead of cutting out entire food groups, work to incorporate the appropriate amount of each nutrient – protein, fat, fibre, etc. – into your healthy eating plan. This will get you closer to your goals than labelling foods as "good" or "bad".

Choose wholegrain foods like unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice when you can; they are rich in valuable fibre and can help you feel full for longer. For snacks, choose raw vegetables, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit, rather than foods that are high in sugars, fats or salt.

Remember: food is fuel. Consume it intentionally and leave the stress of diets and restrictions behind.

Make sure your food plan is sustainable

When choosing a New Year's diet plan, it's important to make sure your food plan is sustainable. This means considering your financial and time budget. For example, buying expensive drinks or opting for home food delivery might not be financially sustainable for you. Similarly, choosing a diet plan that requires intermittent fasting with an eight-hour eating window might not be feasible if you regularly eat dinner out with friends.

It's also important to remember that food is fuel. Rather than cutting out entire food groups or labelling foods as 'good' or 'bad', focus on incorporating a balance of nutrients – protein, fat, fibre, etc. – into your diet. This might mean opting for meals made from basic ingredients, which tend to be healthier than ultra-processed foods high in salt, saturated fat and sugar.

In your daily diet, aim to eat a mix of staple foods such as wheat, maize, rice and potatoes with legumes like lentils and beans, plenty of fresh fruit and veg, and foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk). Choose wholegrain foods like unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice when you can; they are rich in valuable fibre and can help you feel full for longer.

It's also important to be kind to yourself. Nobody has a perfect diet all the time, and the occasional slip-up is unlikely to make a difference to your health. So, don't be too hard on yourself if you don't always stick to your plan. Instead, practice mindful eating. We get most enjoyment and satisfaction from the initial few mouthfuls of a dish, so opt for small portions, eat slowly and really savour the flavours and aromas.

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