New Year's Resolutions are a bit like eggs: easy to make, and easy to break.
Even in less eventful (read: crying quietly after your fifth Zoom call as you wonder if you’ll ever wear jeans or see your favorite coffee shop again) than 2020, we can wake on January 1st full of determination: organized closet, color-coded calendar, and “dry Veganuary” planned to welcome the new year.
Two weeks later, we’re often wondering why we invested in flashy new running shoes and an audiobook membership, picking the metaphorical eggshells out of our daily routines.
After a year of devastating losses, paralyzing uncertainty, cultural reckoning, and political chaos, it is tempting to set ambitious resolutions. Structure, self-care, and the feeling of doing some good in a hurting world is appealing! But the side of guilt that often accompanies curtailed goals? Not on the menu for 2021.
Here at Nutrition Without Borders, we advocate for fairly-produced food that is healthy for people and the planet, as well as delicious and memorable. This year, we encourage you to engage with those you love over tasty meals, learn more about the food system, and perhaps tweak the way you typically eat -- without reinventing the entire cheese wheel.
Below are 5 common food-related New Years Resolutions, along with alternative approaches to them that might be more sustainable, enjoyable, and effective.
#1 Veganuary
“Veganuary” began as a UK-based non-profit organization that encourages people to try a vegan diet for the month of January (and potentially, beyond). It has quickly taken on a life of its own, becoming a cultural norm with a broader definition (“Movember”, anyone?), with the New York Times dubbing it a “trendy new resolution”.
While eating more plants and fewer animal-based products has plenty of benefits (check out this podcast from NPR with guests from Harvard Medical School), it can feel overwhelming and lead to chickpea fatigue for the uninitiated.
Try this instead: Eating plant-based for dinners (bonus points if there are leftovers for the next day’s lunch!). One meal a day still packs a nutritional punch, builds confidence with new ingredients, and normalizes plant-based eating. Other ways to veggify your year are keeping a fruit bowl on the counter where you can see it, or signing up for a local CSA produce share.
#2 Order In Less
Remember the Banana Bread Boom in March? The Sourdough Surge in May?
… The buzzing notification that your burrito has been delivered from June-December?
While cooking at home can be relaxing, frugal, and nutritious, motivation may be low after so many months spent working and recreating from home.
Try this instead: Choose individually-owned restaurants within walking distance, and pick up your food yourself. Doing so supports local businesses that desperately need it, spares them from shouldering third-party cuts and delivery fees, and gets you out for some fresh air! What’s more, designating a meal or two to order in at the beginning of each week may make it easier to talk yourself into throwing some pasta on to boil tonight- knowing that udon and edamame is in your future tends to boost morale.
#3 Quit Sugar
The only thing more maligned by headlines than the latest politician’s tweet? Sugar.
Diseases, discomforts, and productivity dips can all be linked back to added sugar, but while cutting it out “cold turkey” might seem like a good idea, studies show that we don’t need to remove it entirely to be healthy. Drastic approaches to sugar are stressful (cue the rising cortisol and inflammation levels) and can lead to mental turmoil and disordered eating behaviors.
Try this instead: Focus on adding in, rather than taking out. Try to balance your meals with different textures and flavors, as well as protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. Eat consistently to avoid blood sugar crashes, and have enough to feel full and satisfied. When it comes to added sugar, choose low-GI alternatives like coconut sugar and agave nectar, and keep dark chocolate and fresh fruit on hand to satisfy sweet snack cravings. Feel like a bowl of ice cream? Grab a loved one, sit down, and enjoy it together. This “health” thing is a lifelong journey, not a 30-day race.
#4 Dry January
“Dryanuary” was popularized in the US by John Ore in 2006, and has been adopted as a national movement in the UK. The protocol is simple: no alcohol for the first 31 days of the year.
After a holiday season of mulled wine and eggnog at the tail end of a boozy, beleaguered year (online alcohol sales in March were up 262% from 2019), our livers might be ready for a breather. But abstaining from alcohol completely (if you regularly drink it) can lead to a binge-like mindset in February and contribute to cyclical dieting behaviors.
Try this instead: Focus on quality rather than quantity. Find wine and spirit stores near you that champion small-batch distilleries, and work with importers that specialize in low-intervention wine and cider making. Pair your drinks thoughtfully with food, or learn a new cocktail recipe that doesn’t rely on added sugar or fruit juices.
#5 Start Keto (or Paleo, WW, etc.)
Low carb? Low fat? Vegetarian, carnivore, or celery juice? The one thing all diets have in common is that they don’t work.
According to a study summarized by Harvard Medical School, the weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol benefits that were notable at six months after following one of 14 popular diets, had returned to their pre-diet levels by the one year mark.
Instead of risking hormone dysregulation, psychological well-being, weight cycling, digestion issues, and plain old boredom, reject fad diets this year and focus on making small changes to your existing habits.
Try this instead: Socially distance from recipes pretending that cauliflower is the same as pizza crust (it can be a fun crispy cruciferous base for toppings, but it’s not bread). Opt for whole grains like quinoa, barley, and brown rice, increase your legume intake, drink more water and throw most meals onto a bed of greens. Source your proteins with care, prioritize fruit and vegetable diversity, and make meals you actually enjoy eating.
This year, we all got a little scrambled.
Thankfully, we can pull up a chair, grab the salt and pepper, and look forward to brighter mornings ahead.
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