Start the Year Right with Healthy Eating Goals
Commit to better nutrition this year with a low carb lifestyle
Have you ever made a resolution on New Year’s Eve that never came to fruition? If you’re anything like us, it may have happened once or twice, but this year is going to be different. Find out how easy it is to set a goal for healthy eating you can really stick to!
This time of year has us all reflecting on the events which filled our days over the past 12 months, as well as looking forward to new experiences yet to come. As we do this, thoughts of different resolutions for the New Year may start to pop into your head. This year, we encourage you to make a plan for a positive change in your life, but in a way that will be achievable, easy, and impactful. What better way to do this than with some simple improvements to nutrition? Join us as we share the keys to making achievable New Year’s healthy eating goals with the low carb lifestyle!
Setting Sensible New Year’s Health Goals
The trick to success with any New Year’s resolution is creating a plan that’s easy to follow. If it’s too much change all at one time, it can be difficult to maintain progress once the feelings of excitement wear off. To help formulate a healthy eating low carb plan for the new year that works, it’s best to break it into smaller pieces that are clear and straightforward. Here’s an example of what we mean.
Get Started with Simple Substitutions
Making any dietary change may seem like a big disruption to your daily life, but when it comes to eating low carb, it’s incredibly simple to get started. When you look at the biggest sources of carbs in the typical North American diet, you see many common food items like bread, noodles, cereals, candy, potatoes, rice, tortillas, and snacks. Some people who are just learning about low carb eating for the first time often assume that you’ll need to completely cut these foods out of your diet. The truth is, that’s not the case at all. In fact, all of those foods can be easily substituted with a wide variety of different low carb food options.
Certain common products, such as sliced bread, tortillas, snack chips, crackers, noodles, and candies can all be swapped out with low carb versions without missing a beat. Manufacturers of these food products have absolutely nailed the great taste and texture of these foods, while simultaneously reducing carb counts and boosting nutritional value. You’d be amazed at how many carbs you can cut from your daily meal plan simply by swapping out regular grocery store items for their low carb counterparts.
For other foods, like starchy vegetables, noodle side dishes, or desserts, there are also many ways to reduce the amount of carbs. For example, potatoes are used in countless different recipes, but are very high in carbs. Fortunately, you can make substitute mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower, turnip or rutabaga for healthier alternatives that are quite delicious! Noodle side dishes can be made using a packaged low carb noodle instead of a regular wheat flour version, or you can use spiraled zucchini noodles for an even healthier and more nutritious side. Desserts are also easy to make using low carb and low sugar ingredients. Sugar substitutes, sugar-free chocolate, sugar-free flavour syrups, and many other ingredients are widely available right here at The Low Carb Grocery!
One way to kick off your resolution in an easy way is to choose a few high-carb foods that you use on a regular basis and swap them out for a healthier option. Once you’ve seen for yourself how well this can work, you’ll find it a lot easier to make other smart substitutions in your diet to improve overall nutrition and cut out more carbs.
Explore New Cuisine & Unique Regional Foods
Choosing to live a healthier life through nutrition opens the door to a diverse range of culinary experiences that you may not have otherwise considered. There are so many incredible dishes that are high in protein, low in carbs, and very nutritious that can be found in different cuisines from around the world. Making the move to a low carb lifestyle can be the inspiration you need to explore new flavours and recipes. In fact, we’ve created many recipe compilations right here at The Low Carb Grocery that you can check out! Here are a few of our favourites…
- Korean Cooking – Low Carb & Keto Friendly
- Delicious Low Carb African Recipes
- South American Low Carb Recipe Ideas
- Irish Food the Low Carb Way
- Tips for the Best Low Carb Tacos and Burritos
This is just the tip of the iceberg! There are also all kinds of themed recipes and seasonal dishes that can be made using healthy, nutritious, and delicious low carb ingredients. Take some time and browse around the many articles here on the Low Carb Lifestyle blog and you’ll see exactly what we mean! Make a plan to incorporate a few new dishes each week to continue your healthy eating progress and discover the wonderful flavours that await you. Once you get started, you’ll be eager to keep going.
The Benefits of ‘Soft Goals’ vs ‘Hard Goals’
A common pitfall that many people encounter when it comes to making goals or resolutions for the new year is fixating too much on a specific number, or ‘hard goal’. Ex: “I’m going to lose x amount of weight by MARCH!” Often, it’s far easier to stay on track and achieve a noticeable improvement by setting a ‘soft goal’ that’s not so definitive. Ex: “I’m going to replace starchy side dishes with more vegetables this month.” This where many people find the biggest difference for themselves in setting achievable goals.
Remember, your health is not a short-term play where you’re all done when you’ve lost 10 pounds. It’s a marathon where the most significant improvements can come by making small adjustments continually throughout the year. Eating more vegetables, walking more, getting better sleep, taking time for stress relief, and connecting more with family & friends are all simple, achievable goals that can add up to a substantial positive effect on your health and well-being.
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Stay on Track, Keep Progressing, and Never Stop Learning
Better health through nutrition is waiting for you. You just need to take the first step forward and start heading down that path. The low carb lifestyle has helped countless people achieve their health goals and discover a wide world of nutritious foods and delicious recipes. One thing we’d always encourage you to do is always make an effort to learn more. Whether it’s experimenting with healthy new ingredients, trying out an exotic cuisine, or simply making smarter choices when shopping for groceries, there’s always new tricks to learn.
Here at The Low Carb Grocery, we’ve been committed to helping our customers make healthier choices in the products they purchase and the foods they eat through our expansive archive of valuable blog articles. For many years, we’ve been a trusted resource for low carb advice, tasty recipes, new product insights, seasonal cooking ideas, and so much more. As you formulate your plan for a healthier body in the new year, read up on all the fascinating aspects of the low carb lifestyle that make it such a popular and effective method in improving overall health and well-being.
And with that, we wish you all the best in your journey towards a new you in the New Year! Cheers!
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