Skip the resolutions!

Instead of a New Years Resolution, which a large percent of us never keep, why not make a New Year Adventure?  Most people want to eat healthier, but they don’t know where to begin.  Start 2017 with an adventure…an adventure to find and explore new, healthier choices. I’m always on the look out for healthier options.  And, I have found amazing new things to eat that I absolutely love and are good for me!

Your New Year Food Adventure!

The idea is simple: discover and try new-to-you fruits and veggies or healthier versions of foods you love. As you try new whole foods, you’ll find some you love and some you won’t, but that is ok, since you’ll be trying new flavors. And with each new flavor, I’m hoping you’ll start to adopt an eager and adventurous “food attitude,” helping you enjoy and benefit from food for your lifetime!

Remember this is a no-worries adventure! Just jump in and try these helpful suggestions.

Each month:

Peruse the produce! Look for new colors and shapes. What don’t you recognize? Are there new seasonal items? Pick it up. Feel it. What’s it called? Maybe ask the produce staff about it, or look it up on your cell phone. For example, one new vegetable that I introduced into my diet is kohlrabi. If you haven’t tried this amazing veggie, you’re in for a treat. It’s a cruciferous vegetable packed with health benefits. I now grow them in my garden! What new vegetable can you try this month?

Try a new recipe. Take home that new find—and eat it! Be adventurous and look up a few instructions for prepping the produce you chose. While you want some insight, so you don’t inadvertently destroy a quality piece of fruit or veg, you do want to learn to use your “food” intuition and experience a new food without anyone’s bias.

Also, if you make a point (habit!) to peruse, pick and prepare produce, you’ll be more likely to do it. I would suggest that you either add the new item to a meal or enjoy it as part of a snack, and repeat that approach each month.

Pick healthier versions of your favorite foods. In addition to new fruits and veggies, try better-for-you options of the foods you love. For example, there are many people still hooked on soda. That sweet, fizzy drink can be quite addictive! For others, it is chips and crackers that get them into trouble. Gotta have the salt! Whatever your vise, I bet you can find a better version of it.

• Instead of going to the same grocery isle, travel the health food isle (or one with similar foods).
• Ask someone at the store if they know of a better alternative to “blank” (fill in your favorite food) You would be surprised at how helpful people in your store can be.

For me, I like crackers and chips.  Yes, it’s true.  However, I have found much healthier alternatives that I can eat and don’t feel like I’m sabotaging myself. Recently I found a Paleo cracker that I just love.  Its made with whole foods, nuts and seeds and I don’t feel bad eating them.

Now, share and enjoy a whole year of food adventures …

Invite others to taste the fun!

Share your adventure and ask your family or friends to participate.

• If you have kids (big or small), ask them to help you peruse, pick, and/or prepare. Add to the experience; make a video together and share your experience on Facebook. Or, record your “findings” in a food journal, rating each item together and as individuals.
• Maybe you have some good friends you’d like to see more! Gather for a taste-testing each month. Everyone can bring their newly discovered produce or healthier favorite food with enough to share … either as part of a dish or all by itself.

No matter your approach, make it your own! I hope you’ll have fun sharing and experiencing fresh food with family and friends—and learning to love whole foods. Happy New Year to you!