Some of the most common resolutions made in the New Year are about health. Almost 70 per cent of consumers surveyed by Nielsen in 2015 had made resolutions focused on staying fit, healthy, and svelte.

Of course, the most commonly broken and failed resolutions are also those about health. Perhaps this is not surprising. How many times have you vowed to go to the gym every day or quit your long-term relationship with coffee and given up a month into the new year?

Excited to take on a new self in the new year, many people will make unrealistic and extreme resolutions and then feel discouraged when they can’t deliver.  It can be daunting to keep resolutions that make too big of a jump from your current everyday.

If health is on your priority list for 2016, take the approach of setting small, attainable goals instead of overwhelming ones and you will be far more likely to find success. To help you on your road to being the best you this year, here are four realistic resolutions that can easily be incorporated into everyday life.

1. Embrace the Whole Grain

This year, ditch refined flours and foods and aim to eat whole grains. Refined grains are not only lacking in nutrients, but they can actually harm your body as well. In refining grains, their fibre is removed, rendering them as simple carbohydrates, which can spike blood sugar and leave you craving more in a short time. In their whole form, grains are full of fibre and rich in B vitamins.

To make this resolution easy to adopt:

Swap out white rice for brown or wild rice in sushi, stir-fries, and curries.

Keep barley, millet, or quinoa cooked, in the fridge, and ready to be added to meals.

2. Eat More Vegetables

Many health resolutions normally focus on depriving yourself of something: sugar, fast food, TV. This one is the opposite – it’s something to enjoy more of. Experiment with new vegetables and new ways of preparing them to get different flavours and nutrients into your diet.

To make this resolution easy to adopt:

Keep pre-cut vegetables in your fridge so that you can easily throw them into dishes.

Try eating vegetables raw for a different texture, freshness, and taste – zucchini noodles are amazing.

3. Brown Bag It

Bring your own lunch to work. This will save you the money, calories, and unhealthy food choices that tend to accompany eating out. Factor lunches into your weekly meal planning and preparing so that you’re ready to go without a fuss in the morning.

To make this resolution easy to adopt:

Make a large batch of a healthy recipe one evening or on the weekend and freeze it in easy to grab portions for lunch.

Organize a soup swap with your friends so that you won’t feel like you’re compromising on being social and having fun to make food.

4. Adopt a Healthy Dessert Habit

Giving up sweets and treats for good is not a resolution many people will be able to keep for long.  So instead, swap out the junky treats for healthy versions that have all the delicious flavour without all the refined ingredients or unhealthy additives.

To make this resolution easy to adopt:

Check out Pinterest or Google for some recipes.

Don’t get stuck trying to make healthier versions of cookies and cupcakes. While it’s possible to do so, it is far more fun and much simpler to realize that there is a whole new world of desserts you have never heard of. Experiment with frozen fruit ice cream, chia seed pudding, avocado mousse and almond cacao truffles.

Whatever your resolutions are for 2016, remember to keep them realistic and achievable and don’t beat yourself up if you slip up here and there. Keeping up a habit for 365 days is challenging, so aim for most of the time rather than all of the time.

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