A few Mediterranean Diet Inspired goals for the New Year if you are looking to start this healthy lifestyle or continue your journey in 2020.
Celebrating the New Year with Good Health
A few days ago, I shared some of my goals related to The Domestic Dietitian website and business. However, I thought it might be helpful to share some goals that fit into creating a more Mediterranean Diet inspired lifestyle for anyone looking to start their journey towards better health in the New Year.
These are just ideas and suggestions, if you do set goals for yourself this New Year, I recommend finding ones that fit into your lifestyle and work for you rather than against you. You have to customize them to fit your life and personal goals since everyone is different.
I shared a few tips in this post on Setting Lifestyle Goals that might help you create some achievable goals rather than setting yourself up for disappointment.
Mediterranean Diet Inspired Goals
Remember that everyone has a different lifestyle, different needs and therefore their goals will be a bit different.
These are just suggestions related to The Mediterranean Diet Guidelines…
#1 – Eat More Vegetables
This is always my number one tip or piece of advice. The majority of us can use a lot more vegetables in our diets.
Take an honest look at how many vegetables you eat in a single day on average. Is it just one serving? two? Take whatever your starting point is and double it…there’s your starting goal.
- Think of a way to get at least one vegetable serving at EVERY meal, even breakfast
- Add some spinach to your morning scrambled eggs
- Throw some greens into your morning smoothie
- Make a sweet potato and red pepper hash for breakfast
- Increase the veggies on your sandwich at lunch by including sliced cucumber, sprouts, and arugula
- Have a big bowl of chopped salad in the fridge ready to accompany your lunch or dinner during the week. Toss is some carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, artichokes, celery, spinach, kale, squash, etc
- Make veggies the star of your dinner and treat everything else as a side dish
#2 – Drink More Water
This is especially an important goal if you are increasing your vegetable intake. Veggies give us fiber that can help with digestion, blood pressure and cholesterol. However, if we aren’t increasing our water as we increase our fiber intake, our body can get backed up.
Take a water bottle with you everywhere or set an alarm on your phone to remind you throughout the day to fill a glass. Once you get used to drinking water during the day you’ll discover it becomes easier to get your daily recommendation.
#3 – Add Nuts & Seeds to your Meals
Nuts and seeds are a big part of The Mediterranean Diet and for good reason. In addition to adding lots of flavor and texture to many dishes, they offer up a healthy source of fat and a bit of protein.
- Sprinkle a few unsalted sunflower seeds or slivered almonds on top of your salad for extra crunch and flavor
- Make your own trail mix using almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc
- Top grilled fish or chicken with chopped almonds or pistachios for a delicious crunchy crust that’s packed with nutrients and flavor
- Add chia seeds to smoothies or oatmeal for protein and omega 3 fatty acids
#4 – Aim for Seafood Twice A Week
If you eat fish, aim to try and incorporate into your meals twice a week. If you are new to seafood, check out these tips and health benefits of fish for ideas and cooking suggestions.
- Canned tuna can make a great ingredient for grab and go lunches
- Replace one red meat meal during the week with tender, flaky salmon
- Find a new seafood recipe using a fish you’ve never had and give it a try
- Smoked Salmon makes a great breakfast addition, like these Mini Lox Roll Ups
- For even more great recipe ideas, check out these 55 Healthy Fish & Seafood recipes
#5 – Make More Meals At Home
In addition to the ingredients we use, the Mediterranean Diet & Lifestyle also focuses on rediscovering the joy of cooking.
Find a day you have some time and pick a new recipe to try out at home. You could even make it a family affair and get your partner, kids or even friends involved in the fun.
It doesn’t have to be anything complicated, it can be simple but should be fun.
#6 – Go Meatless Once a Week
My family and I joined the Meatless Monday Movement awhile back and it’s been so fun to try new vegetarian dishes. Some have been hits and others not so much, but that’s how you learn what you like and what to skip.
Most of the time, no one even notices that we aren’t having any meat or chicken in our meal. It’s also helped our grocery budget tremendously as typically the meals cost less per serving than one containing meat.
A few tips for trying meatless meals if you aren’t use to them…
- Make sure the meal is hearty enough to be filling and not just a plate of vegetables. Beans, legumes and mushrooms are great ways to add a lot of fullness to a meal without needing meat
- Find recipes that are full of flavor and resemble something you already enjoy like pasta or casseroles
- Don’t give up if you find a meal you don’t enjoy, just keep trying
Some of my favorite vegetarian dishes includes –
- One Skillet Gnocchi that’s loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed spinach and garlic
- Baked Eggplant Parmesan – a family favorite!
- These Stuffed Peppers from Half Baked Harvest
#7 – Find the Fun in Physical Activity
Instead of viewing the idea of trying to be physically active every day as a chore, viewing it as a positive can drastically change your mindset.
Incorporating fun, daily activities that you actually look forward to instead of forcing yourself to “get to the gym 3 days a week” can instantly change your mood.
For example, having a goal of taking a family walk after dinner or blasting your favorite song and dancing around the living room for 15 minutes is a much more enjoyable goal than “run a mile every day”, especially if you don’t like running a mile!
The more you view physical activity as a celebration of what your body can do or an activity you enjoy, the more you’ll stick with it and be willing to find the time to fit it into your life.
#8 – Share the Joy
This is probably one of my favorite parts of The Mediterranean Lifestyle….sharing the joy. This can mean different things for different people but some of my thoughts include –
- Share a meal with others and just revel in the laughter and love that comes from gathering around the table with others
- Share a new healthy recipe you love with a neighbor or coworker
- Don’t be afraid to share your new found love of The Mediterranean Diet with others. I used to be afraid to bring a “healthy” dish to potlucks or parties because I felt like maybe other people didn’t want to feel like they had to eat healthy. Instead, people always appreciated and enjoyed the healthier options
- Find 10 minutes to sit down and enjoy your cup of coffee or afternoon snack break instead of trying to multitask and get as much done as fast as you can
- Invite a neighbor to join you on a morning walk or ask a co-worker to join you on a quick walk around the walk after lunch
- Invite a friend over to meal prep some dishes with you over the weekend. It’s a fun way to foster friendships while setting yourself up with some healthy dishes for the week to come
