Start the New Year with confidence using these top 8 dietitian-approved nutrition tips. This expert guide offers science-based advice on managing diet trends, setting realistic resolutions, and building healthy habits—without fads or misinformation.
Top 8 Dietitian Tips + Recipes for the New Year (Science-Based Nutrition Advice That Actually Works)
The New Year often brings a flood of diet trends, bold promises, and conflicting nutrition advice—much of it unrealistic or unsupported by science. That’s why this guide to Top Dietitian Tips for the New Year focuses on balanced, evidence-based strategies that help you feel your best without restriction, guilt, or quick fixes. Drawing on insights from registered dietitians and nutrition experts, this blog offers practical guidance for navigating New Year’s resolutions, evaluating popular diet trends, and building sustainable eating habits that last well beyond January. If you’re looking for clear, trustworthy nutrition advice rooted in science—not fads—these expert tips will help you start the year feeling informed, empowered, and nourished.
With the coming of a new year, our thoughts often go to goals for health and fitness. But before you buy into the latest diet fad, keep it real by focusing on healthful, sustainable diet changes. What that means is diet changes that you can make as part of your overall lifestyle for the long-term. Fad diets that are so miserable you can’t wait to go off them are the opposite of sustainable diet changes. Instead, focus on catching on to a healthy habit or two in order to build a balanced lifestyle that supports overall good health. With that in mind, I asked some of my favorite registered dietitian nutritionists to weigh in on their favorite tips for habit stacking your goals for health in order to kick off the New Year. Happy New Year!
Eat and Live Goodness,
Sharon
Top 8 Dietitian Tips for the New Year
1. Make Sustainable Goals for Health
As the New Year starts, be mindful of diet fads and trends online, which are often lacking scientific evidence and can rob your health over the longer term. Instead, make some realistic goals for healthy eating and exercise that work with your life, and then do some planning. “Take a minute to sit down and look at your schedule. When are the best times that you can fit in meal planning and exercise? Go ahead and schedule times when they work best for you. Having something on the calendar will make it part of your routine. If it’s inconvenient then you likely won’t stick with it, so be realistic with your planning,” says Samara Abbott, RDN, G&G Nutrition Co. “Walk through your day and think about what needs to happen for you to achieve your goal. By doing this, you’ll have more strategies to support your success,” says Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RDN, Go Wellness.
2. Find Support
Once you create some realistic goals for health, it’s super helpful to enlist a buddy with similar health goals. “Whether it’s a family member, co-worker, or friend, find someone, like a workout buddy or someone to exchange recipe ideas with, to help make lifestyle changes more fun and to share successes and challenges with!” says Chef Julie Andrews, MS, RDN, CD.
3. Love Yourself
Instead of focusing on guilt or shame related to your health goals, focus on self-love. “Make healthier lifestyle choices, such as food, exercise, and managing stress, because you want to do something good for yourself, not as punishment,” says Stacy Lewis, MS, RDN, LD. “Begin to see exercise as a way to improve sleep and mood, become stronger, and prevent disease. Set small, manageable goals, such as including a vegetable at each meal instead of restricting foods and enjoying cooking and sharing meals,” says Kim Melton, RD at Nutrition Pro Consulting. “Take time in the day to walk away, clear the head, and do some deep breathing. Allowing time to wind down at the end of the day so it’s not just going from working on the computer straight to bed. And most importantly, making sleep a priority. Remember–if you don’t take care of yourself, who will?” says Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT.
4. Go Plant-Based Once a Week (or More)
One easy way to focus on health is to eat more plant-based meals during the week that focus on beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. You’ll fit in more healthful foods, plus reduce your intake of saturated fat and sodium. “Once a week try a completely plant-based meal and add more spices to your meals to add flavor and health benefits,” says Gauri Junnarkar, MS, RD, LD, CDE, BAMS, LMT, AyurNutrition.
5. Elevate Food
It’s easy to have an antagonistic relationship with food as it relates to our bodies and health goals. However, learning to feel peace and gratitude around eating rituals can result in a more mindful relationship with food, which carries so much cultural and societal value beyond mere nutrition. “Elevate food to the level of respect it deserves. Make the time every day to savor it and appreciate it daily,” says Amanda Archibald, RD, The Genomic Kitchen.
6. Think Positive
It’s easy to focus on all of the things you should cut out of your diet, which can lead to feelings of deprivation. However, a more positive approach is to focus on what you’d like to include more of in your healthy diet. This can actually crowd out less healthful choices. “I always advise people to commit to one thing in their eating pattern that they should have more of, not less of. Rather than ‘I can’t have as much XYZ,’ it’s much less stressful focusing on ‘I should have another serving of fruit,’ or ‘another glass of water,’ or ‘fit protein into my snacks,’ or ‘try to eat more legumes.’ It also takes the focus off of less nutrient-dense foods without demonizing them or making you crave them,” says Kelly Jones, MS RD, CSSD.
7. Build in Fun
It’s not reasonable or sustainable to completely give up on all enjoyment in your diet. “Give up the notion of cheat days, which is very negative and definitely not empowering. Instead, treat yourself regularly to the foods you love. Learn to fit them in to your healthful eating pattern instead of ‘cheating’ with them. I’d much rather you eat a couple of squares of chocolate every single day than to gorge yourself once or twice a week and feel guilt or remorse. Give yourself permission to love the living daylights out of it. Then remind yourself that a little bit of fun food in an otherwise healthful diet is just fine. And you get to enjoy some more tomorrow,” says Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND.
8. Remember, Small Changes = Lasting Changes
It’s absolutely true that small steps can lead to big results. This is especially factual when it comes to diet and lifestyle changes. “Instead of overhauling everything at once, master one new behavior and then add on new ones. Instead of saying you’ll exercise every day, start with one or two times a week for a few weeks. Put it in your calendar like any other appointment!” says Dr. Felicia D. Stoler.
Discover More Nutrition Tips & Healthy Recipes for the New Year!
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5 Tips for Going Vegan for Veganuary
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40 Best Plant-Based Bowl Meals
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20 One Dish Plant Based Meals Under 500 Calories
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Main Image: Sesame Tempeh Grain Bowl
