It\u2019s the third week of January. Where are your new year\u2019s resolutions? Are you on track exactly following your plan? Maybe you\u2019re losing steam? Or maybe, like a lot of people, you have completely let them go. When our goals aren\u2019t \u201cSMART,\u201d we struggle to succeed.<\/p>\n
Make your resolutions or goals SMART. This means that they are Specific, Measurable, Action oriented, Realistic and Timed. We can change the goal of, \u201cI\u2019m going to eat healthy,\u201d to \u201cI\u2019m going to eat at least one serving of vegetables at lunch five days per week for the next two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to think through what is realistic for you. If you are someone who doesn\u2019t consume any vegetables at lunch, this may be too big of a jump for you and changing the goal to one serving three days per week may be a better fit.<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t quite meet your goal as planned? Scale back a little. Felt like your goal was easy to meet? Make it harder and set your new goal. Any time of year is a good time to make a SMART goal, so even if you\u2019ve let go of your New Year\u2019s resolution, today is a great day to make a change to promote healthy habits in your life.<\/p>\n
Below you\u2019ll find a 10-minute video by VA\u2019s Healthy Teaching Kitchen with tips on meal planning and prep. While watching, think about small changes you can benefit from. Maybe it\u2019s weekly meal planning, writing grocery lists or meal prep. Small changes, one at a time, are the easiest to stick to and build on long term.<\/p>\n