Help with your New Year's Resolutions

Every New Year's Eve we make a handful of resolutions. It's no surprise that as "foodies" most of our aspirations are food-related- we want to eat more veggies, less cheese, more fish, less junk food. Many of you reached out to us for advice on how to keep your resolutions and we're happy to help with tips, recipes and more. According to this study, nearly 80% of people fail to keep their New Year's Resolutions. So, how do you keep yours?

First, write them down and sign the paper as a commitment contract. Somehow, writing things down helps etch them in our memory. And contracts make things more serious in a hurry. No one wants to get sued!

Second, to give your promises some teeth, pick a friend as a referee and set a penalty (money or social) for failing to keep them. Put it in your New Year's contract: If I fail to meet a milestone, I pay $20 or I have to show up at dinner in a chicken suit.

Third, set a specific time frame and small, manageable steps to get there. Don't say, "I'm going to drop a lot of weight" or "I'm going to lose 20 pounds in a month" because the first is unclear and the second is physically impossible. Instead, break it down to 5 pounds a month over 4 months.

Finally, make an action plan. For dieting, cut out specific foods or perhaps late night desserts & snacks. For healthier eating, say you're going to add a serving of vegetables at dinner each night or have a salad for lunch a couple times a week.

How can FoodPair help? Well, we recently launched Dietary Filters to make it easy for you to find recipes that fit your resolutions. We now have one-click filters for Low Carb, Low Fat, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets. For instance, if you want to start a Low Fat diet, we have nearly 50,000 recipes. From there, you can refine with your favorite ingredients or by course and recipe site. You can also use the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine to craft your own search if you're looking to eat more veggies for dinner or fresh fruit for snacks.

Overnight Oatmeal
Healthy eating begins with a hearty breakfast. Make this the night before.
Ingredients: Fresh Fruit, Rolled Oats, Chopped Nuts, Lemon Zest, Vanilla Extract, Agave Nectar, Lowfat Milk

Banana Breakfast Smoothie
Smoothies are a great breakfast option. This one is loaded with protein.
Ingredients: Honey, Banana, Nutmeg, Milk, Ice, Greek Yogurt

Chipotle Baked Fish
To eat more fish in 2012, start with this delicious & healthy recipe.
Ingredients: Cilantro, Lime, Catfish (or other white fish), Chipotle, Adobo, Salt, Yellow Onion

Mashed Cauliflower
To eat more veggies, give mashed cauliflower a try!
Ingredients: Olive Oil, Cauliflower, Black Pepper, Sea Salt

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Browned Butter
Roasting asparagus brings out great flavor; a touch of butter goes a long way.
Ingredients: Balsamic Vinegar, Asparagus, Butter, Salt, Black Pepper, Cooking Spray, Low Sodium Soy Sauce


With these tips and recipes you'll be well on your way to keeping your 2012 New Year's Resolutions!

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