Each January, people around the world ring in the New Year with renewed optimism and motivation. We make resolutions that promise changes in health habits and attitudes, hoping to better ourselves and the world around us.
This year, instead of a strict, difficult resolution like an extreme diet or exercise plan, add a good food resolution to your list. Good food resolutions are small changes and new experiences that will help you, your loved ones and your community lead healthier, happier lives in 2016.
Try one of these good food resolutions:
Cook from scratch
Processed foods aren’t good foods. They tend to be high in artificial ingredients and low in nutrition. Even worse, many processed foods can be addicting. It’s much healthier (and fun!) to make your own meals from fresh, whole ingredients. Members of our Newcomer Nutrition class discovered some tips for grocery shopping on a Superstore tour last year – like sticking to shopping along the edges of the grocery store. This is where healthy food is found, like dairy, meat, fruit and veggies. The centre is filled mostly with packaged and processed foods.
Eat more traditional, Indigenous foods
Traditional foods are known not only to have significant nutritional benefits, but also cultural and spiritual benefits – and they’re tasty too! Foods like wild rice, pickerel, bison or saskatoons are delicious choices that are rooted in Manitoba’s history. Check out our Traditional Food Guide and discover where to find these tasty Indigenous foods.
Get the kids in the kitchen
Kids love to cook! Bringing young ones into the kitchen to share your good food knowledge is one of the best ways to help your children learn about healthy eating. Being part of the preparation will help kids appreciate their meals and feel proud of what they made. Plus, you’ll appreciate the extra hands and added fun that cooking together brings! If you need inspiration, check out some of the delicious meals that kids learned to make at Food Matters Manitoba’s Kids’ Cooking Club.
Get your protein from pulses
2016 is the International Year of Pulses. For thousands of years lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas have been a good food used around the world. Not only are pulses versatile, healthy and packed with protein, they’re also cheaper to buy and produce than meat. With food prices rising in Manitoba this year, working more pulses into your diet is a healthy and smart resolution!
Go out hunting or fishing
Harvesting your food from the wild is a rewarding and exhilarating experience. There’s nothing quite like catching a big Walleye and cooking it to share with family and friends. Plus, wild meat tends to be leaner than what we buy at the store, and fish is packed with valuable omega-3 fatty acids.
Ice fishing is a fun activity for the whole family, and even if you don’t make a big catch, it’s a great lesson in patience! Just ask Abby – she caught, held, cooked and ate her first fish while on an ice fishing adventure with our kids cooking club!
Give the gift of good food
At Food Matters Manitoba, we believe everyone deserves good food this year. Become a Good Food Champion to ensure more Manitobans can experience the benefits of these good food resolutions.