7 Dietitians Share Their New Year’s Resolutions

In an ideal world, we’d all make smart, healthy decisions 365 days per year. In the real world, we’re often scrambling to undo some recent damage — say, eating too much or conveniently forgetting to exercise … three weeks in a row. That’s why New Year’s resolutions exist: To give us another crack at getting it right.

So, as you consider making a couple tweaks in the New Year, we asked registered dietitians to share their resolutions for 2019. They know plenty about making healthy choices, but still have vices of their own. (Hey, they’re just like us!) Take a look below for some inspiration.

“Mine would be less sugar. Even registered dietitians have our vices. I have significantly reduced the amount of added sugar in my diet but have let loose toward year-end. Come January, I plan to reign it back in and cut back on the after-dinner sweet bites. I sleep so much better! I also plan to work more strength training into my exercise routine. I’m a religious runner (daily) and really need to add in more strength-training exercises. Barre and yoga are at the top of my list.”

— Sidney Fry, MS, RDN

“For me, [my resolution] is to get stronger — adding strength training one more day each week to support my supporting structure.”

— Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, owner of Active Eating Advice

“To me, healthy lifestyle choices should be a lifelong commitment where you don’t have to be perfect — it can start today, but should be something that’s long-term (and does not reset every year). My staple habits are to be physically active daily — walking the dogs, getting at least 10,000 steps, yoga often, with a sprinkle of soccer — and to eat my vegetables and fruits. Meat is not required, but to be thoroughly enjoyed when consumed.”

— Louise Chen, RDN

“My resolution for 2019 is to get more sleep, which is kind of food-related. I notice that I eat more carelessly when I don’t sleep enough and am more prone to cravings. More importantly, I can’t recover quite as well from being sleep deprived now that I’m older, and it affects everything from my workouts to my interactions with friends and co-workers.”

— Trinh Le, MPH, RDN and blogger at FearlessfoodRD

“My nutrition and exercise are pretty intact, as I work out six days a week no matter what. For me, it would have to be finding a way to get more sleep. With a busy life and job, that is the hardest thing for me. Good nutrition and exercise come second nature to me, but I sacrifice sleep for things. As a professional in the health, wellness and nutrition field, I know sleep is crucial to all things, so in 2019, I have to find a way to get more zzz’s.”

— Amy Goodson, RDN and nutrition consultant

“I love food. Fortunately, I love vegetables, fruits, lean meats and other healthy foods. But I also love desserts and pizza and cocktails and everything else. So, my resolution this year (and most years, to be honest) is to watch my portions. It’s OK to eat pizza — just don’t eat the whole thing!”

— John Hale, RDN

“A health and food conscious goal I always have for myself is to keep striving for sustainable methods that help the world as a whole. This can be as simple as reducing the usage of single-use plastic in my home and when I’m out by investing in reusable containers, bringing my bags to the grocery store all the time (with the exception of some forgetful trips because that’s OK — no one is perfect) and shopping at stores that value these goals. Making these small, specific goals helps me feel good about my relationship with food and the resources around us, and ultimately helps me contribute in a small way that adds impact and personal happiness, which should be the true motivator for any goal at any time of the year.”

— Jennifer Rodriguez, vegan RDN at Food Is Vida