From beyondtype1.org
New year’s resolutions can have a way of telling us to shrink, detox, eliminate, restrict or somehow try to “fix” our bodies. But here’s the thing: your body is not a problem to be solved. And your health is far too complex and multi-layered to be measured in pounds.
For 2026, let’s take a different path. A path that’s gentler and more soul-nourishing. Let’s talk about nutrition goals that actually support how you feel, how you live and how you show up in the world, not how much space you take up in that world.
Here are some meaningful, doable, diet-culture-free ways to reset your nutrition in 2026.
Think addition, not subtraction
Instead of taking food or calories away from what you’ll “allow” yourself to eat, focus on what you can add to your daily plate instead. 2026 could be the year to start working with a registered dietitian to figure out some great goals for your unique nutritional needs.
One option could be to try to include 10 more grams of fiber in your breakfast with an extra handful of berries or chia seeds to a parfait or cup of oatmeal. Maybe you can set a daily protein goal. Or simply, that you’ll eat more plants—fruits and vegetables.
When you add instead of subtract, something great happens:
- You naturally crowd out less nutritious foods, and
- Eating healthy doesn’t feel like a punishment.
Make hydration a habit
Drinking enough water is crucial for good health, including mental clarity, good kidney function, healthy blood sugar levels and keeping your energy high. However, not meeting a certain water goal doesn’t mean you failed. If you did nothing but sip iced coffee all day, that’s okay. You’re human.
Some more realistic water goals might be:
- Have a water bottle at your work desk, so it’s in your line of sight all day for easier sipping.
- Choose to drink water with every meal instead of soda or other sweetened beverages.
- Make hydration fun and enjoyable. Try sparkling water, add a squeeze or two of lemon or lime to your drink, or try herbal teas or fruity iced cubes for a more festive swig (who doesn’t love a frozen strawberry or raspberry in their ice cube?).
Hydration is key for a happier mood, easier digestion, glowing skin, better sleep and more.
Cook one more meal at home each week
Cooking at home can be much healthier than eating out or ordering takeaway: we know exactly what we’re putting into the food we’re making, we can better count carbs and portion sizes are typically more reasonable. Plus, cooking at home can be healthier for our wallets, too.
You don’t have to aim to make a home-cooked meal meet any sort of criteria. Reconnecting with food as something creative and joyful is enough.
If cooking isn’t your thing, start simple. You can try:
- Dinner omelettes (eggs are great protein!) with cheese and salsa.
- A loaded salad with salmon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado and as many veggies as will fit on your plate.
- Pasta with store-bought pesto and a simple, green salad.
You can even challenge yourself by trying a new vegetable every once in a while or visiting a local farmers’ market for some seasonal inspiration.
Stick with consistency around eating
Oftentimes, those late-night snack binges aren’t from a lack of willpower, but because we’re not nourishing our bodies enough throughout the day.
How many times have we pushed ourselves through work deadlines, running on caffeine and stress alone, forgetting to eat lunch, and feeling terrible after? Too many.
Stick with consistency instead: opt for multiple, nutritious meals per day, plus a snack or two.
Consistent eating leads to:
- More stable blood sugars
- Improved energy
- Better focus
- Improved sleep
- Better moods
- Saying goodbye to the “hangry” version of yourself
If your schedule doesn’t allow for predictable meals, pack extra snacks in your bag, to have in your car and to stash at your desk. Having healthy food options ready to turn to can save your sanity and your blood glucose levels.
Eat foods that fuel you to feel good, not guilty
It can sound impossible, but you need to release the guilt you may sometimes feel from feeding your body.
Food isn’t a test or a measure of how “good” or “bad” you are. Food is culture, history, connection, comfort and nostalgia all at once. Once you remove guilt, you can make more grounded, intuitive choices that make you feel good.
“Eating to feel good” can mean different things for different people, but it can look like:
- Eating healthy fats with dinner, because you know that balances your blood sugar out overnight.
- Sticking with plant-based foods, because they make you feel brighter.
- Eating chocolate on your birthday, because it brings you joy.
- Saying yes to dessert in the moment, because restricting yourself while you’re with others makes a secret midnight binge more likely.
- Saying “no” when you genuinely don’t want something or if you know eating it will cause blood sugar chaos all afternoon—and that’s an empowered choice.
Make choices rooted in kindness to yourself and your body, not punishment. Your body and brain will thank you.
Protect your relationship with food
Clear your social media plate of anything that promotes an unhealthy relationship with food. What we see on our screens is food for our brains, too.
Block voices that preach shrinking or becoming smaller than you’re meant to be. Curate your feed to support your mental and physical well-being.
It’s a new year, no need for a new you
A new year doesn’t require a new body, and we don’t need to become something completely new when the clock strikes midnight on January 1. Focus on respecting and nourishing your body, not fearing or trying to control it.
Your most empowered goals make your life bigger and better, not smaller and subtler.
This year, choose goals that underscore your big, bold and beautiful life and that can help support you to live more fully and joyfully—no scale required.
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