The Biggest New Year Resolution for 2010: Cooking Healthy and Simply

A big step into the new year is a plan for healthy meals. I have always planned good food, some fun foods, some soul food, and some probably bad food. That was by accident of course. Who would plan bad food anyway? To answer that in a few words, making fast food the meal and not the treat.

There are plenty of good foods available for any budget. Nutrition can be found in cheap foods, as well as more pricey ones. The best way to start a plan for keeping a new year resolution of healthy, simple cooking is to begin with a plan that fits your life style, then make sure those involved get on board with the plan. This doesn't have to be hard or time consuming. A simple flexible plan that takes into consideration the needs of the family is a must. No one wants to think they have to eat everything someone else plans just because of a New Years's resolution. Keep in mind the over all goal and work to develop steps that fit you and yours. Then enjoy the year with good food, fun and a healthy diet.

Take these following steps to work out your own plan for the new year.

1. Make a list of the favorite food of each family member, including desserts, and fast food. Make sure the list has the vegetables, fruits, and breads, meats. Take into consideration the age and conditions each person may be dealing with.

2. Record each family members medications, allergies, and special needs due to illness or chronic conditions such as diabetes. The foods of the entire family can be mingled and everyone enjoy good food and health with these references recorded in advance. If you have use of a computer put this into an easily accessible file.

3. Find several foods the entire family can eat. Main dish, dessert, snacks, and lunches for school and work. Plan for about 3 days at a time so food won't be purchased and wasted, such as fruit that ripens too fast, or meat that won't keep till the day needed. Freezing is possible for the meat and fruit, but a plan to use these so they don't freezer burn should be decided on in advance. Filling out a meal later in the week or the next week with these would make it simple when you don't want to have a shopping day.

4. The fun comes next with the recipes. Favorites need to be submitted by each family member, a menu plan laid out for at least half of the week, since your schedule might change due to sports, entertainment or illness. Have a back up menu for anyone with special needs so every meal has something good and healthy for them. There are so many recipes available that most people can eat a special diet and not even realize it is so healthy. Such as a diabetic who will always need to limit some foods, and others can learn to eat right along with them and feel good about it. Stuffing down pie and cake in front of a child with these needs or an adult who may be struggling to stay on tract can be very damaging to their health and well being.

5. Last plan ahead for dinners out, or fast food. Let each family member know how you feel about the food plan of the home, and their part in the success. Eat when it is time, and if fast food is the order ot the day then adjust any other meal to offset the calories, or sugars in the food.

Not everyone has a problem with overeating, or craving sweets, or special needs, but too many days of sliding by with these kinds of food will eventually add up to poor health practices, and could cause underlying conditions to develop, such as type 2 diabetes or overweight conditions or high blood pressure. The plan for the new year does not have to be ridged, just well planned and executed. Knowing what everyone expects, the budget, the nutritional value of the foods involved and availability will keep the "biggest resolution" on track and the end result can only mean success.