Now more than ever, it is important to think about what we can do to help us to feel our best for the year ahead.

This year, let’s give up fad diets. While they can sound appealing, promising quick results, we know they are not a healthy way to manage our weight. Shift the focus from what you can remove to what you can add that will help you feel better and healthier. This way we are much more likely to keep up the changes in the long-term. Check out our How to section for lots of tips and advice on setting up a healthy diet.

To set ourselves up for success, breaking down our goals into smaller more achievable daily habits is a good start. It is more realistic and motivating to focus on 2 to 3 smaller changes.

Instead of saying ‘I’m going to try to eat healthier food’, let’s set smaller and specific goals such as eating two portions of vegetables with dinner or switching from white bread to wholemeal bread.

Now that we know what we are focusing on, we have some planning to do to help us achieve this goal. This might include meal planning to help with organising healthy meals for the week, or batch cooking to save us time in the kitchen.

Here are my suggestions for a healthier diet:

• Plenty of fruit and vegetables – start by having one extra portion a day
• Wholemeal breads, pasta, rice and cereals where possible
• Plenty of water to stay hydrated
• More fish, including one portion of oily fish
• Cutting down on foods high in fat and sugar such as sweets and sugary drinks – don’t have these very day
• Healthier cooking methods such as grilling and baking

Finally, remember that health is more than just the food we eat. Food, movement, sleep and a healthy mindset are all part of a healthy lifestyle.