New Year Resolutions
Happy New Year! I cannot believe we are two years away from 2020. At the beginning of every year, I always make a few resolutions. Some of the resolutions last all year long and others last a few days. 2018 I am including these resolutions:
- Eat healthier
- Exercise
- Sleep more
- Spend quality time with the family
- Laugh
- Drink more water
In order to achieve these new years resolutions, I have a few books and items that will help me achieve them. I hope some of these products will help you achieve your resolutions as well.
1.Power Food on the Go by Rens Kroes: This cookbook is full of great ideas for healthy foods you can take with you. These recipes will help you prepare and take healthy snacks with you so that you do not have to eat processed foods. The book is broken up into breakfasts, bread, lunches, snacks, and drinks. Two of my favorite recipes are the carrot pancakes and the coffee muffins. Rens uses healthy ingredients so creatively and these recipes are unique and delicious!
2.Everyday Dinner Ideas by Addie Gundry: Mom, what’s for dinner? I love the ideas in this cookbook by a winner from Cutthroat Kitchen. There are more than 100 ideas that your family will love! This cookbook includes appetizers, soups, main dishes, sides, and dessert. Two of our favorite recipes so far are the baked eggplant parmesan and the raspberry balsamic chicken wings. If you need new dinner ideas this cookbook might be offer you some great new ideas.
3.Mindful Eating by Jan Chozen Bays: This book has really resonated with me. This book is unlike all other “diet” books I have read. It shows you how to really think about your food in a new way. I learned what foods I really need and what foods I need to toss aside. There is even a chapter focusing on how to help your children be more mindful eaters. One important takeaway I have been focusing on is to stop grazing on food. This is just one tip I earned in this book. If you want to have a positive relationship with your food, this book can really help.
4.Sunday Suppers by Cynthia Graubart: This cookbook is organized into 52 weeks of Sunday Supper menus. One of my resolutions is to create more family dinners and this book has given me some amazing meal menus. Every recipe we tried so far has been a winner. Some of our favorite meals include the Fall Chicken Casserole, the Mud Pie Meringue Sundaes, Sweet potato cornbread and Banana Pudding Cheesecake. The photos in this cookbook are stunning. If you want to step up your menu planning, this is the cookbook for you.
5.Cooking that Counts by the editors of Cooking Light: This cookbook is great for those that want to lose weight. The included meal plans are between 1200 and 1500 calories and we have found success on these plans. My favorite part is that they offer suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and also a snack! The meals are easy to understand and follow. The lasagna bowl is a family favorite. Instead of using pasta, you use zucchini as the noodles. My son has been cooking his way through this cookbook and he has lost 10 pounds!
6. Everyday Vegetarian by the editors of Cooking Light: I have been vegetarian for the past 10 years. I am always eager to find new recipes that I will enjoy. If my carnivores also like it, double win for Mom! This cookbook is great for those people who want new ideas for Meatless Mondays, or who want to consider a vegetarian lifestyle. The roasted cauliflower and chickpea whole wheat spaghetti bowl was a family favorite. We used the white miso paste from the Udon Noodle Soup recipe we made last month. This is a filling, fantastic vegetarian dish.
7.100% Real by Sam Talbot: Sam Talbot was my favorite contestant on Top Chef. His newest cookbook, 100% Real is fabulous because it has no artificial colors or flavors, and some incredibly delightful recipes. His clean food will not have you missing fast food at all. Instead, it will make you want to try more of his wholesome food. Sam’s recipes are not too complicated. Rich flavors and surprising ingredient combinations abound. Our favorite recipes so far include Cinnamon and Coconut Chickpeas, No Bake Tropical Almond Butter Bars, and the White Bean Guacamole. If you need healthy food with bold flavors, this is the right cookbook for you.
8.Rowing Machine: We try to add to our home gym every few years and this year we added a rowing machine. This device is one that we all are really enjoying! It is easy on the knees, low impact, and you can easily adjust the difficulty. If you are bored with your exercise routine, or you need something to do inside since it is SO COLD, try a rowing machine! We have all been surprised at how much we like to row.
9. Infused Water Bottle: Drinking enough water is so important! After suffering with a kidney stone 4 years ago I will never be caught slacking on my water consumption again. This water bottle is really fun, especially when someone does not want to drink “boring” water. We fill this water bottle with fruits and veggies and the water tastes so much better. In the summer we make fruit ice cubes and those are fun to use as well. This bottle is quite large at 32oz so it holds a nice amount if you are going to be out for much of the day.
10. Jackbox Party Pack 3: If you want to laugh with your family you need to try a Jackbox Party Pack. This set of games is downloadable on any game console (XBOX, Wii, Switch, PS4) Once you download a code, you are ready to play. Each person in your family plays on their own device. You can use a phone, iPad, computer, anything electronic. Every single person in our family, from the youngest child to the adults, loves to play these hilarious games. You can even have people in the audience playing along if you give them your 4 digit code. Our favorite family game in this pack is Quiplash. If your resolution is to laugh more this year, get a copy of one of these hilarious Jackbox Party Pack and be prepared to laugh a lot.
Those cookbooks look great! The biggest road block I have to eating the foods I should is not knowing how to prepare them in a way that doesn’t get super boring!
It really helps to have a good cookbook to help you find creative foods to make.
I have to admit I haven’t made any New Years resolutions this year at all, I don’t keep them so I leave them to the times I know I can succeed. That said I would love to get my hands on some of those cookbooks they look fab!
An easy resolution can be to try some new recipes from a healthy cookbook. Happy new year!
Those are great resolutions! I wish you luck, health and happiness in this new year!
Thank you!
Our main resolution was to lead a healthier lifestyle. We cut out meat in December and are going dairy free this month. I hope we will be full vegan within the next month or two. We are trying to exercise more and get healthy for our kids. I definitely need to check out that vegetarian recipe book and the infused water bottle has been on my list for months!
Becoming a vegan is an amazing new year resolution! You will love the vegetarian recipe book and the infused water bottle will make a huge difference in your life.
Those cookbooks look fantastic. I need to find some new inspirations for cooking. I don’t do much creative cooking and I need to get back in the habit of getting organized and assembling meals.
It is so good for your family to eat healthy homemade meals. I hope these cookbooks make a difference for you.
I want an infused water bottle. I had one, but my kids broke it and lost it all within a week!!
I think it is time to replace your water bottle!
I keep coming across these resolution posts and realizing that, really, I ought to do one of my own so that at least I’m putting it out there and may feel like I’m more accountable for my progress.
One of which is losing a healthy amount of weight in the next few months, maybe 10lbs. Gotta get on that.
Thanks for inspiring me to set some real, concrete and written goals for myself.
I am happy that I helped you set some clear goals for 2018! Good luck!
I am eyeballing that 100% real book for sure! You have good goals/resolutions! I drink tons of water but still, there is room for more. I for sure want to tone up more! Working on it and getting there – baby steps!
The 100% real book by Sam Talbot is amazing! I know you will love it.
I don’t do resolution but I set goals that are achievable every year. I would like a rowing machine for our home gym!
Adding a rowing machine to our home gym has made a huge difference! We all are really enjoying this new machine.
I hope they are going well for you so far! I know I have been on the ball lately.
Sounds like you are on track to achieve your goals! Congrats!
I hadn’t heard of these Jackbox games before. They sound great for a family game night! Will have to check them out! Thanks for the idea
Jackbox games are SO much fun! You must try them!
I need the vegetarian cookbook. My family eats meat but I don’t. We are pretty good at finding ways to make everyone happy, but I would love to branch out and try some new recipes.
I think this cookbook would make a lovely gift just for you!
These are all great resolutions. I am working on getting healthier too. Keto diet…and back to the gym
I have heard so much about the Keto diet, I need to look into that!
My resolutions are to be healthier and to move towards living a less stressful life!
I love the concept of living a less stressful life, I want to add that to my list!
Every new year is a new beginning. Those are some great new year’s resolution, I love the idea of this Jackbox Party Pack 3 and that Power Food on the Go book sounds awesome as well.
Have you tried the Jackbox games? They are so much fun!
There’s no better way to live life by being healthy and being happy. Got too much resolutions. Hope I can accomplish them all.
I hope you can be happy and healthy this year!
Like you, we are doing our best to eat healthier here too. I would have to check those cookbooks out. I love trying new recipes.
New recipes are my favorite way to start a new year as well!