SMART Nutrition Goals in 2021

Thank goodness 2020 is almost over.  I think most people are thinking that.  We’re all ready for a new start, and hope for good things and positivity for the year to come.  For some, this is also the time they make New Year’s resolutions.

Resolution. In the dictionary you will find definitions like “a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent” or “a stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat”.

I don’t particularly like the word or the process of New Year resolutions to be honest.

First, it focusses on change starting a specific point…1 January.  Second, resolutions may only consider an end result and not a plan or process or giving up something rather than something positive.  Third, a resolution often suggests that success comes down to will power and should your will and persistent falter, then you are have been defeated.  You are left with the feeling of “better luck next year”.

Change can happen at any time. The most important time is when you are ready. But if you are focusing only on the result, you may be tempted to take measures that aren’t healthy to achieve that end.

So what is another option?

Setting mini goals that can change with you and are part of an overall plan.

SMART goals are a way of creating direction and plan for change.

Each letter of SMART acronym represents criteria of a goal that makes it more concrete and actionable. Instead of have a goal of “I’m going to eat healthier” which is very vague you create a goal that describes exactly what your plan is for change.

Where do I begin?

To begin, think about the behavior changes you would like to make instead of a thought or feeling.  Focusing on a behavior makes your goal action-oriented. You may have several things nutrition-wise you would like to work on. But don’t try and do everything at once. Create one goal and then later, when you’re comfortable, try adding another goal. There’s no specific timeline to add goals…it’s all individual.

So say you want to “eat healthier”. Remember, there are numerous ways to “eat more healthy”, but to translate it into action or a new habit, you probably need to be more specific. Next, you will go through each of the letter/criteria so in the end you have a have a very detailed action-oriented goal.

• S-specific: You want to be very specific on the change you want to make. Instead of “I’m going to eat more healthy”, perhaps you might choose “I’m going to eat more vegetables.

• M-measurable: You want to be able to tell if you are achieving a goal. To do this the goal needs to be able to be measured or observed. For example,” I‘m going to eat more vegetables” isn’t something that can be concretely measured or observed, whereas “I’m going to eat vegetables 5 times” can.

• A-action oriented:  You want your goal to include details on how it will be achieved. This is part of planning for success; you know exactly what you want to do to achieve this goal. For example, “eating vegetables” doesn’t explain how you will do this.  However, if your plan is to “eat more vegetables by including a salad at lunch 5 times”, this would be a more detailed plan.

• R-realistic. To encourage lasting change, you need to ensure your goals are realistic.  Start with small changes and then build on these. So in the above example, do you enjoy salads or have recipes for salads? No? Well maybe start with cut vegetables, or by adding vegetables to a sandwich instead. Are you going to be able to do this 5 times? Not sure? Then maybe aim for 3 times to start.

• T-time frame. You may wonder why anyone would set a goal to eat vegetables 3 times.  They wouldn’t; they would include a time frame.  So if you weren’t a big vegetable eater before, in this example you may want to try a time frame of a week.  This not only gives a detailed framework for your goal, but also might help you decide if when you need to change the plan on how you will achieve it.  Was 3 days a week easy to achieve? Then maybe up it to 4. Are you ready to try salads now? Then try substituting a salad to one of those days.  

The result.

So now instead of having a goal of “I’m going to eat more healthy”, you now have a goal of :

“I’m going to include salads in my lunch 3 days a week”….which is in turn is a way that helps you to eat more healthy.

Is that goal now easy to achieve on a regular basis?  Then maybe you can handle adding another SMART goal.

What about “I’m going to lose X pounds in 6 months by doing Y”? Wouldn’t that be a SMART goal?

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The short answer….No.

The process of intentional weight is very complex. Losing weight is not simply a matter of eating less calories or increasing energy expenditure no matter how many diet books tell you different.  While what you eat (or drink) and your activity level can influence your weight, so can a multitude of other things such as hormones, stress, sleep, and hydration status. There is even research suggesting that you gut microbiome can influence weight.

Back to why a weight goal may not be a good choice.

With regard to weight loss, A + B may not equal C. How many times have you heard “I’ve been eating healthy and exercising more and my weight isn’t changing?” I’ve heard it a lot.  And what is sometimes the follow up to that? They say screw this healthy eating and try this new diet or stop exercising because they didn’t think it was helping them meet their goal. Meanwhile they may not recognize other healthy results that did come out of eating healthy and exercising, or notice that their body composition has been changing but it may not have been reflected on the scale.

In the end….

Whether or not you choose to make a New Year’s resolution or decide to create goals ….do what’s SMART for you. It doesn’t matter what your friend, or coworker, or relative has decided…do what works for you and do it when you’re ready.

And most important….at 12:01, be kind to yourself and celebrate the here and now.  It’s been a tough year!

For more inspiration on SMART health goals, check out the following articles:

Your Guide to Setting Healthy Living Goals – Unlock Food

10 “SMART” Healthy Eating Goals – Unlock Food

10 “SMART” Physical Activity Goals – Unlock Food

All the best.

Tips for a Healthy Christmas Dinner and Left-overs

I love Christmas!  I love the Christmas lights. I love that friends and family are in a more jolly spirit!  I love the general feeling of peace and joy there seems to be.  And while it can be a more indulgent time of year, there are ways to ensure it is a healthy time…and I don’t mean by eliminating all the chocolate and cookies.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Christmas Turkey prep:

• Thaw that turkey safely!  Thawing it in the refrigerator is the safest method as it remains at a safe temperature; Health Canada recommends your fridge be at 4°C.  Keep the turkey in the original packaging and make sure that it is on a tray or pan even if it’s in your fridge so if the packaging leaks it doesn’t contaminate other food in the fridge. Remember it takes about 10 hours per kg to thaw.
• Thanks Lynda…but it’s Xmas eve now and my turkey is still frozen? Not a problem. In a large container, cover the turkey completely with cold water…still in its wrapping.  Change the water at least every hour to ensure it stays cold.  This method still takes 2 hours per kg to thaw.  And remember…do not leave your turkey in the bucket overnight. Put the turkey back in the fridge before you go to bed! And make sure you cook it within 48 hours.
• Clean, clean, clean your counter tops, utensils, sinks, hands…everything ….when handling raw poultry or any meat, fish etc for that manner.  Keep the juices away from other items to prevent cross contamination that could increase the risk for food borne illness. Disinfect anything that has been possibly touched by poultry juices. Wash any dish towels and throw out any sponges.

Cooking the dinner

• Feel free to stuff that bird…but be gentle. The dressing should be loosely stuffed just before cooking.  Dressing is moist and doesn’t cool down or heat up quickly so can be an ideal place for bacteria to grow. Yes it’s extra work on the day of cooking, but it is safer and worth the work. Did you make too much dressing?Don’t try and jam it all in that turkey.  Put it in a separate dish and put in the fridge. Just before dinner, pour a bit of chicken broth on it to moisten it if you wish and cook it in the oven. Then add it to the rest of your cooked stuffing when it’s ready.
• Speaking of cooking…make sure your turkey is thoroughly cooked before serving.  The best way is by using a meat thermometer…prevents over and under cooking.  The thickest part of the breast should be 80°C or 180°F; stuffing should be cooked to 165°F. Juices should run clear. Immediately after cooking, remove the stuffing right away from the turkey.
• Only make enough vegetables that can be used in 2-3 days. This is the recommended time frame for using leftovers. If you run out, you can always make more.

When it’s all done but the dishes…

Dinner is done, but before you sit down to enjoy some Christmas cheer, deal with your left overs so you can safely enjoy them later.

• Cooked food should be put in the fridge after it has cooled but within 2 hour of cooking.  Putting hot food in your fridge will raise you fridge temperature and possibly increase the risk of spoilage other foods in there. Don’t pack the fridge so full that the air can’t properly circulate.
• Speaking of storing food….anything that needs to be refrigerated should be stored in a fridge not a cold garage or the back deck, even if it is the middle of winter.  The safe food storage temperate is 4°C, and you can’t guarantee that except in a fridge.  Save your garage and back deck for chilling beer or wine, not storing food.
• Clean the meat of the bones instead of putting that entire turkey in the fridge.  I know it’s a pain, but removing all the meat makes it easier to store.  It also makes you realize how much turkey you actually have.  Are you a really going to eat all that turkey in 2-3 days (FYI- again…this is the recommended safety timeframe for leftovers)?  If not, freeze it right away for soups, sandwiches, and casseroles for later use.
• Like to make turkey soup with those bones? Either cook the bones within a day or freeze them. Don’t leave it in your fridge for a week first; you run the risk of food borne illness.  You can even freeze the broth to make the soup at a later time, when you’re not so turkey-ed out. Just make sure you let it cool first and freeze within 2 hours.  This way you’re being food safe and not melting your freezer contents.
• Reheat those leftovers so they are piping hot….to at least 165°F for solids, and a rolling boil for gravies. And don’t reheat them more than once…take what you need and put the rest in the fridge for later.
• Finally…as much as everyone wants to take a break….clean the kitchen, the dishcloths and get rid of sponges.  Leaving dirty dishes and countertops will breed bacteria that can make you sick. Cleaning counter tops and and dishes with used sponges and towels can spread harmful bacteria back over clean surfaces.

See…holiday tips from a dietitian and I didn’t even mention Christmas sweets! Ooops.

Have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season and the happiest of New Years!

Tips for Grocery Shopping…. during this time of Social Distancing

Photo credit: Alexas_Fotos at Pixibay.com

Last week, I never would have never thought that I wouldn’t be able to just pop into the grocery for a few things anytime I wanted. Funny how life changes in 1 week due to COVID-19.

Last Wednesday after work, I decided to pick up a few things as we were getting low. I picked up my usual milk, eggs, bread, hamburger, chicken; garbage bags and paper towel as we were down to our last couple of rolls. As I was walking past the canned goods, I was thinking about the news reports of the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 overseas and what would happen if a pandemic was declared. How would people react? Would the grocery stores be affected? Just in case, I threw a few extra cans of tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta and canned beans into my cart. I even threw in some yeast and baking soda, feeling a bit silly…it’s not like we’re going to run out bread, but I do have a bread machine.

Flash forward to Friday, after the Pandemic was declared. I stopped at the grocery store again on my home from work and I was shocked. No bread, no vegetables, no frozen veg or fruit, much of the frozen food section was empty. No milk, no cheese, no eggs. Shelves that had been previously stocked full of dried pasta, rice, canned vegetables, soups, sauces, and meats held nothing but empty boxes. No toilet paper, no paper towel. But hey, if you were in the mood for cookies, candy, or yogurt (apparently not very popular) you were good to go.

Now that we’re in full blown pandemic, social distancing is the new reality to prevent or at least slow down the spread of the virus. Schools have been temporarily closed, and now many public spaces as well as restaurants have been ordered to shut down. Lucky for us, grocery stores are deemed essential services, however we are still being asked to stay at home unless it’s essential to purchase food or for medical reasons to limit your chance of exposure.

In this new time of social distancing, what can we do to make grocery shopping easier?

Before you go:

1. Take stock of what you have in your cupboards and fridge. Look for ways to use the perishable stuff before it goes to waste. Look for ways to use what you already have so you can delay going for groceries as long as you can.

2. Make a list of “go to meals” that you know you and your family will like in the upcoming weeks. Don’t forget…while food is fuel, food is also morale. It’s important to keep people’s spirits up, and a good familiar meal can do that.

3. Make a grocery list. The last thing you want to do is forget something you need and having a list gets you in and out of the store quicker.
   • Write down all the ingredients, including spices you need for the meals you’ve chosen.
   • Include some of your family’s or your favorite foods including treats.
   • Don’t forget about the items you frequently use, perishable and non-perishable.
   • Keep a running list of things you are low on.

When you go:

1. Avoid crowded times at the grocery store. Social distancing only works if you’re keeping your distance from others.

2. Shelf stable items can provide you with options for extended periods of time and still provide good nutrients.
   • Canned beans and lentils can be added to casseroles for protein if you want to use less meat, and can make soups heartier. 
   • Pastas and rice are good options if you are looking for something if you don’t have potatoes.
   • Canned fruit can be used instead fresh fruit. Packed in juice is a better choice that packed in syrup but don’t stress about it.
   • Fresh vegetables such as potatoes, squash, turnips, can last a while. Other shelf stable options are canned vegetables. While they may have a bit more salt, they are still a better option than no vegetables at all.

3. Keep in mind your available storage space. For perishable foods, ensure they are safely stored, in fridges or freezers if appropriate and according to instructions to avoid food borne illness.

Be kind and remember that everyone is in the same boat.

We’ve been advised that our food supply is not in jeopardy so don’t stock pile items unnecessarily.  Clearing shelves by bulk buying will prevent other from meeting their day to day needs. Don’t forget that many people may be on fixed incomes and may only be able to purchase what they need now. Others may not have transportation available to make larger purchases. Take what you need for 14 days and then come back when you need more.

One final note….

Please, follow public health direction regarding reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19. As per a notice put out by Dietitians of Canada, while there are many nutrients that are involved with normal functioning of the immune and we encourage people to eat a variety of healthy foods each day to support immunity, there is no…I repeat…no…specific food, supplement, or natural health product that will prevent you from catching COVID-19 or protect you from it.

Please don’t spread misinformation. Please get your health information from a regulated health professional. Spend your hard earned money on regular food not celery juice, immunity-boosting supplements or whatever the next trend is going to be on Facebook.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find a use for the bottle of mincemeat that I found in the back of my cupboard…using up what I already have before the next grocery run.

P.S. Found a great recipe for mincemeat squares. Yum!!

Lynda, RD

Buying Local—the newest food trend.

Ahh…summer. As soon as the weather warms, I get the urge to try my hand at gardening. I have visions of a beautiful herb garden that I can snip off tasty leaves for whatever recipe I had planned for supper, or going out into my back yard and harvesting tomatoes for a tasty salad. Then I come back to reality and realize I don’t have a “green thumb”, or maybe it was the not so subtle hint from my 11 year old son telling me to step away from the herb plant in the grocery store because “you’re just going to kill it Mom!”

One of the biggest growing foods trends is “buying local”. But what exactly does this mean? The Canadian Food Inspection Agency defines local food as meaning “food produced in the province or territory in which it is sold or food sold across provincial borders within 50 km of the originating province or territory”.

So what’s the buzz all about?

According to Food Service & Nutrition (Vol. 1 No. 3, 2016) there are several reasons why people are more interested in purchasing locally produced food.

1. To reduce food miles: Part of food production includes the transportation of that food. The closer food is produced, the less negative impact (such as greenhouse gases related to transportation) on the environment.
2. Fresher, flavorful food: Food from local producers is harvested just before sale. Local producers may have more variety as they do not have don’t have to choose their products based on how well they survive transport; they can focus on flavor and diversity.
3. To eat more seasonally.
4. To support local economies.
5. To know where their food is coming from, how it is produced, and its impact on the environment.

Are local fruits and vegetables more nutritious?

Nutritional content is influenced by numerous things. How it’s grown, crop variety, ripeness at harvest, and storage are all factors that could affect nutritional content. Local foods would be picked at peak ripeness and sold shortly after, so freshness is a bonus for local food. However, if you’re not storing it properly once you purchase it or letting it sit in the fridge for a couple of weeks instead of using it, you could be reducing the nutrient content of the your locally produced veggies.

Local growers may have more options with regard to diversity of crops they plant. Access to a more varied diet will result in a greater variety in nutrients being consumed which in turn is better for overall health.

Does local mean that the produce is organic?

Local does not necessarily mean organic. Local describes where it was produced whereas organic describes how it was produced. If organic produce is what you’re looking for, you need to find out more about the farming methods that is used by the grower.

Where can I buy local?

Growing your own fruits and veggies is a great option to ensure the freshest produce. But if you’re like me and you don’t have a green thumb, you still have plenty of options.

Farmer’s markets are a great place to visit whether they are formal markets or road side stands. In the Ottawa area there is a great website that is called A big list of Ottawa’s Farmers Markets that lists the locations and times of urban, suburban and rural markets in the area.

A friend recently told me about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) baskets. With CSAs, the farmer and consumer work cooperatively whereby the farmer grows food for pre-determined customers who enter a purchase agreement with them prior to the start of the growing season. The benefit of this is the farmer gains a guaranteed market for his produce and the consumer receives high quality fresh food as it becomes available during the growing season. You pay a fee, and then the farmer delivers you a fresh food basket to a pick up spot in your local community. Again the internet is great. You can easily research the CSA farms in your area. I found info on a David Suzuki site that lists links to CSA farms for various provinces across Canada.

You can also buy local within your own grocery stores. Stores may be part of provincial buy local programs. Here in Ontario, Foodland Ontario is a consumer promotion program of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs which encourages grocery shoppers to purchase Ontario food. One of things it does is to help retailers such as Ontario grocery stores to identify and promote Ontario products using the “Foodland Ontario” symbol.

Tips for buying Local

Finds at the Carp Farmers’ market–rhubarb, rhubarb pie, elk burgers, and cider.

So now that you know where to find local produce how can you make it easier for yourself?

First, become familiar with what’s in season. You’re going to be disappointed if you’ve got your heart set on local pears in July if they’re not in season until August. Taking a look at an availability chart  makes this easy.

Second, once you know what’s in season then figure out what menu/recipe you want to do.

Third, if you find something and you don’t know how to cook with it, ask the seller. One of the things I like to do at a market is just browse. You may find something unexpected. This past weekend, I saw garlic scapes at the local farmer’s market and was going to pass them by because I didn’t know what to do with them.  But I decided–what the heck, I’ll just ask. “Try stir-frying them” the vendor suggested. That night we had stir fry with garlic scapes and even my son ate them…once he realized they weren’t green beans.

So if you’re looking to jazz up your eating, why not think local.  You may be surprized by the tasty treats and selection from you local growers.

Looking to make a switch to healthier eating habits? Try this…

I went to bed earlier and now I’m eating healthier. Sound too simplistic?? 

It is.    

 So you need to hear the whole story…. 

Back in the fall, one of my resolutions was to eat healthier and to bring my lunch to work.  But here’s how my day would frequently go.  I would wake up in the morning, typically exhausted. I would hit the snooze button which left me less time to get ready.  I would quickly get ready for work, but inevitably I would end up running around looking for things like my work ID, keys, wallet, gym gear…etc. In the end I would run out the door, without breakfast, without a lunch. Great start! I’d get to work and have to rely on the food court. Yes, there were healthy choices, but after doing this day after day the options were less and less appealing and expensive. After work, my hubbie and I would take our son to his martial arts class.  Finally we’d get home for a late supper, the menu not yet decided on. Before long it was time to get our son off to bed, and even though I was tired, I would stay up watching tv or reading, or surfing the internet to enjoy some ”me time”.

I knew I needed to make changes and inspiration can come from anywhere.  Recently, I read two books that changed my perspective on making healthy changes.

Towards the end of December, like many other people, I started to think about New Year’s resolutions.  Coincidently, I also came across the book “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin.  In her book, she describes how over year she tackled 12 resolutions in order to appreciate and amplify the happiness that already existed in her life.

One of the things that caught my attention was her first resolution:  Boost energy by going to bed earlier.  Her reasoning was that if she had more energy she would be easier to stick to other resolutions, and if she felt more energetic she would feel happier. While not scientific, it seemed like good common sense.

So I made the resolution to go to bed earlier, and not surprisingly some small changes happened.  I woke up without my alarm clock and felt rested.  I felt happier and less cranky. I felt better able to cope with what may happen that day. I felt more productive because I wasn’t wasting time doing mindless things just to stay awake.  

Soon after I read her follow up book “Better than Before” where she took on habits.

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a habit can be defined as:

1. a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance
2.  an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary

 Rubin believes that she personally has a limited amount of self- control for a day and the more she uses the more it drops. So if she relies on will power to prevent herself from doing something, she needs to use it over and over to ensure a particular result. The result….she eventually runs out of resolve.  Rubin suggests that the defining aspect of habits is not will power but “decision-making” or the lack of decision-making that is eventually required.  If you rely on decisions, you decide on an action and that’s it.  The next time the situation arises you don’t need to evaluate it again because you have already decided and this helps preserve willpower for other things.

Interesting….so I decided, regardless of what type of day I had, I would be in bed by 1030 pm. And so a new healthy habit for me began.

The funny thing about having success with a new habit, it motivates you to make more changes.  So after a few days, I thought “what else could I do to make life a bit easier?”.  I resolved to get everything I needed for work ready the night before….clothes, gym gear in my knapsack, lunch containers washed, keys/wallet/sunglasses/ID in my bag.  Again, small changes happened.  I was more organized. I was less stressed in the morning. I had more time in the morning. The pay-offs were motivating.

So I decided, regardless of how I felt, before I went to bed at 1030 I would make sure that all my stuff was good to go for work the next day.

So now I was waking up in the morning rested, and in a good mood, and not rushed or looking for things. Because I had plenty of time, there was no excuse not to have breakfast and make a lunch for work. See where I’m going with this? Making lunches led to me to decide to make a better plan for groceries so I would have more options for meals. My plan for groceries led me to figure out meals for the week ahead of time….and so on and so on.  Soon I found that my eating habits were healthier than they were back in November.

So while initially I saw my issue as my eating habits, there were actually others issues that I was overlooking. One…I was tired.  Two…I was disorganized. Three…I didn’t have enough me time.

My point is that in order to change your eating habits, you may need to consider more than what you are eating. Instead, take a look at your life as a whole and figure out what changes could benefit you personally.  You may be surprised how one change may impact other areas of your life and lead to other changes. 

Then all of a sudden you wake up and realize that getting a good night sleep resulted in healthier eating!!