New Year’s resolutions often focus on health and wellness goals like better nutrition and weight loss. While changing behaviors is hard, overall wellness is crucial for you and your family’s long-term health. Don’t let January’s motivation fade — instead, build lasting habits for year-round success. Our Registered Dietitians on the Syndigo Nutrition and Wellness solutions team created these helpful tips to guide your nutrition journey in 2025.*
1. Prioritize Plant-Based Proteins
The trend towards plant-based proteins continues to grow as new health benefits of limiting our consumption of animal proteins are reported. The good news? You don’t need to go fully vegetarian or vegan to get the benefits of a plant-based diet. Just focus on adding foods like beans and legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetables to your meal while decreasing animal protein portions for a more plant-forward experience. You can also participate in Meatless Mondays for a full day of plant-based eating. Small changes can help you reap the many benefits of a plant-based diet, including improved heart health and lowering your risk for chronic diseases.

2. Eat Mindfully
You may have heard about the growing movement towards intuitive eating, which can be a great addition to your wellness goals this year. This practice encourages you to slow down, savor your food, and be more present at mealtimes. By doing this, you can listen to your body’s needs and hunger cues to prevent overeating and improve digestion.
3. Focus on Balance
Add a variety of foods to your diet by incorporating vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains in your meals. Consuming a balanced diet with more whole foods and less prepackaged snacks or highly processed items can help you get more of the nutrients you need like fiber, vitamins, and minerals to support your health. Remember, while a healthy diet is important, enjoying your food and spending time with people around a meal is valuable for balance as well.

4. Stay Hydrated
Keeping our bodies hydrated can often be overlooked. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, and other symptoms. The feeling of thirst can also be mistaken for hunger, so be sure you are incorporating a lot of fluids into your diet. Aim for at least 8 cups of water daily, but more than that if you’re active. Consuming water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumber, and celery can also help you stay on track with hydration too!
5. Add More Fiber
It is recommended that we consume between 25-35g of fiber daily, however most people don’t meet this goal. Fiber is a type of indigestible carbohydrate that is mostly found in plant sources. There are both soluble fibers in foods like nuts, beans, and chia seeds, and insoluble fibers in whole grains, leafy greens, and fruits with edible skins such as apples. It’s important to get both types of fiber in your diet for maximum health benefits. Fiber has been shown to help lower cholesterol to keep our hearts healthy, aid in controlling blood glucose levels, promote a healthy digestive system, and keep us fuller for longer periods of time to help prevent overeating.

6. Stay Active
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. Being active can be just as important to your health as the foods you eat. While you may love to hit the gym or take an exercise class, we know that these might not fit your lifestyle. Find other ways to move your body instead. Perhaps go for a walk during your lunch break, take the stairs, enjoy a trip to the park— the list is endless! Regular exercise and movement are known to boost your mood, support weight management, and strengthen muscles.
7. Manage Stress
Nutrition and exercise goals are always popular New Year’s resolutions, but don’t forget about other areas of your health like stress management. Chronic stress can lead to poor mental health, overeating, and physical health problems. It can be difficult to manage stress when we are always busy with work and family responsibilities. Try incorporating brief moments in your day to practice yoga, meditate, listen to relaxing music, or even take some deep breaths. Exercising like we mentioned in the previous tip can also help you unwind and manage stress too.

8. Plan and Prep for Success
Meal planning and prepping ahead can go a long way towards setting yourself up for success in your health and wellness goals. Meal prepping doesn’t need to be super complicated or time consuming either. Set aside a few minutes each week to make a meal plan, food shop for the week, and prep what you can. Focus on simple prepping like cutting up all the fruits and vegetables ahead of time so it is ready when you’re starting to cook. You can also batch cook grains like rice or quinoa in advance for easy reheating later in the week.
9. Reduce Certain Nutrients
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium in our diets as they can contribute to poor health outcomes. Saturated fats are primarily found in animal-based foods like meats and dairy — so all the more reason to incorporate our first tip of more plant-based proteins. For example, added sugars are sugars added to foods during processing, like syrups and sweeteners, and do not include naturally occurring sugars present in fruits, vegetables, and milk. Sodium is typically found in processed or packaged foods and should be limited to about 2,300 mg per day. Also try to reduce your intake of sweetened beverages, processed snacks, and meats to support your long-term health.
10. Be Realistic
You might be super motivated this year to change some habits and follow some of these tips, but it’s also important to set realistic goals that are specific and attainable for you to maintain throughout the year. Don’t set vague goals like “eat healthier.” Instead, set actionable steps that you can work towards. Use our tips and adjust them to create your personal goals. For example, if you want to consume more plant proteins, perhaps your goal is “consume a plant-based meal 3 times per week.” Making a list of achievable goals will help you feel confident and stick to them.
Commit to a Healthy New Year!
Focus on sustainable changes this year to set yourself up for long-term success. Don’t forget to celebrate the small wins to help you stay motivated towards your health and wellness goals.
*This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please consult with your doctor or healthcare provider to ensure that these recommendations are right for you.
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