With the start of 2012 comes all of our new year’s resolutions … work out more, quit smoking, spend more time with family and friends, find a job. This list also includes a few food-related goals: become a vegetarian, stop buying pints of Ben & Jerry’s, consume more locally grown produce, cook at home more often. Now that we are back in Santa Barbara, away from grandma’s chocolate chip cookies and homemade-gravy-drenched goodness, we have considerably more control over stocking the pantry. Making healthy eating and lifestyle choices now will have a positive effect on our futures.

Here are some small, quick steps to changing your eating habits for the better:

Set reasonable and measurable goals.
I would love to be a Victoria’s Secret model, but sometimes reality holds you back a bit. Consider where you are now and how much effort you will actually put into this. You are much more likely to follow through on a goal that is realistic.

Eat smaller portions five times a day.
Forget about the three core meals. Eating lean meals including (but not limited to) poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts a few times a day boosts your metabolism.

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