The January pressure to become the best version of yourself is very real—and often very unrealistic. And while there’s nothing wrong with setting personal goals for ourselves, so many of us create the impractical expectation to wake up on January 2 as a totally different person with better habits.
But this year, we vow to be different. We’ve created a list of easy wins that will help you feel your best now and set you up for a healthy, happy year ahead. From eating immunity-boosting foods and adding more veggies to your meals, to saving time and money in the kitchen, these simple goals are designed to feel like small changes that are doable throughout the month and help guide you on a path of success and better habits for the year to come.
The best part? We’ve created a fun bingo board for you to play along with us all month long. Download and print your own copy and then mark off achievements as you complete tasks. Once you get five in a row you’ve hit BINGO. We recommend grabbing some friends and competing together for a little extra motivation and accountability.
If you want to continue, try to fill out the entire board over the month of January and beyond. The number of boxes you cross off is totally up to you, and the wins you take with you throughout the year are a personal choice. And if you hit BINGO, be sure to post your board on social and tag us (@savorylonline)!
Here, you’ll find recipes, tips, and tricks to aid in achieving as many of the monthly goals as you’d like and building those better habits. So, join us on our Instagram and Facebook starting January 2 to start working toward these simple wins.
Build Better Habits Bingo Board
Build Better Habits Bingo Goals
Build a balanced plate
Wanting to eat healthier in the new year doesn’t mean you have to overhaul your meals entirely. We love the nutritionist-approved balanced plate method. For example, try the Air-Fryer Salmon Bowls with Avocado-Cucumber Salad, which includes a ¼ plate of starch from brown rice, ¼ of the plate contains protein from salmon, and ½ from vegetables like cauliflower rice, cabbage, and cucumber. For more ideas, check out our Balanced Plate Collection.
Support your immunity
Get ready for cold and flu season with a dose of immune-boosting ingredients like ginger, turmeric, and orange in this Sunshine Wellness Shot. Learn more with our article for nutritionist-approved immune-boosting tips.
Add some fun to mealtime
Shake up your mealtime routine by picking a new recipe or ingredient to try. Maybe play with bold colors and textures (golden beets, pink grapefruit, purple cabbage) to excite your senses. And if you think winter foods are all monotone, try these Fruits & Veggies to Brighten Winter Meals. You could also pop on a themed playlist while you cook or encourage family members to join you in the kitchen.
Meal plan for the week
If you’ve always wanted to try meal planning, now is your chance. Spend a Sunday planning out your recipes using Savory magazine and head to your local grocery store to get ready for the week to come. For more inspiration, read about how meal planning saved our food editor’s family dinners and her tips for getting started. Use our January meal planning page for more recipes.
Cook once, eat twice
There’s nothing quite as wonderful as opening the fridge and dinner is ready to heat and eat. But when your family isn’t so keen on eating the same thing every night, you can use nextovers to save time and money. These recipes suggest tweaks using prepared ingredients to create an exciting new meal with little effort.
Add veggies to your breakfast
While yogurt or pancakes are a delicious morning meal, try bumping up your nutrients with veggies in the A.M. Our Tropical Green Smoothie Bowl is a great starting point for incorporating more vegetables into your breakfast with spinach and cucumber blended right in (we promise, you won’t know they’re there). For more breakfast ideas, read our Quick Breakfast Ideas article.
Hydrate
Staying hydrated can be hard to remember in dry winter months, but it’s key to helping you feel your best. While keeping a water bottle nearby is a great start, try adding a tea break to your afternoon routine and incorporating hydrating meals like broth-based soups and salads with leafy greens. For more tips, read How Our Nutritionist Stays Hydrated All Day Long.
Make a Take 5 meal
When making dinner feels overwhelming, turn to 5-ingredient meals for a simple and delicious dinner. To help, we compiled some of our favorite 5-Ingredient Meals to Save Your Sanity. Can’t decide? This Instant Pot Chili Colorado is a great starting point.
Eat seafood for dinner
Many people opt to cut back on their meat intake and increase plants and seafood in their diets. There are so many health benefits to eating more seafood, for your heart, brain, and eyes, but it also helps to shake up your week’s proteins to keep things interesting. Get inspired with these Salmon Recipes to Fall in Love with Fish.
Befriend your freezer
Leaning into freezer items is a great way to save money and get ahead on meal prep. Not only do frozen veggies make these Turkey and Veggie Meatballs quick and budget-friendly, but you can help future you by freezing half for a last-minute meal later.
Salad-ify your meal
Increase your veggie intake by making vegetables the base of starch-centered meals, like tacos or pasta. These Taco Rice Bowls do this by adding rice and stir-ins to a bed of mixed greens like baby kale or spinach.
Make a 30-minute meal
If you want to order out less but find making dinner every night daunting, recipes that take less than 30 minutes are your answer. Choose one of our 30-minute meals, grab your ingredients, set a timer, and you’ll have dinner on your table faster than delivery.
Make room for rest
Building better habits and achieving small wins go beyond what’s on your plate and in your fridge. Prioritize better sleep by putting phones away at bedtime and taking a couple of minutes to clear your mind. Grab a book or listen to an audio meditation to get in the zone for sleep.
Eat a mood-boosting meal
What you eat can have a massive impact on how you feel—physically and mentally. When winter days are chilly and dreary, brighten things up with these mood-boosting foods.
Try a meatless Monday dinner
If you’re looking to cut back on meat this year, start with testing out a meatless Monday dinner. While you can swap in plant-based proteins for your favorite meat recipes, these Easy Meatless Dinner Ideas are a great place to start.
Savor a cup of tea
Taking a moment to relax with a cup of tea can make a huge difference in your day. Whether you regularly pour a cup of tea in the chilly months, or you’ve never tried it, try Our Very Best Winter Recipes for Tea Drinkers then grab a book and indulge for 10 or 15 minutes.
Make a sheet pan meal
We love sheet pan dinners. They’re easy—simply put all your ingredients onto a sheet pan and let the oven do the work for you–delicious, and make for easy clean up. Never tried one? These Sheet Pan Meals Are Changing the Dinner Game are a great place to get ideas.
Eat dinner as a family
If soccer practice, late-night work meetings, and after-school clubs are keeping everyone from dining together, choose one evening that everyone can sit down and eat together and stick to it. It’s a wonderful way to reconnect with the ones you love and it’s shown to help kids do better at home and develop better eating habits. Check out 10 Ways to Eat Better as a Family for recipes and tips.
Find moments to move
A little movement throughout your day goes a long way. Take a stretch break at your desk or go for a short walk. You could also take a break to tidy a room or dance to your favorite song.
DIY Your Granola
Making your own version of something you usually buy is both affordable and fun. Save money and customize your morning mix by making a big batch of this easy Homemade Granola. Divide into resealable bags so you can grab one on the go.
Lighten up the classics
Wanting to eat lighter in the new year doesn’t mean you can’t have the cozy meals you crave. Keep comfort classics in your meal rotation with smart swaps. In this Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo, low-calorie cottage cheese stands in for cream and adds a protein boost.
Cook with a seasonal ingredient
January is prime time for cold-weather veggies like hearty greens (kale, Swiss chard, and cabbage), root vegetables (carrots, turnips, and parsnips), winter fruits (cranberries and apples), and winter squash (butternut and acorn squash). Try a meal using some new in-season produce.
Use a kitchen gadget
To make dinnertime more manageable, turn to a kitchen gadget like a slow cooker, multicooker, or air fryer for a quicker, hands-off approach. For a cozy wintertime meal that takes little effort, your slow cooker is essential. If you don’t know where to start, try Our Very Best Slow Cooker Recipes.
Save more as you shop
Start your meal plan with what you need to use up in your fridge to reduce food waste. Look for savings on items in your plan (your store’s circular is a great place to start) so you make the most of store specials and sales. Shop value packs of proteins to save more money per pound, freezing leftovers for later.
