by Ben Becker, Newsletter Writer
The New Year marks an occasion for looking ahead and making plans. It also brings a 
chance to consider new endeavors and experiences. Many see the New Year as a time to refocus on their health, wellness, and happiness. Resolutions may also include benevolence to the planet or others. Exploring exciting new options for your lifestyle can be a welcome addition at the start of the year. However, fulfilling the promise we make to ourselves each year is easier said than done. For the majority of those who set New Year’s resolutions, the odds of succeeding are very low. Statistically, only 9% of Americans complete their New Year’s resolutions, with nearly a quarter of resolvers quitting after a week, and almost half will quit one month in. Setting resolutions can even be a source of stress and anxiety. So if you’re planning to run that marathon, or considering a resolution to stop resolving, consider some of the psychology that comes into play.
Completing resolutions requires an authentic form of motivation. If you are only doing so to honor the annual traditions, that won’t be enough to keep you going in the months ahead. Instead, consider goals or aspirations that align with what you want your life to look like. Unless some other reason for change exists in your life, you may give up. To improve your odds, identify lifestyle changes that you can reasonably take on and stay consistent with.
To make your ambitions a reality, try out these additional strategies as well. Try breaking up your larger goals into smaller steps. Each mini-goal should still be challenging, to keep you motivated while taking you closer to your overarching objective. If you measure your progress along the way, you will maintain the inspiration needed to remain committed as the year wears on. Achievement of each smaller goal also is an opportunity for recognition and celebration. Celebrating the small wins will help build confidence as you progress.
It’s often harder to achieve anything all on your own, so share your goals with a friend or family member. Make agreements with others to hold each other accountable and you will be doubly likely to succeed. Having accountability partnerships means that you will consider your commitment to not just yourself, but others, and this is likely to increase your motivation. You can even seek out support or interest groups to support you along your way.
Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, you are bound to encounter stumbling blocks. Even with strong motivation, you will likely run into obstacles that will impede your goals. These challenges can take many forms, such as communal pressure in social settings to overindulge, or giving into cravings after an ascetic period. While you can’t anticipate everything, identifying these barriers and finding strategies to avoid them. For example, having a small meal before a trip to the grocery store can reduce the temptation to drop health commitments for junk foods.
Challenges to Eating Nutritious Foods
We all face difficulties finding balance, especially when it comes to diet. In our hectic lifestyle, finding the time to research healthier recipes, shop, prep, cook, and sit down to a balanced meal is tough when the drive-through is just down the street. Avoiding processed foods with low nutritional value in favor of fresh foods requires careful planning and discipline in using these fresh foods. By increasing our food knowledge, engaging with simple strategies, and exercising some creativity, eating better can become more appealing.
The choices we make when purchasing food reflect our state of mind at the time. If you are hungry as you walk through the shopping aisles you are more likely to make more impulse buys, purchasing foods you don’t need or might never end up consuming. Shopping when anxious and stressed can lead to purchasing comfort foods, which are often calorie-dense or high in refined sugars. By monitoring moods and satiety levels, you lessen the need to satisfy immediate cravings in favor of objective long-term decision-making. Using a shopping list adds structure to how we navigate the aisles of the store. Lists should focus on staple items and ingredients for planned recipes. Creating a list for multiple days will help avoid making multiple trips to the store. This will save time and decrease opportunities for impulse eating.
If time is a major obstacle for you, your Co-op can help. Willy Street Co-op is kicking off 2024 with a new online shopping experience. Just look through our online store, select your items, and schedule a time for delivery or pick-up. You’ll have all of your favorite local grocery goods waiting for you in no time. Don’t have time to sit down and shop on your computer? With our new mobile site, you can now shop on the go with just your tablet or smartphone. Let our staff assemble your order, and we’ll have it ready for you at our North Sherman location. If you don’t feel like driving, delivery is available to residents within 10 miles of Willy North.
Your Co-op offers myriad methods and products that can help to support success in your resolutions. While browsing the health and wellness aisle, you’ll encounter supplements to help give your body that extra boost. Vitamin D supplements may prove a necessary addition through these months of low sunlight. Collagen supplements provide support for your joint health. Increase your intake of omega fatty acids and amino acids by picking up a few Evo Hemp Protein bars.
No two opinions are the same when it comes to the idea of health. Willy Street Co-op and its staff do not claim the qualifications to make nutritional recommendations, but we do carry foods and supplements that can help support a balanced diet and lifestyle. For those seeking to eliminate chemical pesticides or genetic modifications from their body, the Co-op carries an extensive selection of organic products. Our produce and grocery sections include garlic, a versatile ingredient that has traditionally been credited with immune system boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. For plant-based protein, you’ll find meat alternatives, beans, and legumes that can fit into nearly any recipe, from soups and stews to sandwiches. The underrated lentil boasts a tantalizing flavor for stews, tacos, or sloppy joes. Whatever you define as “healthy eating,” the Co-op’s offerings of fresh local produce and minimally processed food products are certain to fill your needs.
Maximize Your Impact
The New Year is a time to be more socially and environmentally conscious. You can reduce your environmental impact by looking for products with reduced packaging and less plastic such as cardboard tube deodorant, solid shampoos and conditioners, or bar soaps. Making use of our bulk product selection will also help to cut down on your waste stream.
Don’t overlook Klean Canteen bottles for toting water or your best beverage. Great for both cold and hot liquids you can skip the plastic when you fill these up from your tap or filter pitcher. They also are great for taking the daily coffee cup out of your waste equation. Many coffee shops around town will gladly fill these containers and give you a discount for bringing one with you. With the Klean Kanteen’s vacuum seal technology, your coffee will stay hot throughout the day as well!
The Co-op also offers items from producers committed to improving our world by supporting Fair Trade. By maintaining a just and fair economy where small farmers enjoy a sustainable livelihood, you can practice empathy not just at home but in your global influence. Check out the wide selection of tea, coffee, and—on occasion—chocolate, offered by Equal Exchange and Just Coffee, companies committed to Fair Trade deals for small-scale farmers across Latin America. If you are looking to perk up and add some warmth to the early days of the New Year, check out the variety of coffee bean flavors you can bulk up on from Equal Exchange and Just Coffee. While you’re getting your caffeine fix, check out the other products in the Bulk aisle. You can save a little space, a little waste, and a nice chunk of change in just a few steps when you forgo buying a new spice jar each time. Just grab a baggie, mark down the PLU of one of our many spice containers, and pour out what you need, using the paper funnels if you like. We price our bulk spices by the pound, but since most refills only amount to a few ounces, you are sure to be pleased with how little you’ll spend compared to the cost of a new container! You’ll also find bulk flours, nuts, granola, and even dried fruit, many of which have been locally sourced. When you choose bulk instead of packaged items, you can buy as much or as little as you want!
If you’d like to do more to support under-represented vendors, our Inclusive Trade program can help. A vendor will be considered an Inclusive Trade vendor if it is at least 51% owned, controlled, and operated by a person or persons who is/are:
- Women
- Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of Color
- LGBTQIA+
- Veterans
- Persons with disabilities
Watch for the gold circle icon with “i” or “Inclusive Trade” in price tags, posters, flyers, and other places. We’ll also be adding a list of Inclusive Trade products on our website to make it easier to find these products.
Cook More at Home
With groceries in hand, you may find cooking at home gives you the opportunity for both control and creativity in your kitchen. It’s a perfect time to try new things just brush up on your culinary acumen, or to try something new. Even during the winter months, you can still think seasonally. During the cold season, shelf-stable items will shine. Vegetables like carrots and parsnips will store well in your refrigerator and will boast greater sweetness if they are harvested in cooler temperatures. Hearty squashes and other root vegetables will be a welcome staple when more delicate produce is not to be found. Choose to skip out-of-season produce shipped in from far-flung locales in favor of a local alternative in its prime. Produce shoppers can avoid overbuying by asking for many large vegetables to be cut into smaller portions, such as an unwieldy head of cabbage.
Finding ways to cook efficiently and wholesomely doesn’t need to be an overwhelming challenge. Proper planning can help to keep your refrigerator free of wasted food and meals balanced and portioned. Shopping intentionally will help to support your at-home culinary strategies. In planning each meal, consider the recipe’s serving size how many portions you will have, and whether you will be able to store or freeze leftovers. When cooking, you may be able to practice portion control while saving time by cooking a large amount of food early in the week and then dividing up to store and reheat in different servings throughout the week. To keep things fresh, you may want to add additional ingredients or iterations each day. For example, you might serve your center dish with rice one day, and pasta the next. Alternatively, you can swap in new vegetables or garnishes to keep an old recipe from getting bland. This is easy to do when you use recipes where ingredients are more interchangeable. If you have some greens going bad, try prepping a must-go salad, where food that must be used or goes bad is used up. If you have eggs and cheese, nearly any kind of vegetable or protein can be incorporated into a fluffy frittata. Another great go-to for using up potential food waste could be a simple stir fry, which includes or excludes any kinds of vegetables from peapods to mushrooms. You can also add a protein component using chicken, beef, tofu, or even by just cracking an egg. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, take advantage of the resources your co-op has to offer. Don’t forget to look for recipes online, in our “Word on the Beet” email (sign up at willystreet.coop/emails) or register for a cooking class led by one of our talented local instructors. Check out the class listings earlier in this newsletter or at willystreet.coop/events.
Eat More Nutritious Food
If you have resolved to avoid colds this January, be sure to make a stop in the Produce section as the citrus season is in full swing. It is a great time of year to stock up on some of the best oranges and grapefruit of the year, or maybe even a pomelo if you are feeling more adventurous. If sour is pleasing to your palate, don’t forget to grab a bag of kumquats. These bite-size citruses can be eaten whole like a nature-made candy. Just roll one between your fingers to unleash the juices then pop it in your mouth, peel and all to enjoy. You can create a tart accent by slicing these fruits into invigorating garnish over hors d’oeuvres or a winter salad. Keep an eye out for kumquats as the citrus season continues. Cultivated as a hybrid crossing the kumquat with the key lime, these diminutive fruits pack a wallop of citric acid and vitamin C. While you may choose to eat the limequat whole, you can also employ it in the mixology of your home cocktails. Peel a twist of rind to add a sweetened flair to your highball, or bring out the inner bitterness through its juice and pulp.
Knowing the Co-op has your back will take you further in achieving your resolutions. To save time, find better local ingredients, or to simply get inspired, you can rely on the spirit of our cooperative to help you go far in the New Year!