January often arrives with a wave of “new year, new you” messages – promises of miracle diets, detoxes, and overnight transformations. But what if, instead of leaning into strict restrictions, we embrace small steps and consistency? Because let’s face it, slow and steady always wins the race (well, the marathon at least)!
In this month’s Healthy Tip, Amie Leckie, Registered Nutritional Therapist and Health & Wellbeing Specialist at Heart Research UK, offers up her top five ways to eat better this year, not just for January, but all the way through to December and beyond!
Optimal health doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a slow and steady journey that requires small, consistent changes. The five strategies below aren’t rocket science, and you won’t need a degree in nutrition to understand them – it’s simple, back-to-basics stuff that doesn’t require any special supplements or equipment. If you are struggling with your health and want 2026 to be the year you finally tackle it, start with these five simple things and be consistent – you’ll be surprised with the results you achieve.
And whatever your nutrition goals are this year, we’ve got you covered with five delicious Daily Meal Plans to help get you started on the right foot.
1. Cook From Scratch
Cooking more meals at home is one of the best things you can do for overall health. When we cook at home, we have complete control over the ingredients used. This allows us to avoid unhealthy additives, preservatives, and unhealthy fats commonly found in processed foods.
In addition, foods prepared from fresh ingredients are usually richer in essential nutrients compared to highly processed foods. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in whole foods are often lost or decreased during processing – by cooking from scratch, we ensure our bodies receive the full spectrum of nutrients necessary for optimal function.
If you currently eat a lot of processed foods such as ready meals, instant soups, frozen pizzas, and flavored yogurts, start by committing to cook from scratch a few meals or days per week – slowly build up until processed foods form only a small part of your diet.
2. Batch Cook/Prep
One of the biggest barriers to consistently eating well is time. When the days or even weeks get busy, despite our best intentions, we often reach for quick, easy options that usually aren’t the healthiest.
Amie Leckie, Health & Wellbeing Specialist says: “Setting aside a couple of hours each week to batch cook a few meals and organize snacks for the week ahead really can be a game changer.”
“If you have carrot sticks and melon slices waiting for you in the fridge, it will be much easier to snack on those over crisps.”
Sunday afternoons are great for this. Go shopping and get cooking – options like a batch of soup for lunches, hummus and veggie sticks for snacks, boiled eggs for breakfast, and a couple of batch-cooked evening meals like curries or a veggie-packed lasagne are excellent choices.
Even if you don’t want to cook the whole meal ahead of time, you can chop veggies, mix spices, or marinate meats and fish – do whatever you can ahead of time to make the week run smoother.
3. Snack on Veggies
We all know that eating more vegetables is good for our overall health as well as our cardiovascular health, but without integrating them into our days as snacks, it can be challenging to consume the necessary amounts.
All adults should be consuming at least 30g of fiber per day, but only about 4% of adults in the UK meet this recommendation. Upping your vegetable intake is a great way to add more fiber – raw veggies make excellent snacks that can be prepared in advance. Carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and sugar snap peas are fantastic options.
If the thought of snacking on plain veggies isn’t appealing, why not try some heart-healthy dips to make those humble vegetables more enticing?
You can download our Dips Recipe Book here.
4. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is an essential part of nutrition and can either help or hinder your heart’s ability to work effectively. Studies have found that being adequately hydrated is associated with reduced long-term risks for heart diseases.
Did you know that over 66% of the UK population doesn’t drink enough water?
Amie says: “Every single cell in our body needs water to function optimally; it’s such a simple, yet often overlooked part of the health puzzle.”
“If you are even moderately dehydrated, it can impact your energy levels, cause brain fog, and leave you feeling all-around rubbish.”
Most adults need to drink about 1.5-2 liters of fluids per day (milk and herbal teas count too!). You can download our 30-Day Hydration Tracker to help keep track of this.
5. Meal Plan
Meal planning links in with batch cooking and prepping. Taking time each week to write down what meals you will eat each day removes decision fatigue during the week, making it less likely you’ll end up ordering a takeaway.
What’s more, you can plan your meals based on your goals – for instance, if you are aiming to lose weight, plan high-protein meals to help keep you feeling fuller for longer, making it easier and more enjoyable for you to cut calories.
Amie suggests: “One of my favorite strategies is to meal plan very well once and never do it again. Make two or three weeks’ worth of meal plans, with accompanying shopping lists, and then alternate the weeks.”
“Three weeks is long enough that you’ll get in a variety of meals, so you won’t get bored, and you can swap out the odd meal here and there when you find a new recipe you enjoy – spend some upfront time doing it and save headaches every week!”
Heart Research UK Daily Meal Plans
Each plan focuses on a key dietary principle that supports heart health, so you can choose what fits your goals and lifestyle.
Whether you want to boost your protein, add more fiber, eat more plants, or simply find healthier ways to celebrate, these plans are here to help you start the year strong.
Pick one that speaks to your goals or try a different one each week to explore new flavors and habits.
You might be surprised at how quickly “eating well” starts to feel like a joy, not a chore: download them now.