The new year 2023 is a time for setting resolutions and making changes. Many people decide to improve their eating habits and level up their diet. What aspects should you pay attention to when putting together your diet plan? Where do you start? What are the ways to incorporate delicious culinary novelties into your daily menu? What should you eat to make your diet healthier than a year ago?
Match your calorie content to your goals in 2023
Whatever your nutrition goal for 2023 is, you need to set a target calorie content. You don’t have to count calories every day, but it’s good to be aware of how calorie-rich your meals are and what you’re aiming for.
Start with the basics:
- Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), set your PAL, and calculate your total metabolic rate (TMR) – basic dietary calorie content.
- Think about your goals:
- if you want to lose weight, you need to eat less calories than your required daily intake, or increase the level of physical activity;
- if you want to gain weight, you need to eat more calories than your body burns;
- if you want to keep your weight unchanged, you already know your basic dietary calorie content: it’s the same as your TMR.
- Adjust the dietary calorie content value depending on your goals:
- if you want to lose weight, calculate the energy deficit, i.e. subtract 300–600 kcal from your basic dietary calorie content (the result must not be lower than BMR!);
- if you want to gain weight, increase your basic dietary calorie content by 400–1000 kcal each day, depending on your goal.
Control your calorie content by using a calorie-counting app or trust your instinct and monitor your body weight on a regular basis.
Aspects to consider when putting together your diet plan in 2023 Things to remember
The first thing to do when you’re about to make changes to your diet for the next 12 months is to examine your conscience. What dietary mistakes do you keep making over and over again? Here are some examples and simple solutions that will make a big difference in your diet. Try them out starting today!
| Your dietary mistake | Solution |
| You snack in the evenings: you reach for less healthy bites and clear out the fridge of your favourite foods. | Don’t have your evening meal too early. Prepare healthy alternatives to unhealthy snacks, such as vegetable sticks, to nibble on. |
| You’re not that fond of the taste of water, and your water intake is insufficient. | Try out different recipes for flavoured water to find the flavours that you like best: use fresh herbs and fruit to spruce up the taste of water. |
| You don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. | Adopt a rule that each meal must contain at least 200 g of fruit or vegetables – and stick to it. |
| You love sweets and you don’t want to give them up. | Reduce the portions of your favourite sweets and eat them wisely: add them to your oatmeal or include them in your menu as a dessert option. |
| Your diet is monotonous: you only eat tried and tested foods. | Follow the social media profiles of dietitians and be inspired by their meal ideas, and check the articles section at www.kartamultisport.pl/en. |
| You don’t get enough protein in your diet. | Check what foods are rich in protein and include them in every meal. To help you top up your protein intake, use protein supplements. |
| You use a lot of salt and you think that meals without salt are tasteless. | Use more natural herbs and spices to add flavour to meals without extra sodium intake. |
| You eat out a lot because you think you don’t have time to cook. | Discover Meal prep – a method to prepare your own healthy meal boxes at home. |
Remember that you don’t live in an isolated world. Your dietary choices affect not only the way your body functions, but also the entire planet and all the people!
So in 2023 try to make a few tweaks to your menu that will not only be good for your health, but also for the Earth:
- reduce your meat intake – it’s one of the most effective ways to improve your environmental footprint;
- choose fish and seafood with the blue MSC label which certifies products sourced from sustainable fisheries;
- eat local and seasonal foods – by choosing locally grown produce, you reduce the carbon footprint of transport and logistics in the supply chains necessary to get food to your plate.
2023 food trends and ways to incorporate them into your healthy diet
When creating a diet plan for 2023, it’s necessary to take account of the emerging trends that may dominate the culinary and food scene. You can find ways to weave them into your diet to keep it varied and practical.
High-protein products will dominate the food market
We anticipate that even more high-protein products will hit store shelves in 2023. High protein is already a popular nutrition claim that often appears on product labels to indicate foods with added protein. These ready-made products are a good option especially if you do a lot of strength training or when you’re building up mass. However, remember that ‘high-protein’ is not synonymous with ‘healthy’! Not all high-protein products contain appropriate ingredients and properly balanced macronutrients.
No-calorie products will grow in popularity
If you’re not yet familiar with shirataki noodles made from the konjac plant, also known as zero-calorie noodles, you’re bound to come across them in your grocery store in 2023. It’s a product with negligible amounts of fat and digestible carbohydrates. Consequently, it is fairly low in calories. It mainly consists of water and a type of dietary fibre which is indigestible. Shirataki noodles are great for adding variety to low-calorie diets.
You’ll have no problems getting sugar-free products
The trend to reduce sugar content in food products or cut out sugar completely has been visible for several years now, but it will build up in 2023. Store shelves will be full of food items containing sweeteners instead of sugar and keto products with a minimum amount of carbohydrates. They will become more readily available off-the-shelf, without having to order them from specialist online stores. It’s not just about the popular no-calorie beverages. The trend will also spread to flavoured dairy products, sauces, preserves, and ready meals. Follow it wisely, by always reading the labels. Sometimes sugar-free products don’t have a lower calorie count than regular foods!
Meat substitutes will take over stores
If you thought 2022 was the year of meat substitutes, you’re in for a real surprise in 2023. Grocery store shelves are already stocked with vegan burgers, gyros, or sausages. Producers in this branch of the food industry are becoming more and more creative. In 2023, you may expect the launches of many new meat alternatives such as vegan fish, shrimp and other seafoods. While moving away from meat to plants is a planet-friendly and usually healthier choice, meat substitutes are processed foods, so eat them occasionally. Don’t base your entire eating plan in 2023 on ready-made meat alternatives.
Better availability of cold-pressed juices and health shots
Cold-pressed juices, juice mixes, and smoothies have already become a permanent fixture in the refrigerated aisles in supermarkets and grocery stores. Here’s the news: more are coming. More intense extracts and juices in smaller volumes – so-called health shots – designed to be consumed ‘at one go’, such as ginger juice with turmeric, will also become more popular. They are excellent products – far healthier than, for example, fizzy drinks – if you want to boost the quality of your diet. However, keep in mind that they’re a source of simple sugars. Use them as an add-on to your diet, not a healthy product that can be consumed without any restrictions. Make water your drink of choice on a daily basis.
Every small step and effort makes a difference, as long as it brings you closer to a healthier lifestyle. Stick to your calculated dietary calorie content, steer clear of typical mistakes in your diet, and approach dietary innovations wisely. These three pillars will make it easier to reach your diet goals in 2023.