With the end of 2013 comes the beginning of many New Years’ resolutions. While many students choose to make alternative resolutions, the most popular resolution never changes: to get healthy and fit. The time of year has arrived when every treadmill is taken in Hynes and the salad line in Spellman is out the door. Don’t give up on your resolutions just yet —remember these helpful tips on how to maintain a nutritious lifestyle during the New Year.

One of the major misconceptions of New Year diets is cutting out specific foods in order to lose weight. It is important to include all different food groups of the food pyramid in order to have a healthy nutritious diet.

As the saying goes, the most important meal of the day is breakfast. In order to have energy throughout the rest of the day, a nutritious breakfast should be included in everyone’s daily routine. Studies have also shown that those who eat breakfast typically feel more full throughout the day, causing them to snack less. One of the best options for a small yet nutritious breakfast is Greek yogurt with a piece of fruit. Not only are you knocking out two food groups with one meal but it is a lot more filling then it appears.

If you have more time on your hands, some other options are protein-packed smoothies and egg white omelets filled with your favorite veggies like tomatoes and spinach.

For lunch the best option is something that will fill you up enough until it is time for dinner. Most people will immediately run to the salad line at Spellman when they are trying to watch what they eat. Salad can be a very healthy choice. However, depending on your choice of toppings and dressing, the salad may be unhealthier then you think. Be sure to avoid thicker dressings like ranch and sugar-filled dried fruit. A healthy food that most people underestimate the nutritious value of is soup! Depending on the type of soup you choose, most are jam packed with a variety of nutritious vegetables that will keep you full of energy until dinner. Try an old favorite like chicken noodle soup for the perfect lunch that will combat both cold days and pesky head colds.

For dinner, if you are looking for something filling but not too large, a great option is a grilled chicken sandwich from the grill at Spellman. A tip when choosing what sides to eat with dinner is to skip the option of French fries from the grill and to get something a bit healthier from the hot food station. Although the hot food changes every night, you will most often find sides of vegetables or rice. These are good substitutions that will not only fill you up but won’t weigh you down either.

Although at times changing your diet can seem difficult, with just a few adjustments to your everyday routine healthy eating will no longer seem like a burden but a new lifestyle.