Still looking for some resolutions to kick of 2020? We’re all for self-improvement, but strict diets and rigid goals just don’t do the trick for us. Instead, we’ve compiled a list of resolutions that can and should be fun. Resolutions that aren’t too vague nor too far fetched. Resolve to do one, or all of these, and you’ll likely end up eating healthier and maybe even eating happier. We wish you a healthy and energized start to the year.

Martha Pincoffs is the founder of 30 at Home, a challenge to cook all of your meals, for 30 days. Checkout the link below to read the full story about 30 at Home. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

1. Cook more.

Austin has no lack of delicious eateries, and with so many options for take out and food delivery, it can be tempting to forgo the perfectly good vegetables you have sitting in your fridge and pick something up. Why don’t you resolve to cook more? Maybe you go all in and do the 30 at Home Challenge (we featured this challenge last year - eat all meals at home for 30 days!).  Or maybe you resolve to pack your lunch everyday. (Here is a great guide for that very goal.) Or perhaps, save restaurant meals for the weekend.. Whatever the goal is, make sure it fits with your lifestyle and isn’t too extreme. Cooking more has so many benefits - gain new skills, spend more time at home, and save money.

Getting a CSA box is a great way to ensure you cook more. These veggies aren't going to slice themselves! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

2. Eat more vegetables.

This may seem a little… obvious… coming from your vegetable farmers, but we think it’s a noble goal, nonetheless. Are you a CSA Member? Resolve to use each and every vegetable in your box, and then some. Considering the CSA? It’s an awesome way to get more vegetables into your diet - we grow them, harvest and deliver the veggies… all you need to do is cook them. (Join before the end of the month, and we’ll send you a free box. Code: freshidea2). We hope a resolve to eat more vegetables means eating more local vegetables. Resolve to have at least one vegetable from a local farmer in each and every dish you cook! Checkout the JBG Recipe Archive for some inspiration, scour the internet, or turn to classic recipe websites like food52 , Epicurious  nytimes, and Bon Appetit. Eating more vegetables may mean you eat a little less meat, but instead of focusing on less meat, we encourage you to think about the quality of the meat you consume. Eat meat raised on pasture, ideally coming from a local farm or ranch. There are so many farmers’ markets in town, and most of them offer a wide selection of quality meat (and vegetables). If it’s not the weekend, grocery stores like Wheatsville and Whole Foods, as well as butcher shops like Salt and Time and Dai Due carry Texas products that you can trust.

To incorporate more local ingredients into your cooking, head to a farmers' market. Pictured here is the iconic SFC Downtown Farmers' Market, held each Saturday in Republic Square. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

3. Cook something new.

If you’re like us, you have a mental catalog of dishes you’ve always wanted to try and make. This is the year, nay, the month (!) to tackle at least one of those menu items. Set aside some time on the weekend to tackle a kitchen-project - pickle some stuff, make a giant batch of empanadas (and freeze some for later), or try your hand at gnocchi.  Do you crave a certain dish from a restaurant in town? Try to recreate it at home! If you usually cook with east Asian flavors, consider traveling to the Italian peninsula. Do you have any trips planned for 2020? Take a moment to research the foodways of that place (even if it’s just somewhere else in the U.S.) and let those flavors inspire you. Head to the bookstore or library and flip through some cookbooks… it’s okay to choose a recipe based on the photo. That’s why they’re there.

Do you love Indian food but are intimdated to make it? Find Krishna's easy recipe for Aloo Mutter on the JBG blog by searching "aloo mutter" in the search bar. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

4. Cook something super simple.

Give yourself the freedom to eat something as simple as white rice and sauteed greens, for example. Not only will your digestive system thank you (a break after the holidays!), but committing to eating very simply (at least for some meals) will free up some mental and physical time for other things. Eat leftovers, eat simply, maybe just buy some cheese and crackers, slice up a radish and call it dinner. Food doesn’t have to be complicated!

Using high quality ingredients, like fresh veggies straight from our fields, is the key to cooking simple food, that is delicious. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

5. Invite someone over for dinner.

If you’re not used to hosting or feeding other people, the idea to cook something for someone else can be a little daunting. Will they like it? Will it come out right? Were they expecting something fancier? Though these worries may keep you from doing the deed, don’t let them! Cooking for someone can be super easy. Call it like it is: “Come over for taco Tuesday, and please bring some salsa!” See? That wasn’t too hard. Cooking for someone is a great way to show you care, plus the quality of the time spent together is usually superior than trying to navigate a busy bar line or yell over too-loud music.

Involve your guests in the cooking process - it will lighten your load and also make everyone feel welcome. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Best of luck with these new year’s resolutions. We hope our veggies make their way into some of your meals. Let us know how it goes!