The start of a new year often comes with big intentions around health; people promise themselves that they will eat better, get stronger and commit to having more energy. 

But for many, those goals can quickly turn into pressure-filled resolutions that are hard to sustain once the glimmer of the holiday season wears off and real life kicks back in. According to Allison Stowell, Registered Dietitian at Hannaford Supermarkets, lasting wellness doesn’t come from reinventing your routine overnight. It comes from making thoughtful, realistic adjustments that actually fit your life.

“People often assume January 1 means they’re ready for change,” Stowell says. “But readiness doesn’t come from the calendar. It comes from understanding what you’re truly able to take on right now.”

That “progress over perfection” mindset is the key to building healthy habits that stick.

Where resolutions often go wrong

Every January, Stowell and her fellow Hannaford dietitians hear similar goals from shoppers: lose weight, cut back on sugar, eat more protein. Increasingly, they are also seeing that many of these goals are motivated by improving long-term health, such as wanting to prevent or manage chronic conditions rather than chasing short-term results.

The problem isn’t the goals themselves. It’s how people try to reach them.

“One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to do too much, too fast,” Stowell says. “Goals are often set too big or too vaguely, without considering the smaller, actionable steps that actually lead to success. When setting health goals, it’s far more effective to think in manageable, attainable phases that build toward the larger end goal.”

Another common pitfall is lifestyle mismatch. Influencer-driven trends or overly restrictive diets may sound appealing, but they often don’t align with the average person’s schedule, budget, cooking skills or family needs. When goals don’t fit real life, burnout tends to follow and people are left feeling like they’ve failed, even though the goal itself was never really a match for them.

Hannaford’s team of registered dietitians works with shoppers to reframe that thinking, emphasizing that consistency matters more than intensity. Small habits practiced regularly can lead to meaningful change over time.

Building smart, affordable routines

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Planning and preparation are often the biggest drivers of success.

“Planning starts at home, not in the store,” Stowell says. “Before you shop, look at what you already have in your fridge and pantry, what’s about to expire and what your week actually looks like.”

That kind of intentional planning helps stretch food budgets, reduce waste and cut back on last-minute takeout. It also makes healthy choices easier during busy weeknights.

Rather than traditional meal prepping, which can take over an entire weekend and lead to food fatigue by midweek, Stowell recommends ingredient prepping. Washing and chopping vegetables, roasting a few proteins or cooking a pot of whole grains creates flexible building blocks that can be mixed and matched throughout the week.

Think: roasted vegetables that can be tossed into a grain bowl one night, wrapped in a whole-grain tortilla the next, or added to a salad later in the week. This approach saves time without locking you into the same meal over and over.

Convenience can, and should, be part of a healthy routine. Pre-cut vegetables, washed greens and frozen produce may cost slightly more upfront, but they can prevent food waste and make it far more likely that nutritious foods actually get eaten.

“You don’t have to cut nutrition to cut corners,” says Stowell. 

Eating well on a budget

With grocery costs top of mind for many Maine families, healthy eating is often viewed as becoming more out of reach by the day. Stowell says that perception usually comes down to what we shop for and how we shop. 

“Eating healthy on a budget is about shopping with your true habits in mind,” Stowell says. “If you buy groceries that don’t fit how you really cook or eat, you’re more likely to waste money and food.”

Simple staples like bananas, natural peanut butter, no-salt-added canned beans, frozen vegetables and whole-grain pasta offer strong nutritional value at a low cost. Buying in bulk when it makes sense to do so, such as larger yogurt containers or large bags of nuts, can also reduce both cost per serving and packaging waste.

Smart swaps matter, too. A potato sliced and roasted at home costs far less than a bag of frozen fries. Seasoning foods yourself instead of buying heavily flavored options can reduce sodium and added sugar while also saving money.

One easy tip that everyone can put into practice on their next trip to the grocery store is to focus on color in the produce department rather than variety. Choosing what’s in season or on sale and aiming for a wider range of colors helps ensure nutritional balance without overspending.

A local resource for Maine families

Hannaford, a longstanding pillar in many Maine communities, views itself not only as a go-to grocery retailer, but also as a trusted partner in offering nutrition resources and education to support the health and well-being of individuals and families. 

Hannaford dietitians offer free nutrition classes, goal-setting support, and one-on-one guidance designed to meet shoppers where they are. The advice is practical, evidence-based and tailored to the realities of busy households.

“Health looks different for everyone,” Stowell says. “Our role is to help people figure out what works for them, not what’s trending online.”

Small changes, big impact

If there’s one takeaway Stowell hopes people remember this year, it’s that small, sustainable changes add up.

Your goals can be as simple as drinking water with every meal, adding vegetables to each plate, cooking at home one extra night per week or grocery shopping with a clearer plan. These habits may seem modest, but practiced consistently, they form a foundation for long-term wellness.

A realistic reset isn’t about starting from scratch, but moving forward, one manageable step at a time. And with the right tools, support and mindset, those steps can carry you well beyond January and into the rest of the year.

To learn more about the program and how to get in touch with your local Hannaford dietitian, visit hannaford.com/dietitians.