So maybe it was the pandemic, or maybe the holidays we’re knee-deep in, but you may find yourself with a few extra pounds this season that you know you need to shed.

You don’t have to wait for a New Year’s resolution to get started.

My advice? Forget the scale and get started eating healthier. If you find yourself wanting “something,” make that snack a piece of fruit, veggies with hummus or even a carton of Greek yogurt (my favorite is Light & Fit for 80 calories, 13 grams of protein and only 6 grams of sugar). Add a vegetable — or two — to every meal, and eat your veggies first.

Make your shopping list something that a registered dietitian would copy. Oranges are in season right now. Choose the easy-to-peel varieties and leave them out on the counter in full view, so when you walk by, they call your name. Make your own veggie tray to bring out while you prepare dinner. We all are preparing more food at home, so dust off the slow cooker and put a healthy meal in it. Cooking at home is so much healthier than takeout or fast food, because you can control the salt, fat and sugar.

Here’s the key: What you bring into your home is what you’ll eat. Pack your cart with grapes, oatmeal, Brussels sprouts, lean beef or pork — you get the idea — and try a new recipe that spotlights fruits or vegetables. Then put them together in some healthy meals.

Here are a few of the favorites at my house:

And finally, here’s a favorite stir-fry recipe, adapted from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Asian Beef Stir-Fry

1 beef top sirloin steak, boneless (about 1 pound), sliced thin
4 cups assorted fresh or frozen vegetables, such as sugar snap peas, broccoli florets, bell pepper and carrot strips
2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
½ cup prepared stir-fry sauce
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
 

To make it easier, freeze steak slightly; cut it lengthwise in half, then slice crosswise into ¼-inch-thick strips.

In a wok or skillet, add 1 tablespoon of oil. When it starts to sizzle, add garlic and ginger to flavor oil. Then add vegetables and toss (like a salad) for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to same pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of beef and half of garlic and ginger; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Remove. Repeat with remaining beef and garlic. Return all beef and vegetables to pan. Add stir-fry sauce and crushed red pepper; heat through. Serve over brown rice. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serves 4.

Per serving: 411 calories, 32 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 70 milligrams cholesterol, 3.2 grams fiber, 783 milligrams sodium

Fargo is a registered dietitian with Southern Illinois University Medical School in Springfield. Send recipe ideas to her at [email protected]. The opinions of this writer are not necessarily those of Farm Progress/Informa.