It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to detox and start 2019 as we plan to go on! Christmas is definitely the season to indulge, (come on, it’s Christmas!) but January is the best time to get on the straight and narrow. Last year, the third most popular new year’s resolution in the UK was to eat healthier, with 32% of people choosing it as their goal. We’re jumping (or, more appropriately, heaving ourselves after all those mince pies) onto the bandwagon and here’s why you should too!  

It keeps you healthy

Obviously eating well has tons of fantastic health benefits! Your skin, your bones, your heart… everything is kept in better nick when you eat healthier. ‘Superfoods’, such as nuts & seeds, contain nutrients that can even up your brainpower – just what all students need! There’s scientific links to superfoods improving your alertness, mood, and your memory, so eating healthier will improve your uni life and keep you on track during exam season.  

You’ll have more energy

You know that feeling after you’ve eaten a massive pizza and you feel all sluggish and bloated, and just want to curl up with Netflix? Healthy foods do the opposite for you. There’s nothing wrong with ordering yourself a takeaway now and then, but to really feel more energised and fresher, healthier foods are the way forward. Take a smoothie with you to uni for that 9am lecture, and it’ll definitely get you feeling more awake and ready for action.  

It’s cheaper

Eating healthier can actually be better for your wallet. Microwave meals can cost a lot, but they won’t fill you up and don’t have any high nutritional value, so why bother? Pop down to Leeds Market instead!  There’s loads of meat, fish, and fruit and veg stalls where you grab some great food and healthy snacks for a good price. With a range of ingredients like these, you can bulk-cook meals too which is perfect when you’re a student. Make a big, tasty dish in one go (a vegetable stew is a simple, winter-appropriate example) and freeze whatever you don’t eat in Tupperware portions for you to have at other times!  

You’ll broaden your horizons

It’s easy to get stuck in a routine with food, and that’s when bad habits can creep in. Rather than grabbing something quick, easy and less healthy, push and challenge yourself to try something different. The internet is bursting with awesome recipe ideas – and they’re just at the other end of a Google search! You can even search for foodie hashtags on Instagram and see if you can get some cooking inspiration from there. You won’t be short of ideas, that’s for sure. Flex your skills and try and cook something you’ve never had before – you can try and pull your flatmates on board and cook together!  

You can show off a little… or a lot!

How good is it when you send your Mum a snap of a culinary masterpiece that you’ve made with your own bare hands and she goes on to tell you how proud she is?! Very, is the answer. If you whip up a hot-looking, healthy dish, not only will you rake in all the nutritional benefits, you’ll also give your friends, flatmates, and all of your Instagram followers major food envy!   There are countless benefits of eating better that stretch far beyond the ones we’ve mentioned, so make 2019 your year and up your healthy eating game! If you decide to try your hand at cooking up a nutritional storm, we’d love to see! Tag us in your posts @parklanels1