Embarking on a journey towards better nutrition involves more than just good intentions. To turn your healthy aspirations into tangible, concrete achievements, it’s crucial to set goals that are SMART. SMART isn’t just an adjective to describe your goals- it’s an acronym: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This acronym can help you craft a goal that is focused and clear, thus increasing your chances of success. Side note: SMART goals aren’t limited to nutrition, this is a great tool when creating any goal, but, you know, nutrition is my area of expertise, so I’m sticking with that for now.
Understanding SMART Goals
As noted above, SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Let’s break down each component with some examples so you understand each piece before making a goal custom to your unique needs.
- Specific: Clearly define what you want to accomplish. A specific goal answers the questions: What do I want to achieve? Why is it important? How will I achieve it? Instead of “I want to eat better” narrow the focus to a specific way to do that- “I will eat more fruits and vegetables”.
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- Measurable: Establish criteria to quantify your progress and determine when you have reached your goal. Ask yourself: How much? How many? How will I measure my progress? “More” is too hard to quantify and track, instead try: “I will eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.”
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- Attainable: Ensure that your goal is realistic and achievable. Something challenging but not so ambitious that it puts too much pressure or stress on yourself. Consider your resources and limitations. If you don’t have an hour a day to workout, then don’t make your goal an hour, or even 45 minutes. Start with 30 minutes a day. Going back to our example of fruits and vegetables, take a look at what you’re currently doing. If you’re only getting in 2 fruits a day, for example, maybe your goal is adding 1 serving of vegetables per day, or possibly 2. But it’s unrealistic to think you can go from 2 servings to 6 servings without any issues or stress. Go slow, you can always adjust your goal later once you complete one.
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- Relevant: Your goal should align with your overall objectives and be meaningful to you. Ask yourself: Is this goal worthwhile? Does it contribute to my long-term plan? I don’t need to protein load unless I’m planning on being a professional weight lifter. I don’t need to worry about carb loading as I’m not running marathons, so those don’t need to be my goals, even if they are for other people. Fruits and vegetables are shown to be so beneficial in all the research for so many people. And 9 out of 10 people don’t get enough of them, so if I’m one of those 9, then this is a great goal. Make goals appropriate to YOU, don’t let other people influence your goals.
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- Time-Bound: Set a specific timeframe for achieving your goal. This adds a sense of urgency and helps you prioritize. Ask yourself: When will I achieve this? What can I do today? It takes 8 weeks to build a new habit, so maybe that’s your time frame. But maybe that sounds too daunting. A week might be too short for you to give it a real try and work out all the kinks. 4 weeks perhaps? It is completely up to you.
So our goal went from:
“I want to eat better” to “I will eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day for 1 month”. After that month is up, reassess. Was it successful? Do you like where you are now? Want to stay where you are, up it to 6 servings? Check that goal off and make a new goal?
Nutrition-Based SMART Goals
Now that we know what all the letters stand for, and walked through making a goal, let’s map out a few more examples of SMART goals so you can see it in action:
- Goal: Increase Vegetable Intake
- Specific: Consume vegetables daily, incorporating a variety of colors and types.
- Measurable: 3 servings per day (1 serving is ½ a cup, or 1 cup leafy greens)
- Attainable: Previously eating 1 serving a day. Adding 2 servings should be doable.
- Relevant: Supports overall health by providing essential vitamins and minerals.
- Time-Bound: Achieve this goal within the next 30 days.
- Goal: Hydration Improvement
- Specific: Drink water daily.
- Measurable: 8 glasses (64 ounces)
- Attainable: Increase water intake gradually, incorporating herbal teas and seltzer which is a nice change from plain water. Current intake is ~5-6 cups daily..
- Relevant: Hydration is essential for overall well-being and supports various bodily functions.
- Time-Bound: Maintain this habit consistently for the next 60 days.
- Goal: Whole Grains
- Specific: Incorporate more whole grains.
- Measurable: Half grains daily will be from whole grain sources.
- Attainable: Read ingredient list to check what grains are whole (1st word will say “whole”) and gradually swap out refined (1st word says enriched or bleached) grains. Currently only eating oatmeal as a whole grain, but can easily switch bread and pasta to whole grain.
- Relevant: Supports heart health, gut health, and blood sugar control.
- Time-Bound: Practice this habit for the next 45 days.
- Goal: Limit Added Sugar Intake
- Specific: Reduce consumption of added sugars.
- Measurable: Less than 25 grams per day.
- Attainable: Gradually replace sugary snacks with whole, natural alternatives. Currently eat a granola bar with added sugar that can be swapped for nuts, and sweetened yogurt that can be swapped for plain yogurt with fruit.
- Relevant: Decreasing added sugar intake supports heart health and blood sugar management.
- Time-Bound: Achieve this goal and continue for the next 60 days.
- Goal: Regular Physical Activity
- Specific: Engage in moderate-intensity exercise.
- Measurable: 150 minutes per week.
- Attainable: Start with shorter sessions and gradually increase duration and intensity. Currently walking about 60 minutes a week. Can add a workout on the weekends for another 60 minutes, then need to find a spot for a 30 minute session.
- Relevant: Regular exercise complements a healthy diet, promoting overall well-being.
- Time-Bound: Establish and practice this routine within the next 90 days.
Setting SMART goals is a powerful strategy to turn your nutritional aspirations into reality. By applying specificity, measurability, attainability, relevance, and time-bound parameters to your goals, you create a roadmap for success. Remember, small, gradual changes are more sustainable in the long run. My personal preference after working with lots of clients is to make 2 goals at a time. You can make as many goals as you want, but too many goals at one time spreads you too thin. Imagine doing 2 goals at a time for 2 months, by the end of the year you can have improved your nutrition in 12 different ways. That’s HUGE! You can certainly give this a go on your own, or if you need a little support or accountability, work with a dietitian! We’ve created many goals for clients and can give you the resources you need to succeed! Just a thought:)
We at Simple Start Nutrition hope you have a wonderful 2024 and achieve all the SMART goals you set for yourself!
Stay Happy, Stay Healthy
This blog was written by Chris Henigan MS, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition. For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook. Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.
