New Year’s resolutions. They’re all about self-betterment, but they’re generally forgotten about or given up on by the end of January. I think that’s because they’re boring and are about restricting, especially when it comes to food-related resolutions. Get rid of all that! What we really need from foodie New Year’s resolutions are achievable, exciting (and tasty) missions that will make 2026 full of good eats and good memories. So here’s a couple of food-related New Year’s resolutions to snack on. Your 2026 stomach will thank you.
1. Make it routine to try new restaurants.
Forget eating out less. Let the New Year be your excuse to try out new places, whether it’s that restaurant that’s been there forever that you’ve never tried or the brand new place. Find places with a cool atmosphere or an intriguing menu. Basically, make trying out restaurants like a regular experiment. Maybe it’s once a month, maybe it’s every other month — just get on a schedule and get to trying. Old haunts are great, but they’ll be there when you get back from your restaurant-trying journey. And hey, I’m just saying, having a bad food experience will still be an experience to remember.
2. Romanticize cooking — and do it more often.
I get it, cooking can feel like a chore. It takes a while and requires all of these ingredients and steps. But if the New Year is about stepping outside our comfort zones, then it’s time to set aside the frozen meals and start cooking from scratch. Make cooking an event (maybe pair it with watching a favorite show or listening to a new podcast episode?) and choose recipes that you’re excited about. Avoid making it a chore and have fun with it! Experiment, take photos, find a way to make cooking an enjoyable experience. If you want to eat your way through 2026, one way to do it is from your own kitchen.
3. Get into meal prepping.
An offshoot of cooking, meal prepping is a great way to save yourself time later in the week. The start of a new year is the perfect time to start meal-prepping because it’s basically a New Year’s resolution to stay organized and keep the stress down. No longer will you have to come home from work or class and then decide what to have for dinner.
4. Ditch chain coffee places and try local spots.
Dunkin’ is good and all, but if you’re going out to buy coffee, try out some local spots instead. Supporting local businesses is a great way to kick off the New Year, especially when those local businesses can fill you up with good coffee and maybe a little pastry too. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I find that local spots make better coffee anyways.
5. Actually make the food hacks you heart on social media.
We all see loads of recipes and food hacks on our for-you pages, but how often do we actually make them? I’ll let silence speak for the both of us here. 2026 is the time to look back through your saved or liked posts, or scroll through your favorite foodie content creators’ pages and actually try out a few things.
6. Try going out to eat by yourself.
Going to a restaurant by yourself can feel a little weird, maybe even a little embarrassing, but it’s worth a try. Going out with friends is great, no doubt about it. But it’s okay to grab a meal by yourself. If there’s a new place you want to try (see number 1 on this list), you don’t have to wait to gather all your friends to try it out.
7. Buy local and attend community food events.
Chances are, you might have a local farmer’s market or farm stand or other community food event around, so make an effort to visit them. They usually have all kinds of hidden gems and tasty things to eat, and you can do so knowing you’re supporting local artisans and farmers. You don’t have to go every time one pops up — it’s just about going more than you did in 2025.