16 Food Resolutions You Can Actually Keep This Year

Did you know that there is a 90 percent chance you have tomato paste that expired in 2015 in the back right corner of your refrigerator? Throw that shit O-U-T.

Love,
Someone who found three-year-old capers in her vegetable drawer over the holiday break.

I know we buy these things expecting them to last forever—and, truly, some of them do—but with all the recalls going on these days, it's worth taking a look at some of those baking and cooking staples, like, yesterday to see what's past its prime and ready to be refreshed.

Turns out there very well might be bugs in your spices. Comb through them carefully in the spirit of starting anew this year.

Do some research on what knife makes most sense for you—are you most often chopping vegetables? Slicing fish? Meat? Regardless, a good knife will make your life so much more seamless. My personal fav is this gorgeous santoku knife, but to each her own.

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No point in buying that fancy thing if you're not gonna take care of it.

Realistically, you're already eating vegetables (right? RIGHT?), but if you're looking for more of a challenge, look through your shopping cart ahead of checking out at the grocery store and swap one junk food-y thing for a veg. That's it! Just one!

Listen, I'm not saying you need to cut out alcohol altogether (unless you want to! Then great!), but coming off the holidays, we've all been drinking a lot more than is likely healthy. Swap that huge Tuesday pour out for a big glass of, IDK, water. You'll have a wonderful little Wednesday!

Again, I'm not saying you need to go all in on 327947921 glasses of water a day. But making it a point to drink at least a few more glasses a day is going to change the quality of your life almost immediately, soooooo.

Have you heard about single-use plastics? They, like, suck.

Whether you're scared of messing up gnocchi or risotto or your mom's famous soup, it's still worth trying! Who knows? If you take a slow Sunday afternoon and actually try it, it may turn out you're better at tomato rice than your own mother.

All it really takes is doubling a recipe and a few pieces of Tupperware and you're set for lunch for an entire week. How good does that feel?

You already bought yourself a badass knife. Now it's time to treat someone else. But, like, you're also treating yourself in the process. You both deserve a ridiculously good meal for no occasion other than that it was a long week!

Call it Chopped: Leftovers Edition. For real, though, you absolutely have pasta and cheese (or, if not, eggs and cheese) in your apartment at any point in time. Save the money for once—you'll be proud you did.

Really, the looks on their faces when you greet them on Monday morning with a tray of chocolate-filled something will be worth more than the aggravation they cause you later that day.

You've always known rice isn't meant to be soggy or a little burnt, but you've also always been too lazy to care. Take the time to get to know the ins and outs of a food you cook constantly.

Cooking is hard! And yet, you cooked. Post that objectively just OK #FoodPorn pic to Instagram. Call your grandma and tell her she'd love your feast. Be proud! So proud!