New Year's Food Resolutions 2025

Happy 2025!! In the spirit of in and out lists, 2024 photo dumps, and new year’s reflections, I wanted to share some of my food resolutions for this coming year.

Though I haven’t always taken time in the constant surge of life to reflect, this year I decided to be a bit more intentional. I put together a little exercise, gathered friends around hot chocolate and finger foods, and walked us through the mental yoga of reflection and goal setting.

As someone who studies sustainable food systems and hosts food waste events, food consumes a considerable amount of my attention. My relationship to food encompasses my relationship to health, community, and the planet. This is an evolving contemplation, but for now, here are my five new year’s food resolutions for 2025.

1. Eat small fish (and bivalves)

Two years ago, I incorporated seafood back into my vegetarian diet. Despite the world of restaurants and meals that opened for me, I am now having doubts. Seafood, often exalted as a more sustainable protein than land-based meat, has been plagued by revelations of destructive overfishing, aquaculture pollution, and egregious human rights violations. 90% of global fish stocks are already fished at their ecological limits or beyond. It’s clear we cannot continue to eat seafood as we have been and are projected to continue in decades to come.

Could there be a way to preserve the nutrition and flexibility of a pescatarian diet without compromising complex marine ecosystems?

Before fully shunning seafood, this year my focus is on eating sustainably sourced fish at the bottom of the food chain. These “forage fish” such as anchovies and sardines are more abundant, reproduce quicker, and can be more sustainably managed than predator fish like salmon and tuna. They are valuable sources of iron, vitamin B12, and protein without the high levels of toxins found in larger fish.

While I was already discovering the versatility of tinned small fish through brands like Patagonia Provisions, in 2025 I’m also looking to welcome more bivalves like mussels, oysters, and scallops into my diet. These humble shell-dwellers sequester carbon, filter waterways, reinforce coastlines, and contain impressive amounts of protein and micronutrients. Seafood Watch deems bivalves farmed domestically “among the most sustainable seafoods you can buy.”

As with all food sustainability claims, particularly when it comes to seafood, there is no infallible “sustainable” option. Seafood Watch and the Marine Stewardship Council offer valuable guides to inform purchasing decisions, highlighting the safest types and sources of seafood. With these guidelines in mind, I’m looking forward to a year of sardine-topped salads, mussels swirled into pasta, and sautéed scallops dripping in herby garlic butter.

2. Experiment with diverse grains

I have long been fascinated by the climate resilient, drought tolerant grains that provide an alternative to water-guzzling, fossil fuel-intensive monocultures of wheat, corn, and rice. Many of these nutritious crops are native to Africa, but have been overlooked and underfunded, at risk of falling out of production. These so-called “orphan crops” (or better named “opportunity crops”) include millet, fonio, teff, and amaranth. Brands like Yolélé, founded by Chef Pierre Thiam (listen to his inspirational story here), and Bob’s Red Mill are bringing these lesser considered grains to the global market. Kernza, a perennial deep-rooted relative of wheat, and buckwheat are other grain varieties that enhance soil nutrition and structure rather than deplete it. If I want to encourage a future of these crops on our plates, I need to start with my own. Already a fan of Patagonia Provisions’s robust kernza pasta, I couldn’t be more excited to bring dishes like fonio pilaf and millet cakes to the table.

3. Embrace gut-friendly foods from around the world

I don’t know if it’s being squarely in my late-20s, the New York City atmosphere, or sitting on my butt most of the day, but my metabolism is not what it used to be. Without my mother feeding me Traditional Chinese Medicine digestion remedies or sneaking sauerkraut into every dish, it’s up to me to maintain my own thriving colonies of gut microbes. This year, I’m inspired by her fermentation experiments to try my own, from yogurt and vinegar to kombucha and kimchi.

I’m particularly intrigued by homemade tempeh, which my mom became obsessed with during the pandemic. After visiting Bali in October and finally enjoying tempeh again (the tender bite and nutty flavor lost to me after I moved back to my own apartment), I wrote an article for The Bittman Project in defense of the underrated plant-based protein. My research revealed the incredible health benefits of fresh tempeh and foods that are “predigested” through fermentation, unlocking nutrients that would otherwise be encased within. My kitchen will be a vision of jars and containers holding bubbly, and more than likely a little funky, concoctions this year.

4. Host accessible community meals

After a year of organizing ticketed dinners priced up to $225 (gasp!!) a seat, I’m feeling drawn towards more casual, interactive community events. I see Fancy Scraps, my food waste pop-up series, bringing potlucks (aligned with the era of cookbook clubs), family style meals, and hands-on workshops to 2025. Personally, I’m looking forward to home-cooked dinners with friends, cafe-style apartment coworking days, and finally the dip party and croissant tasting I’ve always wanted. My severely limited grad student budget has heightened the value of every dollar spent, and encouraged me to invest in the hygge of my own home rather than looking to restaurants for an elevated dining experience. I’m definitely adding plateware and kitchen accessories to my 2025 budget.

5. Write about food

Beyond the incredible sights, foods, and experiences of my six-week jaunt around Asia with my partner this fall, one of the most valuable takeaways was my rediscovery of writing. Growing up, my dream was always to be the youngest published novelist. I got as far as sending a manuscript of a children’s book about Santa Claus to a publisher before deciding I didn’t want to go through the editing process and ditching the project (I was 10, I wasn’t thinking incredibly long-term).

After my travels, I began pitching pieces about international food culture and sustainability to The Bittman Project, where I have a couple stories published now. I caught the bug! I am still learning about the world of food and climate media, but I am so inspired by the thoughtful and impactful ideas being shared. I’m excited to continue digging into the complex stories of what eating sustainably looks like, who is involved, and why it matters. Hope you’ll join for the ride!

Events

Philo Studio’s Feast with Friends Dinner Party 1/15 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

The Libi Project’s sixth Culinary Industry Night 1/27 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Jobs

Sr Manager, Social Impact & Sustainability @ CAVA

Partnerships & Development Operations Manager @ Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

Lots of roles at ReFED

Also…

Help my friend John advance local food systems by taking this short survey! (Based on lived experience, no expertise necessary)

Love & limes,

Olivia