As New Year’s Day approaches every year, the first thing I do is ensure I have black-eyed peas on hand — so I can make Hoppin’ John, the traditional “good luck” dish of legumes and rice. Second, I review what I’ve learned over the past 12 months.

As a health reporter, I have scoured the latest research and interviewed some of the world’s leading experts to help readers understand the often confusing landscape of nutrition science.

Here are 10 health- and food-related insights my colleagues and I have gleaned from our reporting this year.

1. There’s a heart-healthy diet hardly anyone follows.

If you have high blood pressure, cutting back on sodium isn’t the only way to lower it. Following the DASH diet — which prioritizes foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, poultry and fish, and legumes — can work just as well as taking a blood-pressure-lowering medication, clinical trials have found.

Read more about the DASH diet, with tips and recipes to help you follow it.