Tip 1 : Buy vegetables that are easy to prepare. Pick up pre-washed bags of salad greens, baby carrots or celery sticks.

Tip 2 : Shopping tip: Find specials and coupons in your local paper or online for discounts on fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits.

Tip 3 : Make a main dish salad with thin slices of cooked lean beef and a little crumble of blue cheese on top of salad greens.

Tip 4 : Chowders make a delicious supper dish --make your own with seafood, vegetables, and low-fat milk. Look for recipes online.

Tip 5 : Dairy foods contain a wealth of nutrients. Besides calcium, they also give you vitamin A and D, protein, potassium and magnesium.

Tip 6 : Five 100% whole-wheat crackers count as 1 oz of whole grains. Use My Plan to see how many ounces of whole grains you need each day.

Tip 7 : Can you make hummus? Blend canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), garlic, olive oil, lemon juice & tahini (sesame seed paste). Enjoy!

Tip 8 : Tostadas can be made in minutes by topping a toasted tortilla with cooked meat or chicken, beans, lettuce, and salsa.

Tip 9 : An ounce equivalent of protein foods is 1 oz of meat, poultry, or seafood, ¼ cup beans, 1 egg, 1 T. peanut butter, or ½ oz nuts or seeds.

Tip 10 : Just because bread is brown, doesn’t mean it is a whole grain. Check for whole grains on the ingredients list.