Tip 1 : Make a sweet potato casserole healthier by adding fruits and 100% fruit juice for sweetness instead of brown sugar and marshmallows.

Tip 2 : For a plant-based protein meal, try bean burgers, lentil burgers, or pita halves with falafel (spicy ground chick pea patties).

Tip 3 : Some cheeses have a lot of sodium. Use them in small amounts to add flavor, and omit additional salt.

Tip 4 : Use your summer vegetables to make homemade salsa. Check online for recipes.

Tip 5 : Visit your favorite breakfast diner and order a veggie omelet to start your day with vegetables.

Tip 6 : Don’t want to eliminate all sweets? Try a drizzle of chocolate fudge sauce on a pear, banana, or berries..

Tip 7 : Add vegetarian meat substitutes (like tempeh or tofu) to soups and stews to boost protein without adding saturated fat or cholesterol.

Tip 8 : 1 Kaiser roll (about 3.5 inches across) counts as 2.5 oz of grains. Use My Plan to find out how many ounces of grains per day you need.

Tip 9 : Boneless chicken breasts are great for quick stir-fries--add peppers, onion, garlic, ginger...and red pepper flakes if you like heat!

Tip 10 : For lean protein food choices, select boneless skinless chicken breasts, turkey cutlets, lean beef or pork cuts, or seafood.