Tip 1 : Try growing your own vegetables and herbs. You can start small with a few pots on your balcony or deck.

Tip 2 : Vary your veggies by adding a new vegetable to a different meal each day.

Tip 3 : For variety in your protein foods at breakfast, try hard cooked eggs, soy-based sausage, or peanut butter on toast.

Tip 4 : Plunge asparagus quickly into boiling water to blanch--then add to a pasta salad or serve as a side dish.

Tip 5 : Try low-fat ricotta instead of cottage cheese--it has more calcium and works great in many recipes that call for cottage cheese.

Tip 6 : Tuna and a few whole wheat crackers make a great snack.

Tip 7 : Broil lean beef cuts--sirloin, top round, or flank steak. Sliced into strips, it�s great on a salad, sandwich or by itself.

Tip 8 : Many lean cuts of meat need long, slow moist cooking--invest in a slow cooker for melt-in-your mouth meats without too much fat.

Tip 9 : Shopping tip: Find specials and coupons in your local paper or online for discounts on fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables.

Tip 10 : To get some extra dairy, add some shredded low-fat cheese to tuna casserole.