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

Tip 2 : Choose soft margarines with zero trans fats made from liquid vegetable oil, rather than stick margarine or butter

Tip 3 : Mix together brown rice and white rice in equal proportions to make half your grains whole!

Tip 4 : Add non-fat powdered milk to casseroles, soups or pasta dishes to get added calcium.

Tip 5 : Try grilling, broiling, poaching, or roasting protein foods. These cooking methods don't add extra fat.

Tip 6 : 1 flour tortilla (8 inches in diameter) counts as 2 oz of grains. Use My Plan to see how many ounces of grains you need each day.

Tip 7 : Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and fish�you can�t tell if it's cooked by the way it looks.

Tip 8 : Keep your food safe! Wash your hands, utensils & cutting boards before and after contact with raw meat, poultry, seafood & eggs.

Tip 9 : Check out the freezer section for seafood. Flash-frozen seafood retains the nutrients and taste of fresh seafood.

Tip 10 : For hamburger patties, meatloaf, or as an ingredient for casseroles, look for lean or extra-lean ground meat.