Fruits and Vegetables

• Fruits and vegetables are the biggest part of a healthy diet. They are low in calories, high in fiber and include essential nutrients such as potassium, iron and zinc. Include extra servings of vegetables and fruits in all your meals to help you feel fuller and not deprived. Add chopped peppers to scrambled eggs at breakfast. Put half a cup of broccoli into your pasta sauce serving. Pile vegetables onto your sandwich at lunch instead of eating simple meat and cheese. Instead of chocolate sauce on your ice cream for dessert, heat raspberries or blackberries in the microwave and pour them over frozen yogurt.
  
  

Grains

• Carbohydrates are not the villain some people believe them to be. Carbs are the building blocks for energy in your body, so you need them to move and to help burn off calories. Healthy carbs are those that include the whole grain, so as to retain the original nutrients in the plant. Switch your fettucini to whole grain noodles. Enjoy brown rice with your healthy stir fry. Make your sandwich with multi-grain bread. Pass up the bagel at breakfast and enjoy oatmeal instead.
  
  

Proteins

• Proteins are what your body uses to build muscle, so it's important to get an adequate amount every day. Concentrate on lean sources of protein, in meat and vegetable servings. Beans and legumes can add protein to your diet, as can dairy products such as low-fat yogurt. Chicken, turkey and fish are staples in many healthy diets, as are shellfish such as shrimp. Skip the ground beef in your taco salad and substitute shredded chicken.
  
  

Fats

• Don't completely cut fat out of your diet; simply concentrate on healthier fats in moderate amounts, Olive oil, flax seed oil, canola oil and avocado are all healthy sources of fats. Stir-fry instead of deep frying; oven-bake foods instead of frying with fats in a pan.
  
  

Lifestyle

• Eating healthy foods doesn't mean that you have to give up all of your favorites. Most recipes can be made into healthy diet food with a few changes in ingredients. Add more healthy ingredients, find lower-fat substitutes and enjoy your food much as you always have, but with healthier results.