Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. They are low in fat and calories and high in nutrients.

Get plenty of fiber. Fiber has many healthful benefits including reducing risks for chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Get 20-35 grams of fiber every day. When you are increasing fiber in your diet, make sure you increase fluid intake as well.

Get three or more servings of whole grains every day. Choose from oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, cereal, tortillas and bread. To assure the bread is whole grain, make sure the first ingredient listed on the package is whole wheat or another whole grain.

Eat until you are satisfied and then stop. Many of us add unwanted extra pounds every year because we keep eating just because the food tastes good. Make sure that when you eat it's because of hunger and not boredom. If you are not sure if it's hunger or boredom you are experiencing, try doing another activity for fifteen minutes and then see if the desire to eat is still there.

Eat least three cups of beans every week. They are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. One half cup of cooked beans can have as much as seven grams of fiber.

Eat a variety of foods from all food groups. Choose grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat and beans. Each group provides different nutrients and we need them all to be healthy.

Limit total fat to no more than 30% of total calories. For a person consuming 2,000 calories per day, that would mean no more than 67 grams of fat per day. Saturated fat should be no more than 10% of total calories.

Drink plenty of fluids to keep your body adequately hydrated. Hydration assures that your body can function at its best. With NO calories, water is always a good choice.

Be a safe food handler. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 76 million people in the U.S. become ill each year because of food borne illness. Of this number, 5,000 die. Keep food safe in your household by washing your hands often and keeping kitchen surfaces clean. Cook foods to a safe temperature to kill bacteria and then promptly refrigerate. Bacteria can grow at temperatures of 40 degrees to 140 degrees. Within that temperature range, they can double in number every 20 minutes.