2. Drink plenty of water daily.
3. Limit regular salad dressing use to one tablespoon (1/2 oz.) a day. Consider no-fat alternatives to regular dressings, such as vinegars.
4. As part of your fruit or veggie choices, make sure you include a good source of vitamin C every day. For example, opt for fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew. Some high-C vegetables are cabbage, broccoli, and red bell peppers.
5. A good source of vitamin A should be eaten every other day. Dark green or yellow-orange-fleshed fruits and vegetables provide large amounts of beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body. Spinach, cantaloupe, winter squashes, peaches, broccoli and carrots are all good choices.
6. As often as you can, choose foods that are low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Limit your intake of fat and oils, especially those high in saturated fats (e.g. butter, cream, lard, hydrogenated fats, and palm coconut oils). Limit cholesterol to 300 mg per day (Reference: 1 egg contains about 210 mg of cholesterol). In other words, aim to eat no more than one food containing significant amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats per day. (Don't plan on having eggs, ice cream and red meat on the same day).
7. Try and choose foods that are low in sodium and salt. Aim to eat no more than one high-sodium food per day, and learn to enjoy the natural flavor of food. If you still crave seasoning, flavor foods with a variety of herbs and spices. Make sure to read food labels carefully; some foods that don't "taste salty" are actually high in sodium.
8. Choose food high in fiber every day. These include whole grain breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, and dry beans and peas
