• Top a dish of berries with yogurt.
• Use fresh berries to add flavor to chicken or pork.
• Enjoy berries year-round. Keep frozen unsweetened berries in your freezer. Warm them up for a sweet dessert, to top waffles, pancakes, plain yogurt or low-fat frozen yogurt.

3. High fiber grains:

Barley, buckwheat, bulgur, millet and quinoa

Nutrition assets: Loaded with fiber and some B vitamins.

How to eat more:

• Use these grains to widen your choice of starches. Substitute them for your usual rice, pasta or potato side dishes.
• Saute garlic, onions and mushrooms and add to grains while cooking.
• Prepare a combination of high-fiber grain with rice.
• Add bulgur or buckwheat to a meat- or turkey-loaf.

4. Dried peas and beans:

Garbanzo, kidney, pinto and white beans (and others), green and yellow peas and lentils

Nutrition assets: High in fiber. Good sources of vitamins: folic acid, B vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin and the minerals iron, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium.

How to eat more:

• Toss in salads.
• Use as a starch side dish.
• Eat Mexican. Use fat-free refried beans or black beans to make burritos or enchiladas. Or make chili.
• Use bean-based soups as the main course for a quick lunch or dinner. Add a salad and whole grain bread, and you’ve got dinner.
• Blend for dips or spreads.

Note: Make life easy—use canned beans.

5. High fiber breads, crackers and cereals:

Nutrition assets: High in fiber and a good source of B vitamins. Enough fiber can help improve blood glucose and blood lipid levels and keep your bowels regular.

How to eat more:

• Use a high-fiber cereal in combination with your other favorite cereals. A high-fiber cereal should contain at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
• Use high-fiber cereal for a snack or mix in yogurt.
• When you buy bread, look for a whole grain loaf with at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.
• Choose whole grain crackers with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

6. Oily fish:

Salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, and anchovies

Nutrition assets: High in omega-3 fats that can reduce triglycerides. They also prevent the formation of blood clots and prevent blood clots from sticking to artery walls.

How to eat more:

• Have at least one to two fish meals per week with these oily fish.
• Make salmon or tuna salad for a quick sandwich or salad topping.
• Use pickled herring or salmon in wine sauce for a quick meal.
• Use anchovies on salads or pizza.

7. Low- and non-fat milk and yogurt:

Nutrition assets: The best sources of readily absorbed calcium, and good sources of some B vitamins and vitamin A and D. Two servings a day may help lower blood pressure.

How to eat more:

• Choose calcium-fortified fat-free milk.
• When you make hot cereal, rice or grains, use a combination of milk and water to calcium fortify your hot cereal.
• Eat high-fiber cold cereal with fat-free milk for a healthy breakfast or snack.
• Opt for yogurt sweetened with a no-calorie sweetener as a snack or to satisfy your sweet tooth.

8. Nuts:

Nutrition assets: High in monounsaturated fats (except for walnuts), which help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. Great source of vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium and fiber.

How to eat more:

• Snack on a handful of nuts—they’re easy to pack and easy to nibble.
• Toss a few nuts onto salads, stir-fry, casseroles or into cooked or dry cereal.
• Add nuts to yogurt, frozen yogurt or ice cream for crunch.
• Add nuts to muffins and other baked goods.

Note: Try toasting nuts before using. It brings out their great taste.

9. High monounsaturated fat oils:

Olive, canola and peanut oil

Nutrition assets: High in monounsaturated fats which lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.

How to eat more:

• Stock one or more of these oils in your cupboard. Use only these oils.
• Use these oils wherever possible instead of margarine or butter, when making eggs, sauteing vegetables and making rice or pasta.
• Make your own salad dressing with olive or canola oil.

10. Plant stanol and sterol spreads:

Benecol spread, and Softgels and Take Control spread

Nutrition assets: Help reduce LDL cholesterol.

How to eat more:

• Choose Benecol (with plant stanol ester) or Take Control (plant sterol ester) for your margarine-like spread. Use a serving three times a day to get maximal lowering of LDL cholesterol.
• Use to saute on bread or toast, on vegetables, potatoes, pancakes or waffles.
• Benecol now is available in Softgels. Take 6 a day for ideal LDL-lowering effect.