An important part of healthy living is to eat well. With all of the hype about what is healthy and what is not, it can be hard to know where to start! Here are some ideas on how to begin eating more healthy meals and snacks.

• Buy seasonal and local fruits and vegetables.
  • Saves money.
  • Supports local farmers.
• Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables.
  • Lasts in your freezer for up to six months.
  • Are just as healthy as fresh vegetables.
  • Makes a nice side dish or can be easily added to burritos, pasta, rice, casseroles, soup/stew, pizza, and eggs.
• Use veggies to add variety to everyday foods.
  • Try adding carrots, onions and cabbage along with the more common vegetables found in burritos, like beans, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers.
  • Add corn, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant and zucchini to rice and pasta dishes.
• Switch to whole grains.
  • Look for breads that say 100% whole wheat.
  • Try brown rice instead of white.
• Cook with oils instead of solid fats like butter, lard or margarine.
  • Canola, olive, and other oils are healthier than solid fats because they are low in "unhealthy" fats and high in "healthy fats".
  • Oils like canola, vegetable and olive act similar to solid fats in cooking.
• Replace half of the mayonnaise or sour cream in recipes like dips or salads with plain low fat or nonfat yogurt.
  • Tastes the same without all the fat and calories.