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  Most dietitians agree that a
diet rich in plant foods may be healthier than a diet that contains a lot of animal products.
Fruits and vegetables have lower fat content and higher fiber content compared to animal
products, and most are packed with nutrients. Some easy ways to add more vegetables and
fruit to your diet:

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every time you go to the grocery store. Healthy eating
means you are eating a VARIETY of foods. Sure, carrots are full of vitamins, but if all you
ate were carrots, you wouldn't be healthy. Treat yourself to a nice honeydew melon.
Don't be afraid to try something new! Put some eggplant or asparagus into your cart.
Many stores have instructions on how to prepare them. If yours doesn't, ask someone in
the produce section for help.

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   to jarred or fresh spaghetti
sauce (serve on pasta for a great dinner). The more vegetables the merrier!

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, tomatoes, tomatoes ² raw in salad, sandwiches, salsa, juice, alone (like
a piece of fruit), or cooked in sauces. Cooking actually enhances a tomato's nutritional
value.

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 rather than drinking fruit juice. Whole fruit reduces calories, adds fiber,
and increases feelings of fullness. While dried fruit has just as much fiber as fresh fruit,
the calories per serving are much higher (dried fruit also can make you gassy).

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 (keep a cooler of them in the car if you're
running errands all day).

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to potato salad.

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 to scrambled eggs or omelets.

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 in single-serving containers for a cool treat during summer
months.

  

 Try to make your fat intake less than 20% of your total calories per
day (the average person's fat intake is about 35% of total calories).

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 Use a non-fat or low-fat dressing, or put a small amount of
your regular dressing on the side and dip your fork in it before spearing your salad.
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² chicken broth or vegetable stock ² instead of oil or
butter.

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 Use other things to jazz up your bread,
such as unsweetened fruit puree or preserves. Even a thin coat of melted dark chocolate
usually has less fat (lay your bread flat in the oven with a few chocolate chips on top).

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(fried foods, margarine), and
gradually lower the amount of fat you eat.

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   They're usually high in fat, salt, and other
preservatives.

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  of meat and poultry.

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from poultry and fish.

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 Some research suggests that there may be a link between
eating red meat and breast cancer. Most of the concern is about processed meats (because
of high fat, salt, and nitrate levels) and beef given extra hormones and antibiotics. If you'd
like to limit how much red meat you eat, vary your protein sources.

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for dinner.

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 ² try a new vegetarian chili recipe.

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one night a week.

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instead of regular pork bacon.

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 Here are some tips to ease you into healthy cooking
and eating:

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  ut if you're used to drinking
whole milk, mix whole milk with non- or low-fat milk to ease you through the change. You
may want to buy organic dairy products to get higher levels of certain nutrients, such as
conjugated linoleic acid (an antioxidant) and to avoid extra hormones given to dairy cattle
to increase milk production.
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 They tend to have a lot of salt and
nitrates, which can contribute to high blood pressure in some people.

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 (about 6 ounces cooked) of lean meat and poultry (without skin)
per day. So if you eat meat twice a day, each portion should be about 3 ounces.

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  Decrease the amount of calories in your food by baking or broiling it
rather than frying.

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 Fill two-thirds of your plate with
vegetables, fruits, whole grains, or beans, and one-third or less with meat and dairy
products. Try spinach lasagna, vegetarian chili, or steamed or sauteed vegetables to get
more vegetables in your diet.

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 at breakfast. While it's better to eat whole
fruit rather than drink juice, if your morning isn't complete without it, make sure it's 100%
juice and not a blend with added sugar. Add fresh or frozen fruit to your oatmeal. Add a
banana or berries to your cold cereal. If berries aren't in season, look in the freezer
section for frozen organic blueberries ² they thaw in the bowl and keep your milk cold.

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 Try organic baby carrots, bell pepper strips, orange sections, fat-
free yogurt, or a handful of almonds.

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 esides easing constipation, fiber can help lower cholesterol and
glucose levels. It also can make you feel full longer, so you're less likely to overeat.
Unprocessed fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber. Choose
a high fiber breakfast cereal (5 or more grams of fiber per serving), or add a few
tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite cereal. Use whole-grain flour for
half or all of the white flour when you bake. Add kidney beans or black beans to soups
and salads. Toss vegetables into pasta sauce.

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 There's a real concern that chemicals used to grow food may
cause health problems, including an increase in breast cancer risk. To reduce your
exposure to pesticides, you might want to buy organically grown food or organically
produced dairy products. Visit the Exposure to Chemicals in Food page to learn more.

For more information on healthy eating, as well as compounds in plant foods that are good
for your health, visit the reastcancer.org Nutrition section.

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