As you think about adding more plant-based foods to your diet, aim for balance and variety. Include a number of different types of foods—like whole grains, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, cru­ciferous vegetables, to name a few. Within each category, go for va­riety so you get the full benefit of all the nutrients these foods offer. For example, there is much more to citrus fruit than oranges and grapefruit. Don't stop at spinach and broaden your horizons be­yond brown rice. Here are some tips for adding more fruits, veg­etables and grains to your daily fare.

- Substitute vegetables for the meat in lasagna and other pasta recipes. Rich-tasting Portobello mushrooms, for example, have a "meaty" texture. Add vegetables to marinara sauce.

- Double your normal serving-size of vegetables.

- Add cooked lentils and beans to salads.

- Add chopped, firm tofu to salads, soups, stir-fries and pasta sauces.

- Start your day with two fruits—for example, orange, grape­fruit or tomato juice and a sliced banana on cereal or toast.

- Make ice cubes of fruit juice and add them to sparkling water.

- Bake, stew or poach apples, pears or peaches with cinnamon, cloves and honey.

- Instead of jelly, add grated apple or chopped dates to a peanut-butter sandwich.

- Cook grains in fruit juice or vegetable juice instead of water.

- Experiment with new grains. Quinoa, for example, is a good source of calcium. Use it instead of rice. Millet, which is high in B vitamins and iron, is good in stuffing and casseroles.

- Plan grains into every meal—for example, hot or cold cereal in the morning, whole-grain bread at lunch, brown rice or an­other grain at dinner.
 

When you are buying fresh products, seasonal fruits and vegeta­bles usually are your best choice—for nutrition, taste and cost. But don't dismiss frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Nutrition­ally, they are often comparable to their fresh counterparts. Frozen spinach, canned peaches and apricots, and canned tomatoes are some examples.