.and less of what you don't

The government's new dietary guidelines attempt to correct some imbalances in the typical American diet by placing stricter limits on meats, grains, sugar, and unhealthy fats, while encouraging greater consumption of often underrepresented foods like fruits and vegetables. At first glance, the demands of the new food pyramid may look overwhelming, but MIT nutritionist Anna Jasonides, R.D., encourages people to begin with single, achievable goals and make small changes.

For example, people who need to increase their consumption of vegetables while cutting down on high-fat meats should think about trying stir-fries and stews, she suggests. And people who eat meat with every meal might set a goal of eating two vegetarian meals per week. "Two meals out of 14?" Jasonides says. "That's doable."

Veggie veritas

To get more vegetables, think outside the box, Jasonides advises. "Take carrots, for example. As Americans, we think of either boiling carrots or eating them raw. But why not roast them?" she asks. " Toss them with a little olive oil, add a little salt and pepper, maybe some garlic, and roast them in the oven." Roasting works with almost any vegetable, she adds. "It's delicious, and no additional butter is necessary."

Other vegetable ideas from Jasonides:

• Instead of boiling or steaming vegetables, sauté them with a little olive oil and garlic.
• Try stir-fries, with or without added meat.
• Look to Middle Eastern or Asian recipes to find new ideas for vegetable dishes.
• Add fresh vegetables to ready-made soups.

And don't scorn frozen vegetables, Jasonides adds. "People often complain that vegetables go rotten in the refrigerator before they find time to use them. So, keep a variety of frozen veggies on hand. They're always ready for use, and they're already cooked, so all you need to do is heat them up."

Fruit facts

Jasonides has these suggestions for including more fruit in your diet:

• Keep fruits handy for snacks.
• Make fruit smoothies with skim milk.
• Add pineapple and other fruits to stir-fries.
• Add dried fruit to salads.
• Eat canned fruit (in juice, not heavy syrup) when fresh fruit is unavailable.

"Eat fruit raw, eat it dried, eat it cooked," Jasonides summarizes, "but go easy on the fruit juice."

Grain grab-bag

"Most people need to cut down on total grain amounts," Jasonides notes, "and work harder at including whole grains in their diets." The key to not overdoing it with carbs is watching portion size, she says. "These days, a typical bagel is five ounces," Jasonides notes. "That's five grain servings, not one. One slice of bread might be a single one-ounce serving, or, if it's thick gourmet bread, it might be two."

Getting more whole grains can be as simple as reading the "Nutrition Facts" label on breads, cereals, and crackers, Jasonides says. "Look for products whose first ingredient is 'whole' something-like whole wheat flour or whole rye flour." A large variety of whole-grain pastas are now available as well. To give your taste buds a chance to adjust, Jasonides says, you can start by mixing whole-grain with regular pasta. And popcorn is a great whole-grain snack, she adds. "Just avoid commercially prepared varieties that come loaded with salt, butter, and trans fats."

Breakfast offers the perfect opportunity to get in a serving or two of whole grains, Jasonides says, not to mention some fruit and dairy. "Just have some oatmeal or another whole-grain cereal with a banana and skim milk, and you've knocked off servings in three food groups just like that!" But, she warns, "read the ingredient label on your cereal to make sure you're not getting a lot of sugar with your whole grains. And watch the portion size again. Measure your cereal bowl to see how much you're actually eating."