Tufts University has a health letter that recently published 30 ways to eat better. Most are very simple yet can make a significant improvement in our eating habits and nutrition. 1. Use the smallest plate that will accommodate the food. This emphasizes portion control.2. Forget “family style.” Serve from the stove instead of putting a bowl on the table.3. Make double vegetables and serve them first.4. Switch to whole-wheat pasta. The taste has vastly improved and many have increased grams of protein.5. Go vegetarian one a night a week. Our family tries middle-eastern or Indian foods which have a wide variety of vegetarian foods.6. Think before using spreads on breads. Many breads taste good without a tablespoon of butter and its 90 calories.7. Add whole-wheat flour to regular flour when cooking or baking.8. Brew your own cold beverages. Iced tea has no calories and provides phytochemicals.9. Sip your minerals. Mineral water with lemon or lime minimizes drinking sodas and has some minerals such as calcium. 10.Switch from whole milk to low-fat or skim. The Women’s Health Study showed that increased intake of low-fat dairy products reduced the risk of developing high blood pressure. 11. Take your coffee “black”. Unless it is skim milk, cream and sugar only add calories.12. Don’t put a salt shaker on the table. Too much sodium is associated with high blood pressure.13. Drain and rinse canned beans. This rinses off excessive sodium.14. Eat fish every Friday. Makes good nutritional sense regardless of your religion.15. Cook using certain vegetable oils instead of butter. Using olive, canola, or soybean oils limits unhealthy fats.16. Opt for nonstick pans. This minimizes the amount of oils needed for cooking.17. Put your meat on a diet. Buying leaner meats such as sirloin which has 10% fewer calories and 45% less saturated fat makes a big difference. Same for lean ground beef and chicken breasts.18. Make your rice brown. Whole grains help to combat heart disease.19. Dress your salads lightly. Especially when eating out, ask for the dressing “on the side”.20. Green up your lettuce. The brighter the colors the more the nutrition especially compared to the iceberg lettuce we all grew up on.