I’ve been thinking a lot about food choices recently. I decided to write down a few of my favorite healthy eating tips.

1. Stop buying white bread and white rice. Plain and simple, if you don’t have it in your house, you will eat a lot less of it. These white carbohydrates have very little nutritional benefits and a whole lot of blood sugar spikes.

2. Check your plate for color before you start eating. If your plate is all one color (usually brown or white), you need to make drastic changes. You should have greens, yellows, reds, and oranges on your plate as often as possible.

3. Avoid toppings and condiments that you don’t need. Why does everyone put butter on their bread? Why do we have to have cream cheese on a bagel? Why add 200 calories to a sandwich with a spread that you don’t need? Ask yourself if you can simply leave it off. Choose low-calories/low-carb alternatives like mustard and balsamic vinegar.

4. Fresh raw vegetables are your best friend. When you’re planning your meals, start envisioning building your meal from crisp, fresh, dark-green lettuce or cruciferous veggies (like broccoli, cabbage, and collared greens). Then add your favorites: carrots, squash, cucumbers, peppers, onions, whatever.

5. Lean proteins are your next best friend. Chicken breast, turkey breast, and fish. These proteins provide good sustained energy without spiking your blood sugar. Beef and pork (and other red meats) will do the same but the lean meats have much lower fat and cholesterol.

6. Use carbohydrates as a garnish. We have to change our thinking. The “bowl” of mashed potatoes filled with gravy was the center-piece of the dinner plate for our grand parents. We simply can’t rely on starchy vegetables or breads to be the foundation of our diet any more.

7. If it comes in a sealed plastic wrapper, it most likely shouldn’t go in your mouth. There’s a reason why we use the same word to describe garbage and highly processed high-calorie packaged foods: JUNK.

8. When you do choose carbohydrates, choose healthy ones. Whole grain breads. Brown and wild rice. Fresh fruits.