In the not-so-distant past, the medical establishment considered all fats equally loathsome: all fats were created equal and they’re all bad for you. Things have changed in that quarter, if only slightly. You have no doubt heard the drumbeat of current medical thinking on fats: some fats are now good for you—olive oil and canola oil—but others are bad for you—trans fats and all saturated fats. That’s an improvement from the old cry, but far from the truth.

Forget the diet fads and stick to these sound tips from the American Heart Association…

1. Eat a variety of VEGETABLES and FRUITS daily. Serve your family lots of different types of vegetables and fruits, especially deeply colored ones—they have the highest concentration of nutrients. Aim to serve at least one vegetable and one fruit at every meal. Encourage your kids to eat fruit instead of drinking juices; they’ll get more fiber and probably fewer calories. Limit fruit drinks with added sugar.

Have you ever wondered what causes yo-yo dieting, the phenomenon in which people get to their lowest weight and then regain everything right back?… It’s part physical and part psychological.

Trying to find a high-fiber, whole grain bread? Don’t let the brown color fool you. While shopping in the bread aisle, don’t assume that a brown loaf of bread is higher in natural fiber. That dark color is often courtesy of additives such as molasses, caramel coloring, or food dyes.