March is National Nutrition Month, and spring is just around the corner. What a great time to analyze our diets and follow these easy five steps to live a healthier lifestyle.

1.) Serve more grains, vegetables and fruits. This is one of the changes in the dietary guidelines. Choosing a variety of these foods provides many health benefits. One quality of whole grains, vegetables and fruits is that they provide a feeling of fullness without the added fat. Add flavor by using onions, herbs, spices or vinegars. Avoid frying these foods or adding butter, margarine, bacon fat, cheese or gravy.

2.) Consume lean meat and trim portions of meat. Loin and round cuts have less fat. Trim visible fat. Remember that lean meat still contains fat and cholesterol. Trimming the fat and buying lean cuts will reduce the cholesterol but will not make it cholesterol free. Lean meat has less fat. A serving size of meat is three ounces, which is the same weight as a deck of cards.

3.) Wean yourself away from whole milk and high-fat dairy products. Only the fat has been removed from skim milk, not the nutrients. Fat-free or skim milk offers the same amount of calcium, Vitamin D and other nutrients as one percent, two percent and whole milk.

4.) Use less fat while cooking. By changing food preparation, the fat content can be trimmed without losing flavor. For example, broil, bake, boil, steam, grill, stir-fry or microwave foods rather than frying them. Try the flavored non-cooking sprays when stirfrying vegetables. The garlic spray adds a slight touch of flavor.

5.) Start keeping a food diary. Keep track of the most often eaten foods, the amount eaten and the number of grams of fat consumed. The Nutrition Facts label with the serving size and total fat for that serving size are the only pieces of information needed. Make a challenge to start trimming away some of the unwanted fat. Be sure to calculate the actual serving, not the serving on the label.

Use these five stepping stones to reach the goal of a healthier, leaner style of eating.