Healthy eating can help support your physical and emotional well-being. Choosing a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits and whole grains, can help you get important nutrients and support heart health.

These simple cooking tips can help make healthy eating easier.

• Make vegetables an easy side dish. Steam, stir-fry or roast vegetables for a quick side dish. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables or look for low-sodium canned options. If you used canned vegetables, rinse them before cooking to help reduce sodium.
• Add flavor without extra sodium. Try herbs, vinegar, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, citrus zest or spices instead of salt and high-sodium seasonings.
• Cook once, eat twice. When you have time to cook, make extra portions and freeze leftovers for future meals. Having healthy meals ready can make busy days easier.
• Blend a quick fruit smoothie. A smoothie can be a simple way to add more fruit to your day. Blend fruit with water, milk or yogurt for a quick snack or meal.
• Lighten up baked goods. Try replacing all or some of the oil in muffins and quick breads with applesauce to reduce saturated fat and calories.
• Choose whole grains more often. Look for whole-grain ingredients, such as whole-wheat flour, oatmeal and whole cornmeal, when cooking and baking.
• Build meals around healthy foods. Include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, skinless poultry and lean meats when planning meals.
• Keep healthy snacks ready. Store cut-up vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator for quick snacks. Unsalted nuts and low-fat yogurt can also be convenient options.