Load up your cart with a variety of fresh produce

To ensure you're including all the foods you need for good health, you should fill your cart with plenty of fresh produce: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meat, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts. Especially aim to include more fruits and veggies, O'Rourke emphasizes, because studies show that most of us "aren't consuming the recommended daily amount of vegetables -- 2½ cups a day."

An easy way to get variety from fruits and vegetables is by their colors: Divide them into five groups: Green, red, yellow/orange, white and blue/purple. And aim to get at least one food from each group every day and get a variety. Each color offers something unique, like different vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting phytochemicals. Hence, by eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, you're giving your body a wide range of nutrients that are important for good health.