If you have a hard time getting the recommended number of daily servings of vegetables or fruits, don't forget vegetable juices (brand name V8 or many stores have a generic brand)! One 8-oz glass counts as a vegetable serving. Vegetable juice is a blend of juices from tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, and spinach. There are only about 50 calories per serving - about half the number in a glass of orange juice. And it comes in a low-sodium variety, with only 140 mg (vs. 600 mg in the regular). It's also a good source of potassium.

In addition, some nutrition experts recommend drinking a glass of vegetable juice about an hour before dinner to reduce appetite.