By now, you may have heard the advice to switch from white bread to fiber-rich 100% whole wheat and to cut some of the saturated fat in your diet by replacing whole milk with 1% or skim. These changes make a lot of sense because each brings a big nutritional benefit to the diet. To build on those mealtime modifications, try some of these other smart switches:

• Instead of frozen French fries all the time, switch to frozen sweet potato fries:
  French fries are the most popular "vegetable" among the under five crowd. While potatoes can be a nutritious addition to a child's diet, when they are deep-fat fried the benefits are overshadowed. Consider sweet potato fries from companies like McCain's or Ian's. A serving has over a day's worth of vitamin A versus virtually none in regular fries.
• Instead of regular eggs, switch to omega-3 eggs:
  Omega-3 fats are good for heart health, and when hens are fed a special diet including algae, fish oil, or flaxseed, they lay healthier eggs that contain some omega-3 fats. These super eggs each contain anywhere from 100 to 200 milligrams of omega-3 fats—10% to 20% of what's recommended daily.
• Instead of vegetable oil, switch to canola oil:
  Vegetable oil is fine for cooking but canola oil is even better. Canola oil is rich in good-for-you monounsaturated fat as well as omega-3 fat (both have been shown to lower cholesterol levels). Canola oil holds up well under high heat and has a mild flavor that works well in stir fries, baking, and salad dressings.
• Instead of table salt, switch to kosher salt:
  Regular iodized table salt has 2,325 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon. Certain brands of kosher salt (Diamond Crystal is a brand we like) have half that amount at 1,120 milligrams. Consider that experts advise kids and adults to consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. Kosher salt is light and flaky and has a clean crisp flavor. Sprinkle a pinch or two (and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil) on plain vegetables to kick up the flavor.
• Instead of an apple a day, switch to an orange, an apple, and some cantaloupe:
  Only four percent of children eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables a day. The fallout: lots of kids don't get enough fiber and vitamins such as immune-boosting A and C. So while "an apple a day" is great advice, you can't stop there. No one fruit provides the wide spectrum of nutrients important for good health. For example, apples are a pretty good source of fiber (one medium-size apple has 3 grams). One orange contains almost a day's worth of vitamin C and cantaloupe rocks when it comes to vitamin A with more than half the daily requirement in half a cup.

Article by Liz Weiss, MS, RD: www.MealMakeoverMoms.com