This is the time when we all renew our promise to be healthier and get back in shape. What you eat is always a good start, but hold on you could be sabotaging healthy food with artery clogging fats and  pilling on the calories. Shape up the new year with simple healthy changes everytime you eat.

An article on WebMD, suggests  six simple ways to help avoid sabotaging healthy food  to ensure you get the most nutrients, heart health and control your weight everytime you sit at the table.

Extras such as dips, sauces and what we cook our food can be the culprits in adding unneccessary fats and calories to otherwise healthy foods. But good for you food doesn't have to taste bland.

'Healthy food doesn't have to be flavorless,' says Ellie Krieger, host of the Food Network's Healthy Appetite show. 'Food does not need to be loaded with fat, sugar, or calories to be delicious,' she says.

 And it's not difficult to  cut the unhealthy extras out or replace them, experts say, you just need to know how to spot them. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

1. Keep food naturally simple.   Once you go back to the basics of what food such as vegetables taste like without the extra sauces and dips, you will develope a flavor for them on their own. A great way for veggies natural taste to come out is by roasting them and adding a dash of salt, pepper or herbs for their natural flavors to come out. A tip to avoid the blandness of veggies is to make sure not to overcook them, less is more when it comes to cooking time.



2. Salad Alert. You may think its a healthy entree choice  especially when you are at a restaurant, afterall its better than a burger and fries right? Wrong. A salad ladden with cheese,  fried meats, crutons and then topped off with high fat dressings can be as unhealthy as  that greasy burger.   Instead opt for a  greener salad one with beans, veggies and even fruit. Top it, experts say with  only a sprinkling of high-fat favorites such a nuts, lean meat, cheese  and eggs. For dressing, choose a  vinegarette, its light  and packed with flavor. Another good choice for a fat-free dressing is salsa, it doesn't have to be only for nachos.

3. Load up on your first course.  Experts say forget the chips and dips and go for a soup or salade instead,  they say it help you fill up before dinner and eat less  of the fat  most likely found  in the main course.  And for a low calorie and ultra nutritional meal why not make it your meal!

4. Swear off fried food forever.   Or at least seldomly  for special occassions, instead opt for better cooking methods such as grilling, baking and roasting, anything that does not involve submersing food  in oil. When you get the urge for fried food remember: it's still fat even if it's disguised in 'trans fat-free' oil. You are drenching away  any nutritional value in a vat of fat. Now that's not a healthy choice.

5. Drinks add up.   Sweetened and alcoholic drinks add up if you are not careful, too many and you can rack up as many as 500 calories without even taking a bite of food. Instead stick to sparkling water and unsweetened drinks. Remember your body needs water to wash away other toxins in your body and it helps in weight management. Become H20 friendly!

6. All breads are not the same.   Most of us dont have just one slice of bread and most likely its the white blanched type loaded with too much butter or olive oil.   If you can not resist bread, limit yourself to one slice of whole grian bread with a touch of olive oil. Resist the urge to dip bread in the olive oil, the bread acts like a sponge and absorbs way more  olive oil than you need, piling on calories before your meal.  Remember olive oil is  a healthier fat and eating too much is still fattening.

Whether you are preparing your meal or eating at a restaurant, try to remember these simple tips to help jump start your new year in a healthier direction!