Want to play chef? Put these food items on your shopping list in place of instant microwaveable dinners: broccoli, corn, spinach, carrots, chicken, pasta, vegetable sauce, apples, oranges, fruit juice, 1% or skim milk, bottled water, corn bread, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, and so forth. Try to be balanced, such as eating a meal that has rice, spinach, and chicken. Starches are important even though people will tell you that fewer carbohydrates are better. If you are exercising regularly, you will need some carbs to burn while working out. Just avoid eating pasta and canned sauce every night of the week.