It's hard to eat healthy while you're on the road. Download some apps on your smartphone to help you find natural food stores and vegetarian restaurants. And don't forget to bring your own snacks and meals for the plane.

Remember the simple steps. Although it seems unnecessary, shaking that bottle before you open it ensures that your vinaigrette is thoroughly mixed or that the ketchup will come out right when you need it.

Mix health and pleasure today. Walk your dog by a good cafe and get a special coffee drink to start off your day. Or if you're on your way to dinner at a decadent restaurant, take the bus, ride your bike or walk if possible.

Maybe you're lactose-intolerant, get bloated when you eat wheat or know that refined sugar triggers non-stop eating. Don't get down on yourself if you slip up and eat something that doesn't sit right with you. Learn from this experience and don't do it again.

Watch out! Someone may take that 'Kiss the Cook' apron you're wearing literally. Of course, if you're in the mood to attract a few new friends, then be sure to wear it. If you're feeling more solitary, keep it tucked away in the cupboard.

Put less stress on the planet and have less plastic in your life -- you can filter your own water using activated charcoal or filtering water through a terra cotta pot. It'll make all the difference to the taste of your stews, teas and soups, and it's better for your health, too!

Your garden overflows with bounty! Give away, share and swap whatever you don't want to eat or preserve for later. While you're at it, research the 'weeds' -- many of them, like purslane or nettle, are actually good to eat.

Bread is delicious, but every now and then, you just want to go a little lighter with your meals. Think like the Koreans and wrap your fillings, whether meat, vegetable, beans or rice in lettuce. Or make the classic Chinese dish minced chicken in lettuce cups.

Treat your body and the planet kindly and eat fewer meals that involve meat and dairy. Frankly, it's not hard to start. Tonight, treat yourself to falafels and hummus, both made with our friend the chickpea.

To saute or not to saute? That is, indeed, the question. If you have guests coming to dinner who are a touch fat-phobic, do them a solid and go with the healthy alternative. You can even do them a really big favor and grill instead.

You're all about snazzy tricks that give your food more flavor. Soaking pasta can help it cook more quickly and give pasta-based dishes more taste. It can work for all kinds of noodles, too, from brown rice-based to udon and more.

Taking the extra step adds so much flavor to your food. So caramelize those beets or onions. Toast some hazelnuts or make candied walnuts. Marinating all forms of protein will take them from bland to dazzling.

Need a way to refresh your appetite? Plan a camping trip -- one complete with hiking, fishing and sleeping in tents. Being out in the open air makes you appreciate simple flavors in a way that your own kitchen can't.

Elegant improvisation comes naturally to you. If some unexpected but welcome guests show up to a dinner party and outnumber your dinnerware, go ahead and hand around pot lids or pie pans -- the company is what really counts here.

All the changes in climate (snow in March! Sixty degree temperatures in February!) can mess with the growing cycle. Nature can adapt, but it's best to do what you can to keep your impact on the planet low. Eat a vegetarian meal or three today.

Someone in your life is a dedicated meat-and-potatoes kind of person. You don't have to try and change their mind -- but if this person comes over for dinner, why not whip up one of your irresistible vegetarian casseroles? There's life beyond steak, after all.

Branch out when it comes to your seafood. Many commonly fished species are on the brink of extinction. You can help out by becoming an 'invasivore' and dine on invasive fish that prey on others. Many of them are quite tasty, too!

There's a difference between stocking up and stockpiling. If you know you regularly eat black beans, buying some cans or dried in bulk is smart. If you're buying bags of them 'just in case' and to make you feel prepared, you might want to think again.

Certain foods make you happy and make your body feel good. Other foods are delicious going down, then five minutes later you're filled with regret and indigestion. It's time to be very clear about what falls into either category.

Mix it up today. Use Caesar salad dressing on a bed of arugula and romaine. Put mayonnaise on your French fries. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top of your coffee instead of your dessert.

One way to make sure the kids or kids-at-heart in your life appreciate vegetables is to make the dish colorful and appealing. So jazz up rice-and-beans by making it with black beans, peas, carrots, red bell pepper and corn.

Who says you have to keep spices in a spice jar? If you're a big fan of paprika, put some in a salt shaker -- it'll make it easy to give that roast chicken or casserole a nice, even coating. And what a boon for color and flavor!

Frozen vegetables are a harried cook's best friend. If you haven't had time to go shopping, it's great to have a bag or two of broccoli, bell peppers or peas on hand that you can add to soups, stews or salads.

Fresh food is best for you, but fresh food goes bad. It's better for the planet and your budget if you buy less than you think you need. You don't want to clean rotten fruits and vegetable out of your crisper at the end of the week.

You love a culinary solution that lets you cut down on waste and adds a neat decorating element to your dish. So why not cook your cupcakes in ice cream cones and frost them to look like they're dipped in chocolate? Adorable and tasty!

Make yourself feel extra virtuous, environmental and satisfy your sweet tooth by making candied lemon and orange peel before you eat or juice the fruit. That's less waste in your garbage and more treats for your stomach in one step.

Not everyone has your natural instincts when it comes to food. If a fellow shopper looks confused about how to tell which berries are ripe or what kind of cabbage to use in coleslaw, lean over and offer a few easy tips.

Is there anything more delightful than a veggie burger hot off the grill and slathered with good Dijon mustard? Eat lightly and healthfully today and you'll be rewarded with lightning-quick reflexes and tons of energy.

Get creative. Cook up some dandelion greens and fennel for a wonderful vegetable side dish with just enough bitter, sweet and savory notes to intrigue sophisticated palates. A little braised pork on the side will finish the entree.

Want a good alternative to a milkshake? Why not try a delicious, creamy root beer float? Or how about fermented yogurt drinks like kefir or lassi (available in multiple flavors like mango, rosewater, and plain)? They're tasty and good for you.

Cleaning up the morning after a big dinner seems like the easier solution when you're tired, but the inevitable reaction when you wake up is 'Why didn't I take care of this before and get it over with?' Remember that when you tackle a food-related chore today.

You get a thrill out of finding the latest and greatest restaurant/chef/dish of the moment. What about inventing a culinary trend? You've got plenty of creativity, a blog and a social network. Get going!

Want better energy levels? Cut back -- way back -- on caffeine, refined foods like white flour and sugar and replace them with whole foods and green tea for a week or two. You might find you have much more bounce in your step.

You love learning a new skill, especially if it adds to your culinary razzle-dazzle. So why not take a few moments and figure out how to supreme an orange? Learning to serve orange segments free to rind, pith or husk will add an elegant touch to salads and desserts.

Even if you're usually organized, regular clean-outs can escape your schedule. Do a check-in now. If you have takeout that's been in the refrigerator so long that you're afraid to open the containers, it's time to do a big purge of your kitchen.

Who says a salad has to be made with only one kind of lettuce? Mix baby greens, mesclun, romaine and arugula. The combination of bitter and sweet greens will be refreshing to your palate. Add a sprinkle of your favorite cheese, too.

It's Mother's Day and National Apple Pie Day. Surely those are two great tastes that taste great together. If you're lucky enough to be able to celebrate with your mom, make sure to treat her to her favorite dinner and dessert (hopefully it's apple-based).

What a terrific coincidence -- it's Mother's Day and National Apple Pie Day all at once! If your own personal mom isn't into sweets, take her out to dinner or make her a special meal so she can take a break today.

So it's Mother's Day and Apple Pie Day, but your own personal mom happens to love cinnamon buns. You can combine the two into one and make apple-cinnamon buns to show her how much you care.

It's National Apple Pie Day and Mother's Day! Make those two festivities into one by making your mother her favorite meal, with a beautiful apple pie and fresh whipped cream as dessert. You can also go European by making a tarte tatin with creme fraiche instead.