Big Gains, Small Steps

Read on for additions to five common foods that contribute flavor, vital nutrients, and only about 100 calories.

Add: 1⁄3 cup roasted bell pepper slices
Gain: 35 calories, more than half of your daily requirement (55 milligrams) for vitamin C, along with generous doses of vitamin A and beta-carotene

Add: 2 tablespoons hummus
Gain: 51 calories, another 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and nearly a gram of iron

Add: 2 thin slices avocado
Gain: 30 calories, about 3 grams of healthy monounsaturated fat, plus disease-fighting lutein and beta-sitosterol, as well as portions of folate, magnesium, and potassium

Add: 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, cooked
Gain: 7 calories, plenty of beta-carotene (1,688 milligrams) and 15 percent of your daily requirement of folate (58 micrograms), and a little potassium, calcium, and iron

Add: 2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Gain: 45 calories, 4 grams of protein, and 10 percent (100 milligrams) of your daily calcium requirement

Add: 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Gain: 30 calories, the cancer-fighting antioxidant lycopene, nearly a gram of fiber, 14 milligrams of vitamin C, and a bit of potassium and magnesium

Add: 1⁄4 cup kidney beans
Gain: 54 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 1 gram of iron, 7 micrograms of folate, and a smidgen of calcium

Add: 1 tablespoon guacamole
Gain: 29 calories, close to a gram of fiber, more than a gram of good-for-you unsaturated fats, and traces of folate and potassium

Add: 1⁄2 cup chopped tomatoes
Gain: 16 calories, another gram of fiber, and a little vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, and vitamin C

Add: 8 small olives, chopped
Gain: 30 calories, 4 grams of healthful monounsaturated fat, a gram of iron, nearly a gram of fiber, and some calcium (23 milligrams)

Add: 1 1⁄2 ounces grilled chicken breast
Gain: 47 calories, 10 grams of lean protein, plus more than 10 percent (nearly 4 milligrams) of your daily niacin requirements and some zinc and iron

Add: 1⁄4 cup green bell pepper strips
Gain: 5 calories, 25 percent (25 milligrams) of the daily requirement for vitamin C, along with small amounts of vitamin A and potassium

Add: 1 tablespoon toasted slivered almonds
Gain: 51 calories, one-third of the daily requirement for vitamin E (2.5 International Units), half a gram of fiber, and small amounts of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, magnesium, and potassium

Add: 1⁄2 cup shredded carrots
Gain: 23 calories, ample beta-carotene (3,176 micrograms), and 1.5 grams of fiber, plus traces of potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E, and folate (folic acid)

Add: 2 tablespoons chickpeas
Gain: 34 calories, another 1.5 grams of fiber, half a gram of iron, and a little bit of potassium, magnesium, and calcium for good measure