Bamboo shoots are perhaps more valuable for what they don’t add to your meals than what they do. While not bursting with nutrients, the Asian vegetables add bulk and texture to foods without piling on fat and calories. If you find fresh shoots in the grocery store, peel and boil them before serving.

If you're looking to find inspiration for a dessert or wish to add flair to a fruit salad, fresh pineapple's the answer. Juicy and sweet, this fruit conjures thoughts of the tropics, even if you haven't visited. Its skin and prickly top, however, can make it a hassle to prepare.

As far as grains go, wheat and rice run neck-and-neck in terms of consumption. But when it comes to nutrition, rice -- specifically brown rice -- might make the healthier option, because your body utilizes the carbohydrate and protein content of brown rice than it does wheat.

The American Cancer Society recommends consuming 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day, but most Americans only get about 11 grams per day from their diet, according to the University of Arizona Extension. To be high in fiber, a food needs to have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.

The French baguette is a thin, long loaf of crusty bread with a soft interior traditionally made from white flour and is named after the French word for "wand." The French baguette originated in Paris but can be found in bakeries all over the world.

Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and kefir, offer many health benefits. According to the USDA, consuming diary products has been linked to improved bone health, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and lowered blood pressure.

Salt is comprised of two important electrolytes: sodium and chloride. Electrolyte imbalances can occur when intake or loss of an electrolyte is excessive. High quantities of sodium consumption can lead to an electrolyte imbalance, causing hypertension or edema.

Just because the label says "nonalcoholic" doesn’t mean you’ll be getting a low-calorie beer. Nonalcoholic beer is just as high in calories as its regular-beer counterparts. Nonalcoholic beer isn’t completely free of alcohol, either. A small number of calories come from the 1.5 grams of alcohol.

Too much vinegar can ruin a dish, making it unpleasant or nearly impossible to eat. Whether it was bad recipe or simply measured incorrectly, there are a few simple fixes to reduce the vinegar flavor in a variety of different foods.

While it's OK to eat Italian sausage, it's not the type of meat you should eat all the time or in large quantities. Made with pork and flavored with garlic and fennel or anise, Italian sausage -- whether sweet or spicy -- is high in calories, fat and sodium.

Despite being composed mostly of sugar, natural honey has properties that make it a better sweetener than table sugar.

Many people have changed their shopping habits to take advantage of savings reaped by purchasing large pack sizes. If you have recently purchased food in bulk, you have discovered that although it stretches your budget further, you have a new problem to solve.