Tomato products: Have several varieties handy, including plain tomato sauce with basil or garlic, tomato paste, and stewed tomatoes (if you like them spicy, go for Mexican-style with jalapeño peppers). These canned goods can be used to jazz up a myriad of low-fat recipes.

Easy add-ins:

Dried fruits: An energizing, simple way to get your "five-a-day." Dried cranberries are a tangy addition to oatmeal or mixed green salads. A small bag of dried fruit can travel anywhere, and you can create your own dried fruit combinations, like a tropical mishmash of mangoes, papaya, apricots.

Sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts: Toss these into pasta, rice or on top of a low-fat pizza. They also make great additions to lean ham or turkey sandwiches.

Creative condiments:

High-quality mustard: As delicious, flavor-packed substitutes for mayo, mustards are the perfect base for a tangy dipping sauce. More exotic varieties make a delightfully different sandwich spread. With so many varieties out there, you're sure to find one you love (try spicy, honey Dijon, and slightly sweet mustards).

Balsamic vinegars: You can buy scores of vinegars in your local gourmet store, and many of them contain zesty ingredients, like garlic, or even fruit juices, like raspberry. Use these to fashion fancy, but deceptively easy, salad dressings without much oil.