DO you grab the wrong food when you're hungry, like handfuls of chips, a row of chocolate chip cookies, leftover pizza or lettuce drenched in heavy dressing?

You'll never lose weight if your kitchen is flooded with conflict. Successful weight loss requires having the right ingredients on hand, thus, it's "out with the old and in with the new."

First, purge your fridge and cabinets of unhealthy, fattening fare. Toss out regular mayo and high-fat salad dressings, as well as problematic cookies, chips, candy, and large containers of ice cream. Next, hit the market and load up on these five diet-friendly ingredients.

Stock your kitchen with high-taste, low-calorie condiments. The following items enhance taste without adding excessive calories and fat: reduced-fat salad dressings, low-fat mayonnaise, salsa, spicy mustard, low-sodium chicken and vegetable broth, and non-stick cooking spray.

When it comes to marinades, look for 30 calories or less per tablespoon. Also, spice up your food (and health) by experimenting with an assortment of calorie-free, no-salt herbs and seasonings: basil, bay leaf, chives, ginger, tarragon, thyme, dill, oregano, rosemary, parsley, sage, cinnamon, garlic, minced onion and ground black pepper.

Sneak at least one vegetable or fruit into every meal. We all know produce is a must buy. Produce fills you up, keeps you healthy and energized and enables you to knock off the pounds. Sneak veggies into omelets, add extra servings to soups and stews, add berries on your cereal and into your yogurt and bananas for a fun, sweet treat.

Great grain to have on hand includes: whole wheat flour, whole grain barley, oats, millet, amaranth, corn, quinoa, brown and wild rice, wheat berries, and whole wheat pasta/bread and cereal.

(SD-Agencies)