All foods have a place in a healthful diet We've never declared certain foods off-limits, but years ago, we avoided highfat ingredients, articularly those high in saturated fat like butter, cream, and bacon.

We've since changed our methods based on scientific studies that found small amounts of higher-fat foods can be included in a nutritious diet. The keys are moderation and balance. As long as your overall diet is healthful, what you eat at one meal isn't as important as the balance of what you eat over a few days or a week. This means all foods-beef, butter, cheese, and even salt-have a place in your diet. We strive to show you how to enjoy them judiciously.

Cook from a global pantry Thanks to broader availability of ingredients, the flavors of the world's cuisines are now available to home cooks, and you can learn to use them in your everyday meals. These concentrated sauces and robust herbs and spices offer ways to add flavor with minimal effort and little or no fat.

Embellish convenience products We're always mindful that our readers are busier than ever, so we now include well-chosen convenience products to help speed preparation. But there are limitations for some of these products, so we'll often add fresh herbs or a sprinkling of freshly grated cheese to enhance them. That way, you reap the benefits of time-saving ingredients as well as the spark of the fresh ones.

These healthy cooking principles and so many more are set to a visual backdrop of over 850 photos and hundreds of cooking tips and recipes in this insider's peek into our way to cook great food.