With all the nutrition and diet information floating around out there, you'd think we'd all be experts at planning nutritious meals and eating healthily. But it's not always that easy. Conflicting dietary recommendations can be confusing, and new diet trends seem to crop up constantly. This information overload can make it hard to weed out the good advice from the bad, and the result is sometimes frustration and inaction. But instead of giving up on good nutrition, follow basic guidelines for nutrition planning; it's not as hard as you think. Step 1 Emphasize fruits and vegetables. The American Cancer Society advises that you eat a minimum of five servings per day of fruits and veggies. Most people don't get enough, so planning your meals to include plenty of both is crucial for good nutrition. Step 2 Switch from refined carbohydrates to whole grains. Whole grains are complex carbohydrates and are healthier for your body because they contain fiber and nutrients that refined grains do not, says MayoClinic.com. Instead of white rice, white bread, potatoes and regular pasta, use brown rice, whole-wheat bread, bulgur, barley and whole-grain pasta for your meals. Step 3 Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy products. Good nutrition requires cutting back on saturated fat, and full-fat dairy foods are a major source. Switch from whole or 2 percent milk to 1 percent or skim, and pick the lower-fat versions of yogurt, sour cream, cheese, cottage cheese and ice cream. Step 4 Choose lean proteins. Be sure your diet includes plant-based proteins such as beans, legumes, nuts, tofu and other soy products. Eating even a few meatless meals per week can drastically improve your nutrition by cutting your saturated fat, calories and cholesterol. Step 5 Focus on nutrient-rich foods rather than unhealthy "junk" foods when planning snacks. Cut out high-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie foods like candy, cake, chips, doughnuts, French fries, chocolate and pastries, and instead enjoy fresh fruit, yogurt, string cheese, baby carrots with salsa or hummus, cherry tomatoes, whole-grain crackers or a handful of almonds or walnuts. Even snacks can provide good nutrition!