As the mid-winter blahs set-in, it's the perfect time to be adventurous and get out of your grocery-shopping grind. Take this quick test: Can you mentally picture every food on every shelf in your refrigerator, without opening the door? Are you bored to tears with the thought of going grocery shopping one more time and buying the same foods for yet another week? Does the thought of planning meals seem so tedious, you'd rather do anything but? If you answered "yes" to any of these, you're ready to freshen up your fridge and give your meals a menu makeover.

Winter is a great time to tempt your taste buds and liven up your mealtime routine. Start by putting something different in your shopping cart the next time you go to the grocery store: a new fruit or vegetable, a different type of bread or grain or a new brand of yogurt. The variety of foods in today's supermarkets is phenomenal.

Use your intuition, experiences and instinct to open up a world of new meal possibilities. The secret to making interesting meals is not to limit yourself or the food. And definitely don't get hung-up on a recipe: If you're missing ingredients, find alternative ones you like and have on hand and substitute. Remember, a cookbook isn't 100 recipes, it's 100 starters leading to 1,000 meals!

Here are some ideas that will help you jump-start your meals at home…

• Try kiwi, mango, strawberries or blueberries in your yogurt-fruit smoothie to give it that extra kick! Unsure how to prepare some of the more exotic fruits? Check the produce section of your supermarket. Most have printed information on nutritional value and "how to's" regarding checking for ripeness and eating.

• Drizzle flavored vinegar such as garlic, rosemary, or lemon-thyme over your salad and sprinkle with a new cheese, such as romano, pecorino or asiago. Explore different greens for your salad: Spring mix also known as mesclun, Boston lettuce, red and green leaf, and romaine are just a few varieties.

• Make a corn and tomato casserole or risotto with shredded cheese. Arborio rice, which is used to make risotto, can be found in the ethnic food aisle of your local supermarket.

• Put a slice of pepper-jack cheese, avocado and spicy mustard on your next turkey or ham sandwich. And make that sandwich using one of the new and interesting breads available at the supermarket: tortillas can turn your sandwich into a trendy wrap; pita bread will give you a "stuffed pocket"; focaccia split in half and filled makes your sandwich into an international gourmet treat.

• Give your milk a new face-lift by adding flavored syrup or powder or try the flavored milks in the dairy case: Chocolate, coffee, strawberry, mocha and strawberry-banana to name a few. A glass of flavored milk has all the nutrition of white milk and about the same amount of sugar as a glass of orange juice.

• If you need to flavor meat, try marinating in teriyaki sauce, salad dressing (Italian works well), fruit juice concentrates for just a hint of flavor, infused oils, like basil, rosemary and chili instead of the same old barbecue sauce.

• If you're out of ideas for meat side dishes, try sliced, sauteed fruit, like apples and mangoes. Or, make your own salsa with chopped tomato, onion, green chili, cilantro, chili powder and vinegar.

• Take a break from wine or tomato paste in sauces. Instead, try fruit preserves, or go ethnic with salsa, soy sauce or even a Thai-inspired sauce made with low-fat peanut butter, coconut milk and lite soy sauce.

• Looking for a light and healthy snack with a twist? Try one of the many varieties of yogurt available in the dairy case. For those with a sweet tooth, new flavors such as key lime pie, raspberry cheesecake and cappuccino are sure to please.