This menu won Thibaut $1,000 in HMSA's 5 A Day Recipe Contest for young culinarians, which I helped judge late last month. Thibaut's Lemongrass Mahimahi with Green Beans and Butternut Squash fit perfectly within the guidelines for the competition: no more than 30 percent of calories from fat (and no more than 10 percent of the fat saturated), a maximum of 1 tablespoon added sugar and less than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving. And it was the unanimous choice of the judges.

The recipes also were judged on how well the instructions were written and on how practical they were for the home cook. That's because the top 10 recipes will be included in a new, free booklet being released soon by HMSA to promote the 5 A Day concept (five servings of fruits and vegetables a day).

The ideas ranged from the ridiculously simple (but delicious) — a fruit salad made with yogurt and Grape Nuts cereal — to the very inventive — a sort of apple pie, but baked in an acorn squash boat rather than a fat-rich crust.

Thibaut's dish — it's really a menu of three easy dishes — illustrates some techniques that are great for the home cook to know.

First: blanching and shocking. That means cooking a vegetable in boiling hot water, then draining it and immediately plunging it into a mixture of ice and water. When the vegetable is cold, it's drained and then held until just before serving time, when it's finished with a quick saute. This is how restaurants manage to serve vegetables without overcooking them. This is helpful when you're making dinner for company; you can blanch and shock the vegetable hours in advance, wrap them in paper towels and then place them in a zippered plastic bag and into the refrigerator.

Try it with green beans, broccoli, asparagus and even greens such as spinach, kale and collards.

Second: roasting vegetables. Even people who say they loathe vegetables change their tune when they taste roasted vegetables. Most instructions suggest you cut the vegetables into thick strips, chunks or cubes, drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then roast them in a hot oven (425 to 450 degrees), stirring or turning occasionally until they're cooked through and lightly browned.

You can trim and cut the vegetables in advance and toss with oil and store in a plastic bag or bowl until roasting time. Or you can roast in advance and serve them at room temperature.

Unfortunately, many cooks have a bit too heavy a hand with the olive oil and salt. For her healthier roasted butternut squash, Thibaut used fat-free cooking spray and a bit of brown sugar for flavor and color. I've had good success with lining a rimmed baking sheet with the new nonstick foil (Release brand) and using a pastry brush to very, very lightly coat the foil with olive oil. (You can buy an atomizer that allows you to spray real olive oil — but keep it in the fridge.)

Thibaut's healthy preparation of mahi and vegetables also shows how assertive flavors and a splash of acid (i.e. lemon juice or vinegar) can make up for a lack of salt. In eating these dishes, I didn't miss salt a bit. (You could substitute monchong or any other white-fleshed fish suitable for grilling.) Prep the beans first, then allow the squash to roast while you prep and finish the fish and beans.

Lemongrass Mahimahi with Green Beans and Butternut Squash

For the green beans:

About 32 green beans, washed, ends trimmed

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

For the butternut squash:

• 1 medium-sized butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Fat-free Pam cooking spray

For the fish:

• 4 (4-ounce) fillets mahimahi
• 3 stalks lemongrass
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• Fat-free Pam cooking spray
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Prep the beans: Quickly cook in briskly boiling water until just bright green; drain in colander and plunge into large bowl of water and ice. Drain and set aside.

Prep the butternut squash: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and remove the seeds from the butternut squash. Cut the flesh into large dice (cubes about fl inch on a side). Spray a roasting pan with fat-free cooking spray for 1 second. Add cubed butternut squash and sprinkle brown sugar over, tossing to coat. Place in pre-heated oven and roast until golden brown, gently stirring halfway through the 20-minute cooking time. Squash is done when it's easily pierced with a fork.

Prepare the fish: First, trim the lemongrass — you will use only the bottom part. Mince the lemongrass very fine. Mix lemongrass with garlic, ginger, pepper and green onions. Coat the fish fillets with this mixture and allow to marinate 10 minutes. Spray grill or frying pan for 1 second with fat-free cooking spray; grill fish and turn, about 3-5 minutes a side.

Finish the beans: Meanwhile, in a saute pan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil, saute 1 teaspoon minced garlic and the lemon zest. Add green beans and toss, cooking until beans are heated through. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss.

Compose the plate: On each plate, place 1 cup of roasted squash in center; top with a scattering of green beans and arrange grilled fish on top. Squeeze lemon juice on fish.

Makes 4 servings.

• Per serving: 210 calories, 23 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates (6 grams fiber), 2 grams fat; 260 milligrams sodium

More healthy suggestions to unhealthy excuses

Without caffeine, I can't function

But: Caffeine raises blood pressure, has negative cardiovascular effects and can cause gastrointestinal irritation. Its diuretic effect causes loss of nutrients through urination. It has been linked to moodiness, insomnia.

Try: A single, perfect cup of coffee or one soda in the morning or early afternoon. Use substitutes such as grain "coffees" (Postum, Pero, rooibos tea). Drink water between caffeinated beverages. No caffeine after 4 o'clock.

I don't want to give up my wine (beer, cocktail)

But: Most alcoholic drinks offer little nutritionally other than calories (about 85 calories per 4-ounce servings for wines, 95-100 per jigger of hard liquor). Alcohol sends discipline to the winds. Abuse of alcohol contributes to many physical and societal ills.

Try: Pour wine in 3- or 4-ounce portions; sip slowly, stop at one. Consume a large glass of water between drinks. Make one shot of hard liquor last by pouring it over a lot of crushed ice in a tall glass or deep "bucket" glass with water or a low-sugar mixer.

No rice (bread, pasta), no meal

But: Refined grains such as white rice or those used in white bread and white pasta lack fiber and some nutrients and are absorbed like sugary foods.

Try: Switching to half-white, half-brown rice, then brown; part whole wheat bread, then whole wheat. Introduce other whole grains, such as barley and bulgar. Avoid dishes that "call for" rice; eat a lean sandwich on coarse-textured whole-grain bread instead of a plate lunch, for example.

Nothing tastes good without salt

But: Excess sodium consumption may lead to cardiovascular disease.