You can look at any nutrition website to learn which foods help you lose weight, and you can start eating all those fresh vegetables, whole grains, beans and fish. But the key to sticking to your diet is to vary your daily meals so they're not only less fattening, but they also offer a variety of sumptuous tastes and textures.
Breakfast
Start your day with a low-calorie meal that wakes up your taste buds. If you want a light bite, make a parfait with layers of nonfat yogurt, fresh fruit and granola. For something more substantial, prepare whole wheat pancakes with bananas or fresh or frozen berries. If you just can't do without eggs, mix up an omelet with one whole egg and a couple of egg whites, and add spinach and tomatoes to get your vitamins. Breakfast tacos are a good choice for a bit of spice. Just steam a small whole-wheat tortilla, and fill it with a scrambled egg and some hot salsa.
Lunch
Salads are a natural for a low-fat, low-calorie lunch, especially if you go light on the dressing. Instead of eating the same greens and veggies each day, branch out with creative ingredients. Use beans or grains as the centerpiece of your salad -- for instance, mix chickpeas, onions and bell peppers, or couscous, tomatoes and cucumbers. Other tasty combinations include blood oranges on top of mesclun greens; spinach with berries and pecans; and a chopped salad of cauliflower, apples and shallots.
Dinner
Night after night of roasted fish and chicken can bore even the most dedicated dieter. It's easy to dress up these protein sources by combining them with healthy grains and veggies. Barbecue skewers of marinated chicken, onions and peppers, and serve them on a bed of brown rice. For fish tacos, fill tortillas with baked cod or halibut, shredded cabbage and tomato salsa. Switch to soup and salad for a low-fat vegetarian dinner. Savory options include spinach soup with baked croutons, plus a salad of melon, tomatoes and a little goat cheese.
Snacks
If you eat three diet-friendly meals a day, you certainly don't want to blow it at snack time. Fruits and especially vegetables have few calories and make you feel full because of their water content. Whole-grain crackers and pretzels are healthy snacks for dieters, and so are dairy products, as long as they're low in fat. Combine a few of these elements when you get hungry between lunch and dinner -- for instance, try a cheese stick with a crunchy pretzel; some plain yogurt sweetened with berries; or carrots and celery sticks dipped in hummus.
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