For most of us the idea of dieting for a healthy and beautiful body usually conjures up thoughts of painfully dull salads, endless mountains of plain steamed vegetables, and dried grilled chicken breasts as far as the eye can see.

Good news: it doesn’t have to be this way!

In fact, you’ll be amazed by what you can conjure up by simply exercising your imagination and adding a few extra ingredients to otherwise boring meals.

Fat is Your Friend

Monounsaturated fats from sources like nuts, seeds, and extra virgin olive oil can go a long way to enhancing your meals.

Only the most masochistic of individuals typically want to sit and eat a big bowl of plain salad or green vegetables, but by adding 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil or walnut oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, some balsamic vinegar, and perhaps even a pinch of Herbes de Provence, suddenly you’ve got yourself a delicious and nutritious meal that will keep you fuller for longer.

You might even like to try melting a small dab of grass-fed butter over your steamed veggies as this provides a healthy dose of saturated fats in addition to conjugated linoleic acid or CLA which further aids your body in metabolizing its fatty acid stores.

A Pinch of Salt

For those of you who are not particularly sensitive to sodium, there are countless options for both store-bought and homemade condiments and dressings that can be more or less free from calories. From vinaigrettes to herb and spice mixtures, there are usually at least a handful of products at your local grocery store. Simply marinating your chicken and other meats in a basic mixture of minced ginger and garlic, and soy sauce helps to tenderize and deeply flavor the meat.

If you are exercising on a regular basis and working up a sweat then there is nothing wrong with a sensible amount of additional sodium intake as this will help to replace the salts your body loses through perspiration.

It is worth noting, however, that many condiments and sauces labeled “Fat Free” or “Low Fat” can be laden with all kinds of chemical concoctions to enhance their flavor and make up for the absence of richer, more oily ingredients. With this in mind, be sure to use your own discretion while you’re browsing the aisles, and if in doubt you can always use the ingredients lists of calorie-free condiments to make your own natural alternatives at home.

Always do your best to avoid condiments that include sugars, syrups, and artificial flavor enhancers such as monosodium glutamate as this will likely do your dieting efforts more harm than good.

Getting a Healthy, Beautiful Body Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult Either

Making the effort to enhance your meals with moderate amounts of healthy fats and calorie-free or low-calorie sodium-based condiments can make a world of difference in ensuring your long-term success for dieting and weight loss.

Hopefully this has inspired you to start experimenting with some of your own variations of healthy “diet” meals, and on your way to a healthier, more beautiful body!