"Taste has always been the No. 1 factor when deciding what to eat," says Ruth Frechman, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. But taste and feel can fool you. Yogurt is creamy, but that doesn't mean it's high in calories. Salsa is spicy, but it's low in fat and high in fiber. Your brain can't always sort out these differences, so why not spin that to your advantage?
When it's time for a diet, the first thing you want to do is hit the spice rack. "Food can be healthy and delicious," says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. Plain chicken breasts and broccoli for dinner are boring; add a little teriyaki sauce to your greens, and rub some spices on the meat, and you've got a low-fat meal you can actually enjoy. For dessert? With summer berries at their peak, it's easier to skip the ice cream.
What's more, you can forget the no-snacking rule. Snacks can actually help stabilize your blood-sugar level, making it easier to curb your cravings come meal time. You don't have to limit yourself to baby carrots and celery sticks -- at least not by themselves. Low-fat dips or gourmet mustards can make dietary virtuousness feel like indulgence. Sunflower seeds and almonds are, in fact, indulgences, but in moderation, they can be both satisfying and safe. A fruit smoothie whipped up in the blender is doubly smart: fruit is sweet -- which the calorie-craving brain loves -- and the air that gets stirred in during the mixing causes you to feel full faster and stay that way at least a little longer.