Whether you have been following a healthy diet for years or have just begun, sticking to a plan can be very tough. However, different food combinations and new cooking ideas can flavor up those meals and snacks.

• Experiment with new foods and combinations. Try mango on whole-wheat toast or mix mandarin oranges into a salad.
• Add chickpeas, black beans or garbanzos to your salad.
• Try something new for breakfast – leftover veggie pizza or a smoothie with exotic fruits, low-fat yogurt, and wheat germ.
• Stir-fry extra-firm or firm tofu rather than meat.
• Make a nutritious snack rather than a full meal when time is tight. Spread a brown rice cake with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or try corn muffins with apple and cheese slices.
• Add crushed bran cereal to baked products, such as meatloaf, breads, muffins, casseroles, cakes, and cookies. Also use bran as a crunchy topping for casseroles, salads, or cooked veggies.
• Grill fresh veggies and baste with a light salad dressing or canola or olive oil for a quick and healthy side.
• Take advantage of ready-to-use foods – bagged salads, low-fat deli meats, whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain bread, and fresh and canned unsweetened fruits.
• Vary your salad greens – arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, or watercress.
• For breakfast on the go, munch on ready-to-eat cereal with a banana and drink a small milk.
• Choose a dish that serves as a full meal for quick and simple cooking. This includes beef, barley, and a veggie stew; chicken, veggie, and rice casserole; turkey and bean casserole; or a veggie chili.
• Take advantage of healthy side dishes offered at fast-food restaurants.
• Stock your shelves with good-for-you snacks – low-fat pudding cups, dry roasted soy nuts, low-fat popcorn.
• Decrease the meat portion on your plate and increase the veggies.
• Plan meals so that you can use the extra food in other dishes.
• Use salsa for more than chips. It’s great on potatoes, veggies, fish, chicken, or meats.
• Marinate meat before cooking to tenderize and add flavor to foods – try herbs with wine, olive oil, soy sauce, or lemon juice
• Expand your grain intake – kasha, brown rice, wild rice, or barley.
• Use herbs and spices to add color, taste, and aroma.
• Explore more worldly dishes.

Source: ”Healthy Eating“, Mayo Clinic