If you’ve tried dieting before, you know very well that it can get really boring, really fast. Many diet routines out there recommend a fixed set of foods and preparation methods that you can have, resulting in really bad meals.

A diet that plays out like that does work - only problem is that it works in the wrong way - because you get discouraged from eating the diet's recommened foods. Fortunately, there’s a way to make your food fun and healthy at the same time. All it takes is a little cooking smart and a bit of creativity.

Plan Your Menu for an Entire Month

The biggest mistake with many diet plans is that the meals are all within a very narrow window of time, usually a span of five to seven days. What happens is that you’re probably tired of the same food by the third week and, by the sixth week, you’re so sick of it that you’d rather order fast food and throw your diet plans out the window til the next New Year's Resolution.

If you’re going to plan a diet of healthy food, plan a menu for an entire month, and not for just five to seven days. If you’re stumped for ideas, try mixing up your food a bit. Cook pasta one day, rice the next and maybe a new salad the day after that. The internet is chock full of new ideas you can try, and there are entire cookbooks dedicated to healthy recipes. Look them up and plan your menu away.

I suggest going to Jenny Craig's website, where you can find a nice variety of healthy and low calorie meals.

Everyday Experimentation

If you really want something new, try adding some spices you haven’t had before. Go to the grocery and pick up some unheard of greens for a salad, pick up some exotic-looking fruits for dessert or get some herbs you can put in a soup or broth. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the little things because they often have a really big effect on the flavor. You never know, you just might discover a new way to prepare something or a completely new dish altogether.

For added variety, do to your food as you would to your clothes. Mix and match different dishes together for a new eating experience every single time. Pair that chicken dish with salad on Tuesday and then pair the leftover chicken with a pasta dish on Thursday.

Diet Secret

The secret to sticking to any diet is actually enjoying it instead of just making it through every single meal with mundane food. Apply some creativity to your food and look forward to every meal, and your diet will eventually become more of a lifestyle rather than a temporary eating habit.

Meal plans will vary depending on what your desired outcome is. Are you a vegetarian, perhaps looking to burn fat and increase muscle density, or maybe just looking for a healthier lifestyle? Listed below are some of the more popular meal plans:

• Superfoods Meal Plan
• Fill Up On Fibre Meal Plan
• Low Sugar Meal Plan
• Brain Foods Meal Plan
• Arthritis Meal Plan
• Lose Weight Meal Plan
• Power Foods Meal Plan
• Healthy Heart Meal Plan

Want to tackle sudoku or impress your boss? Howabout passing in flying colours your next exam? You will need 3 things.

1. An above average IQ
2. Dedication to the task at hand
3. Brain Food

I can't help you with the first two points, but definitely can with the last. Time to munch on some walnuts and incorporate cold-water fish (salmon, tuna, trout) in your menu. Cold-water fish contain a high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. Blueberries and strawberries also have powerful anti-oxidant properties that help with short-term memory.

Fruits, green vegies, milk and eggs are also useful to keep your brain at optimum performance as they are high in Vitamin B.

One-Day Meal Plan for your Brain

Breakfast

• Vanilla yogurt mixed with some fresh strawberries
• Whole wheat toast withraspberry jam
• Snack: Munch on some walnut halves.

Lunch

• Whole wheat pita sandwich (lettuce / grape tomatoes / tinned tuna / carrot shredded)
• 1 glass skim milk
• Snack: 1 apple

Dinner

• Artichoke frittata squares
• Arugula salad: (arugula leaves / sliced mushrooms / sliced pear / balsamic salad dressing)
• Snack: Raspberry sorbet and some fresh blueberries.