Trying to lose weight or gain nutrition? Here’s a tip: Substitute taste for fat and calories. Say you are having a salad. Adding ingredients with big flavor and texture—thinly sliced radishes and red peppers, for instance—to plain old lettuce can make up for high-cal or high-fat add-ons such as dried fruit, salami or sun-dried tomatoes. Mix some pungent spices (mustard, red pepper flakes or curry powder, for starters) into a low-cal vinaigrette to keep you from missing that fatty ranch or blue cheese dressing too.

And to cut back on salt (the ubiquitous additive that can raise your blood pressure), squeeze some tangy lemon juice on your dish, with a bit of paprika and dried or fresh herbs.