Think back to your favorite restaurant meal. Chances are, it was not just delicious, but beautifully presented with dazzling colors and shapes that really enhanced your appetite. Meals that tempt the eyes are more likely to tempt the taste buds. That's why, as a health-conscious cook, its important to make nutritious foods look their best. When a meal is appealingly presented, you and your family are more likely to eat and enjoy it - making it easier to stick to a healthful diet.

It doesn't take a gourmet chef to prepare nutritious meals that look as good as they taste. Even novice cooks can practice the art of a spectacular food presentation with a few simple tricks:

• Keep it simple, but interesting. "Presentation is about simplicity, while providing as much contrast in color and texture as possible," says David Hale, an instructor at The New England Culinary Institute and the chef at Chef's Table in Montpelier, Vermont. A meal of plain baked sole, steamed cauliflower and potatoes may be nutritious, but the bland colors blend together and aren't likely to inspire a healthy appetite. Imagine instead a plate of poached or grilled fish seasoned with paprika and freshly ground black pepper, colorful steamed carrots, red potatoes and spinach topped with sautéed onions and garlic.

• Use lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, says Hale (and health experts!), which naturally lend themselves to simply prepared, tasty and healthful meals. Start with fresh, seasonal produce. When cooking veggies, use techniques like steaming, stir-frying, microwaving and grilling to keep colors bright, texture firm and to retain the most nutrients.

• Pay attention to shape. You can cut peppers in elegant strips, festive rings or small triangles, recommends Annie Somerville, the chef at Greens, a vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. Or trim away the peel and turn orange slices into squares. Slice carrots, squash and broccoli stems on a diagonal so they don't have blunt ends. You can vary shapes and sizes within a dish as well. For instance, make a fruit salad with melon balls, pineapple chunks, kiwi slices and orange sections.
  

• Add a splash of color or contrasting texture. If you're making black bean salad, for example, toss in some crisp celery slices, shredded jicama and/or chopped sweet red peppers. A swirl of lowfat yogurt adds cool creaminess and contrasting color to vivid carrot or pea soup. Sprinkle a few toasted sesame seeds or almonds over cooked vegetables for visual interest, crunch and flavor. Or top a Mexican omelet with spicy or mild salsa and a few corn kernels. For dessert, drizzle red raspberry or strawberry purée over a scoop of lowfat frozen yogurt or a small slice of angel food cake.

• Rethink the way food is served. Instead of spooning sauce over vegetables, pour some onto the serving dish and artfully arrange the vegetables on top. A small portion of beef or chicken looks larger when sliced into thin strips and fanned over a bed of colorful veggies and rice. To give a pasta dinner pizzazz, fill half a round platter with green-tinted spinach fettuccini and half with regular or whole wheat fettuccini. Ladle a hearty red marinara sauce across the halves and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and a bit of grated parmesan. For the kids, make a "face" of fresh vegetables - use green beans for the hair, tomato slices for the mouth, carrot coins for the eyes, etc.

• Go natural with garnish. Spears of lightly cooked asparagus or slices of crispy starfruit, for instance, bring elegance and nutrients to any plate. Or garnish a fresh vegetable salad with a design of multi-colored pepper rings, carrot curls or radish roses. Somerville likes to use lots of fresh chopped herbs like chives, Italian parsley, mint or cilantro - they add flavor and the bright green colors really perk up a dish. Hale reminds us, however, to select a garnish based on the dish's ingredients. He suggests a thyme sprig if thyme is used, rosemary if it's in the dish, and so on. Above all, have fun and use your imagination!