You've put on some pounds. Wouldn't it be nice to pamper yourself at a spa where a famed chef could cook you healthy but tasty meals that look like art and work like a miracle on your middle?

If a spa stay just isn't in the stars right now, then how about bringing some spa cuisine to your kitchen? Cooking spa food may sound intimidating or a bit chi-chi, but it doesn't have to be.

You can create 'spa cuisine' in your own kitchen, says Melanie Polk, a registered dietitian and director of the American Institute for Cancer Research's Nutrition Education. Creating a healthful, low-fat, low-calorie meal that is beautiful, full-flavored and satisfying is a matter of following a few key principles.

The secrets to becoming a spa chef in your own kitchen lie in the following, Polk says:

Use fresh foods

Include a variety of plant-based foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans

Experiment with different cooking methods

Make your plate appealing

Watch the portion size

Pleasing the palate

A meal should look as wonderful as it tastes, Polk says. Use a combination of several vegetables, for example, that offer a variety of appealing colors, textures and flavors. That way, you also maximize the health-protective substances only plant-based foods offer, while getting that full feeling with the minimum calories.

Polk also recommends relying on small amounts of monounsaturated oils, such as canola, olive, sesame and walnut oils. These oils are flavorful but far more healthful than animal fats and are predominantly saturated fats, which have been linked with heart disease. Animal fats not only contain cholesterol, but they raise cholesterol, which can clog your arteries.

The only animal fat that is considered healthy are the omega fats, found in fish. These are actually helpful for heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and blood pressure. There is some evidence, for example, that monounsaturated fats may raise the body's HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol that protects against heart disease. Fish, olive oil and nut and seed oils also contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Want more flavor? Then spice up your spa food. There's a huge range of herbs, spices and seasonings that can add extra punch to the taste of any dish, Polk says.

So how does Sea Bass in Tomato, Fennel and Saffron Sauce - a flavorful favorite from The Claremont Resort - sound? Or try Grilled Rosemary and Lemon Marinated Petaluma Chicken with Penne Pasta, Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil from The Sonoma Mission Inn.

Cooking techniques make a difference

Try searing, grilling or roasting - and deep-six the deep-fry - to create a variety of flavors. While grilled fish and meats can be tasty, Polk offers a word of warning about grilling.

Carcinogens are produced when animal meats are cooked at high temperatures, whether fried, roasted, broiled, or grilled, she says. Vegetables, on the other hand, benefit from high-temperature cooking.

Researchers have found that grilling and broiling cause muscle meats like beef, poultry and fish to produce cancer-causing compounds - heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Plant-based foods such as vegetables, however, are essentially unaffected. In fact, vegetables and fruits, which are comparatively high in natural sugars, develop a sweeter, richer flavor when they are oven-roasted, broiled or grilled. Compared to other cooking methods like boiling, which can leach out nutrients as well as flavor, high oven and grill temperatures intensify the natural sweetness and create more complex flavors.

For those who mistakenly think vegetables can't be rich and sweet tasting, oven-roasting and grilling will quickly change their minds, Polk says.