Lose weight without dieting

One of the best ways to shed excess pounds is to skip the takeout and make your own meals.

But we know that low-calorie recipes still need to taste amazing, so in honor of Shape's 25th anniversary we picked out 25 dishes that prove that yummy can be waistline-friendly. The five here contain an ingredient or a nutrient that studies show play a special role in weight loss. Go to shape.com/bestrecipes for 20 other tempting options.

miami spice shrimp and vegetable salad

SERVES 6

PREP TIME 30 MINUTES

COOK TIME 10 MINUTES

1/4 cup frozen tangerine juice
    concentrate, thawed
  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  2 tablespoons lime juice
  2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  2 pounds medium shrimp, unpeeled
  1 pound fresh asparagus
  3 medium yellow squash
    Cooking spray
  6 small plum tomatoes, halved
    lengthwise
  6 cups fresh spinach leaves, thinly sliced

To make dressing, combine tangerine concentrate, vegetable oil, lime juice, water, oregano, cumin, salt, and red pepper in a jar. Cover tightly and shake to blend. Set aside.

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Toss with 1 tablespoon of dressing in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Snap off woody ends of asparagus. Trim ends of squash and cut in half lengthwise. Place asparagus and squash on a plate and brush with 1 tablespoon of dressing.

Thread shrimp on skewers, leaving a 1/2-inch space between shrimp. Coat a grill rack with cooking spray and place it over medium-hot coals.

Put shrimp skewers on rack. Grill 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned and firm. Transfer to a shallow dish and remove shrimp from skewers. Toss with 1 tablespoon of salad dressing. Set aside.

Grill asparagus, yellow squash, and tomato halves for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Toss spinach with 3 tablespoons of dressing. Arrange spinach on a serving platter and top with shrimp and vegetables. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

NUTRITION SCORE PER SERVING 259 calories, 26% fat (8 g; 1 g saturated), 21% carbohydrate (14 g), 53% protein (35 g), 4 g fiber, 143 mg calcium, 446 mg sodium

grilled vegetables with balsamic dressing

SERVES 4

PREP TIME 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME 8 MINUTES

  1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
      Salt and pepper to taste
    1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
    2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
    2 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise
   12 ounces asparagus, trimmed
    1 roasted red bell pepper,
      cut into strips
1 1/2 cups lightly packed arugula,
      chopped
    1 cup mixed baby greens
    2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

In a medium bowl, whisk first 4 ingredients to make the dressing. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat barbecue or indoor grill to medium high. Brush onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus with 1/2 of the balsamic dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until just cooked through, turning occasionally (8 minutes for onion, zucchini, and yellow squash; 5 minutes for asparagus). Allow to cool slightly, then cut vegetables into bite-size pieces and place in large serving bowl.

Add roasted bell pepper, arugula, and greens; toss with enough remaining dressing to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.

NUTRITION SCORE PER SERVING 194 calories, 62% fat (13 g; 2 g saturated), 29% carbs (14 g), 9% protein (4 g), 81 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 5 g fiber, 30 mg sodium

cold curried chicken salad with cranberries

SERVES 2

PREP TIME 20 MINUTES

  2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
  1 cup apples, chopped
  1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  1 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup lowfat mayonnaise
  3 tablespoons cranberry-orange relish
    (bottled on shelf or fresh in deli
    section)
  2 cups mixed baby greens

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the greens. Toss well, cover, and chill for 15 minutes (or make the day before). Divide chicken salad in half and place each serving on top of mixed greens.

NUTRITION SCORE PER SERVING 388 calories, 25% fat (11 g; 1 g saturated), 29% carbs (28 g), 46% protein (45 g), 3 g fiber, 65 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 474 mg sodium

three-cheese vegetable quesadillas

SERVES 4

PREP TIME 5 MINUTES

COOK TIME 8 MINUTES

1/2 cup grated part-skim
    mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  2 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese
  1 teaspoon olive oil
  2 medium tomatoes, diced
  6 scallions, diced
  1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
    or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  8 8-inch flour or whole-wheat tortillas

Combine cheeses in a bowl; set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, garlic, and oregano and cook 2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring frequently. Stir in cilantro. Remove vegetables from pan; set aside.