If you are vegetarian, you are off to a head start when you follow either Weight Watchers food plan. With luck, you will already be used to eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, and increasing your intake further is one of the key ways to lose weight, along with portion control and cooking techniques. Yet you may be short of ideas on how to make your food more interesting, so try these for starters...

Soups
The whole year round, home-made soup is your mainstay, especially in winter. Make it two or three times a week - it's easy, quick and nutritious, and it will fill you up. You don't need many ingredients either. Try these combinations, great for both the POINTS® Plan or Core Plan�? following the same method for each one:

Carrot, Cumin and Coriander
3 carrots, 1 large onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (or parsley).

Leek and Potato
1 onion, 2 leeks, 2 garlic cloves, 2 medium potatoes, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives.

Tomato and Basil
1 large onion, 2 carrots, 400g can chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree, a few fresh basil leaves.

Celery and Watercress
1 large onion, 4 celery sticks, 1 bunch watercress.

Method: Put all the ingredients (chopped) into a large saucepan with 900ml (1½ pints) vegetable stock. Heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Puree in a blender and season to taste. That's it! All are Zero POINTS values, except for Leek and Potato which is 5 POINTS values for the whole batch.

Salads
Enjoy lots of salad combinations �?served with low fat soft cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, tofu, beans and pulses to make sure that you get your protein. Cheese and nuts may have been your downfall �?they are high in fat and calories, though both are great for protein. Make sure you measure �?don't just nibble! Try these salad ideas to keep you interested, and adjust the POINTS values according to how much of each ingredient you use:

Tomato Bean Salad
Canned mixed pulses mixed with cooked green beans, chopped tomatoes, spring onions and tofu, dressed with 2 tbsp tomato puree mixed with 2 tbsp lemon juice.

Orange Couscous and Chick Pea Salad
Soak 100g couscous in stock, mix with 400g can chick peas, 6 chopped spring onions, ¼ chopped cucumber and 2 oranges, sliced into segments. Serve on salad leaves, scattered with fresh mint.

Mango, Grape and Melon
Chop the fruits and serve on a bed of watercress, rocket and spinach salad. Top with cottage cheese and sprinkle with the pulp and seeds from a passion fruit.

Main Courses
No more cheese pasties with chips, please! Think healthy!

First choose your 'filler'. Potatoes, pasta, rice, couscous, noodles and beans are where you need to begin, then think about the way you cook.

For potatoes, they are best baked, boiled or mashed �?without adding butter or cheese. Limit traditional roast potatoes and opt for potato wedges roasted in the oven, sprayed with low fat cooking spray. Eat jacket potatoes as often as you like, filled with salad or baked beans, low fat soft cheese or cottage cheese.

With pasta, take care that you don't eat it with rich, calorie-laden sauces. Tomato-based sauces are your best option. Add as many veg as you like, such as chopped courgettes, mushrooms, peppers, red onion, broccoli, green beans, etc. Low fat soft cheese makes an excellent sauce for pasta �?just warm it through in a saucepan, adding a little skimmed milk to thin it down.

Rice dishes are quick and easy to make. Try a speedy vegetarian biryani by cooking a finely sliced onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves in low fat cooking spray until soft. Add 225g cooked long grain rice, 150g frozen mixed vegetables, 2 chopped tomatoes and 1 tbsp medium curry powder. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, then serve each portion with a quartered hard-boiled egg. Serves 2. (Core followers: make sure to stick to brown or wild rice only).

Couscous is excellent with roasted vegetables stirred through. Try roasted peppers, courgettes, red onion and parsnips �?adding a handful of cherry tomatoes during the final few minutes of cooking time.

Noodles are so versatile. Buy them dried, checking the pack �?some have palm oil added and are high in calories. Heat them in vegetable stock with stir-fry vegetables and tofu chunks flavoured with Chinese 5 spice or Thai 7 spice seasoning for a simple, filling meal.

Get into beans if you haven't already! They are a good source of protein, fibre and B vitamins. Buy them canned or soak your own, though if you do, be sure to boil kidney beans rapidly for 10 minutes, then simmer until tender. Add them to soups, salads, stews and casseroles, and make your own chilli with Quorn mince.

Top Tips
The key to successful dieting is variety �?it keeps you interested. Check out recipes on this website, and look at Weight Watchers cook books to keep you inspired. If you attend meetings, ask what other members do if they are vegetarian �?then try some of their ideas. What works for them might work for you!