You've made a meal that you know tastes incredible, but do you know how to make it look just as beautiful and appealing on the plate? How do restaurants do it? Gilt Taste shared some simple tips from a pro for making your food look as good as it tastes.

The two-part series starts with the basics before moving on to slightly more involved techniques, the kind you might use for a sit-down dinner party rather than a casual weeknight meal. Here are three of our favorite tips:

Show off the most appealing textures: Crispy chicken skin, crunchy fried onions, the charred exterior of a grilled steak — these are elements that draw an eater in and make a dish more irresistible. Make sure they are front and center, not hidden under a thick sauce or at the bottom of the salad bowl.

Go green: Just a small sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs or a few ribbons of green onion bring a freshness and vibrancy to the plate. For a fancier meal, microgreens — the tiny shoots of edible plants — instantly make a dish look restaurant-ready.

Play with shapes: Incorporate a few different cutting techniques into your repertoire and turn out fruits and vegetables shaped like diagonals and ribbons, or cut so thin you can see through them. Having a variety of shapes on the plate is eye-catching and easy to do.

Read the full articles: How to Plate Like a Pro Part 1 & Part 2 at Gilt Taste

Do you have any tips for better plating?

Related: Easy Entertaining: Five Simple Tips for Plating Food

(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)