Refreshing soda doesn't just have to be an accompaniment to your summer meals. It can splash right into the main festivities at the grill and in other dishes when it comes to easily and economically infusing flavor.

First, even if you, your family and guests are as trim as can be, consider sticking only to diet soda in your recipe repertoire. Usually, the taste difference is negligible, but the distinction in empty calories from sweeteners is major. This gives even a fit family (and other partiers) more room for healthy desserts and other treats later.

Think all diet sodas are flat-flavored, anything-but-gourmet last resorts? Reconsider that. You've probably heard of wine tasting or even the comparisons of other upscale products, like olive oils or sushi. You can do the same with diet sodas before choosing which ones to either serve or use as the foundations of some of your recipes.

Have a blind taste test of categories like lemon-lime, cola, root beer and fruit diet sodas. Chances are you will find some variations when it comes to depth of flavor and quality of ingredients.

Next, it's on to using the sodas as marinades and other clever, economic ingredients for summer meals.

Nutritionists for major weight loss programs have already jumped on the bandwagon regarding saving time and calories with diet soda and often make such recommendations, like Lindora, the nation's largest medically based program.

On the free recipe part of their website (lindora.com/weight-loss-recipes.aspx), there are simple suggestions, including marinating skinless, boneless chicken breast in Diet 7UP, along with chopped onion, basil, rosemary, sage and thyme before grilling (or covering and baking at 350 F for about an hour, either way until thickest part of breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 F); and soaking small cored apples in diet raspberry soda before baking in deep dish at 350 F for about 45 minutes.

Best-selling "Hungry Girl" diet food cookbook series author and Food Network host Lisa Lillien has long recommended adding 12 ounces of diet cream soda, rather than other ingredients, to an 18.25-ounce box of moist-style yellow cake mix. Bake at 350 F for the amount of time and in the size of a nonstick spray-doused pan the cake mix package recommends.

Here are some of my ideas for a summer meal that really pops:

—Include diet root beer, as well as a dash of red pepper flakes, in the marinade for your ribs before grilling.

—Add a can of diet cola, or better yet, one of the spicier-tasting colas, like Diet Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb Zero, to your chili.

—Marinate shrimp before grilling in diet peach iced tea, along with curry powder. Peach tends to be the most strongly flavored of all diet iced teas across product lines, including more than other fruit-flavored teas, like raspberry or mango.

—Cut fresh carrots into coin shapes and marinate in and then cook in ginger ale. Consider a stronger ginger beer like Reed's. You might be surprised at how much of a gourmet touch the good amount of ginger in ginger beer (which is nonalcoholic) adds when enjoying either as a cold beverage or a marinade.

—In a saucepan, add a can of diet cherry soda to sugar-free chocolate syrup and cook down until thick. At end of cooking time, stir in some dried cherries or maraschino cherries. Use to top roasted marshmallows that are on top of chunks of antioxidant-filled dark chocolate or sugar-free chocolate or vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Fun fare like this also proves food and beverage preparation can be easy, nutritious, inexpensive, fun — and fast. They take just 10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare. The creative combinations are delicious proof that everyone has time for creating homemade specialties and, more importantly, the healthy family togetherness that goes along with it. Another benefit: You effortlessly become a better cook, since there are no right or wrong amounts.

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

A can of diet cream soda can do wonders when swapped as an ingredient into moist-style yellow cake mix, recommends best-selling diet book series author and Food Network host Lisa Lillien.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.