8 Easy Calorie Cuts

Thought this was great to keep in mind regarding our food choices... anybody else have some good ideas to cut calories?

1. Use mustard instead of mayo: cut 100 calories.
2. Skip the wine or beer with dinner: cut 100 calories.
3. Take the skin off your chicken breast: cut 100 calories.
4. Switch to fat-free salad dressing instead of regular: cut 100 calories.
5. Drink water or herbal tea instead of a soda: cut 150 calories.
6. Order your sandwich without the cheese: cut 200 calories.
7. Choose an English muffin instead of a bagel: cut 200 calories.
8. Have a turkey sandwich instead of tuna salad with mayo: cut 250 calories.

The thing with fat free or lo-cal salad dressing is be careful. Often fully fat dressing is BETTER for you than lo-cal. Why? Because lo-cal dressings often have High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is NOT your friend

I'd also like to suggest:

9. Cut out 1 can of coke with your meal
10. Switch to full-skim or part-skim dairy :)

11. Skip the fries with your sandwich.  Get baked chips instead.

I believe the fries have more calories than a burger.  And by not getting fries, you are also really cutting trans fat intake.

12.  Instead of Butter (204 calories for 2 TBS) on your baked potato, have the same amount of sour cream (52 calories for 2 TBS)  Save 152 calories.

13. Get that "Would you like a salad with your meal?" when you go out to eat! I didn't used to, because I used to think "No, that's extra calories." But now if I order a chicken parmesan or pizza or whatever, I always get the salad first because then I fill up on greens and veggies and not on all the fattier entree!

14. Get unbuttered popcorn instead of movie theater butter popcorn.  Butter adds alot of calories and trans fats.

15.  Instead of salad dressing use lemon juice and some pepper.  Tastes a lot better than you think.
16.  Instead of a burger and fries, go soup and salad.
17.  As you're eating dinner, try taking sips of water between bites.  The water will fill you up plus slow down your eating, so you realize you're full before you overeat.

18.  AN IDEA that works for me:  The spray butter with no calories sprayed onto lettuce with some balsalmic vinegar (love that stuff) and s spritz of garlic powder is a great salad dressing for me; and negligible calories. 

- eat air-popped popcorn instead of the packaged (trans-fats containing) popcorn.

18. use whole grain wraps or huge pieces of lettuce for a sandwich instead of bread.

19. drink green or black tea instead of coffee. this is a hard one.

20. chew sugar-free gum when you want something sweet.

21. eat multiple little things added together in a meal to make you think you're eating a lot. like eating a lot of side dishes put together.

22. get brothy soups instead of creamy. I think this one is obvious.

Hurkey, one thing.. Spray Butter DOES Have calories, a very small amount but calories nonetheless. Use only a spritz or two, OK? Not half a can. :)

Also, veganlove, whole-wheat products often have the same amount or more calories than white, but they're better for you :)

Just making sure everyone knows. Not trying to get in the way of good tips :)

Eating egg whites only and no yolks cuts calories and cholesterol
When you bake something instead of using oil use unsweetened applesauce cuts calories and fat
Use butterbuds on things like steamed veggies to get a good flavor with 0 calories

If you absolutely need to mix something with your tuna, mix mustard instead of mayo - it's actually fantastic. Tuna without anything mixed in is really good as well.

Never underestimate the portobello mushroom. You can use it as the outside or the inside! (the bread - top it with something, or the inside, instead of a beef burger)

well i found lowfat sourcream that is only 20 calories a tblspn and i made homeade ranch dip out of it which doesn't add that much and when i made tuna one day i used a tablespoon of that and mustard....it was yummy

also,.....when ever i eat cottage cheese i eat lettuce under which doesn't take away any calories but it helps fill me up more

Shanna

23. Get boiled/grilled fish instead of fried 24. Go for turkey instead of pork, roast beef, etc.

24. Avoid eating at a buffet type restaurant.  This usually leads to over eating.

Switch to diet versions of every-day products (if you dont object to sweeteners)

Jello - Also keeps you full. Try agar-agar - less additives, more fibre
Cordial - Often around 3 cals per glass.
Jams - esp if they contain real fruit. When you can eat a whole jar for 70 cals, you know you can't be doing bad. Great in snacks or making plain diet yogurt jazzed up.

My other tip - when you eat out, dont give into the waiter or your friends. You're paying for th emeal, get what you want. If you want a salad instead of the chips, more often than not they will hapily obliged. Ask for meals to be cooked with NO butter, or minimal oil.

Try new things - i used to turn my nose up at cottage cheese, but it makes a great snack, sour cream replacer, topping for pizza or anything really!

Read the labels and understnad. DOn't just fall for the 99% fat free stickers - compare products according to the info per 100g. Often the serving sizes are smaller than what you'd eat

I use walnuts instead of croutons in salad.  They taste really good with a vinaigrette and are so much better for you.

I ask for a side salad instead of fries when I'm out.  If I'm craving something creamy, I go with hummus.  Soymilk (or regular milk if you  like) and fruit smoothies when I'm craving ice cream.  Cook rice with veggie broth instead of water to add flavor without oil or butter.  You CAN stir fry stuff in water, but I like the flavor of different oils, so I make sure I only use 1 T for a whole stir fry and add water if stuff starts to stick.  And interestingly enough - eating natural and organic cuts mad calories in certain instances.  I eat all-natural pasta sauce from Whole Foods and it has 50 cals per 1/2 cup instead of 120+ like  most commercial sauces.  Also, the natural fruit spread I use on my PB&J has only 35 cals per Tbsp as opposed to 50 with regular jelly (and this with no artificial sweeteners too).

• frozen bananas ... tastes like ice cream
• instead of flavored oatmeals, just get plain steel cut oats and add a dollop of honey and cinnamon yourself
• avocado in sandwiches instead of butter, mayo or cheese
• always skip relish and ketchup in your hot dogs & burgers

 

Eat carrots instead of chips, fries or rice.

Eat Asian noodles (glass, bean, rice) instead of wheat and save at least 100-200 calories.

Change half of your "chips" to carrot slices or cucumber slices, saves at least 100 calories. 

Change from creamy dip to homemade salsa, saves at least 100-200 calories.

 

For salad dressing, instead of "lite" I use half dressing, and the other half is salsa.  I generally don't like raw tomatoes so salsa provides some tomatoes and a lot of flavor and stretches the dressing really nicely.