Trying To Cut Calories

hibbler22

Trying to cut calories?

Here are a few quick things to consider that might help you:

1. Use cooking sprays like PAM instead of butter or oils when cooking things like eggs or stir frying veggies.
2. Use spray butter or sugar-free jams on toast and breads, avoid butter.
3. Drink low or non-fat milk products and use them in your coffee instead of cream.
4. Be careful of salt. Try not to add extra salt, especially to prepared meals at restaurants, from a deli counter or frozen. There is already enough salt added.
5. Drink water all the time and try to get away from juices with tons of sugars. If you cannot give up soda, opt of diet options. But try to drink water all the time.
6. Use mustard or a small amount of hummus instead of mayo on sandwiches. Use light mayo if you are preparing sandwiches at home.
7. Leave the cheese off of things unless you can find a non or low-fat option you like.
8. Roast turkey, chicken and lean roast beef are better deli selections than bologna, salami, pastrami and most ham.
9. Light feta is a cheese with a ton of flavor and not a lot of fat and calories if used sparingly. If you are a pizza lover, try ordering a veggie pizza with a small amount of feta, hold the other cheeses.
10. Order all dressings and sauces on the side FOR EVERYTHING> especially salad. Leave off sauces added to burgers or sandwiches and if you need sauce, ask for small amount of ketchup and mustard.
11. Order burgers with lettuce, tomato and onion. Hold the cheese, bacon, sauté onions, gravy mushrooms and the double patty.
12. Caesar and cobb salads are very fattening, so opt for other types of salad like a small garden salad with chicken with low-fat dressing on the side. Also macaroni, potato and coleslaw can be very fattening as well. Opt for versions prepared with vinegar or vinaigrette.
13. Use only low or non-fat salad dressings. Vinegar & olive oil or lemon juice are great ways to add flavor to salads as well.
14. If you need a salt fix and prefer potato chips, opt for baked options or snack on pretzels. Also, baked frozen sweet potato fries in the oven are a great fix for traditional fried french fries.
15. A handful of plain almonds are a good snack and can help fight hunger. They are a great source of good fats and protein. Limit to one handful per snack.
16. If you need something crunchy, cut up celery, red, orange or yellow peppers and carrots and keep low or non-fat ranch or blue cheese near for a great snack.
17. Choose red sauces over cream and pesto sauces on pasta dishes. Marinara is usually the best option. Some red sauces contain cream, so make sure to ask your server and opt for sauces that do not contain cream.
18. When eating out, ask for steaks, chicken and fish to be prepared without butter or added oils. Enjoy the flavor of the food not the butter )
19. Eat breakfast. Oatmeal is really a great HEART healthy option and fills you up.
20. At Chinese restaurants ask for steamed options rather than fried. Steamed veggies or pot stickers are better than fried noodles or rice, won tons or egg rolls. Ask for dishes to be prepared without oils or ask to go light on the oils and sauces.
21. Oder items in restaurants that normally are served with butter like pancakes and toast to be dry so that they do not place the butter already on them.
22. Eat frequently throughout the day, do not skip meals. Try eating half of whatever you order at a restaurant and put the other half away and eat it 2-3 hours later.
23. Drink water when you feel hungry. Sometimes we feel hungry when we really need fluids!
24. Drink decaf green tea at night. It is soothing and can help curb hunger if night time is an issue.
25. Take the skin off of chicken and opt for white meat not dark. Thighs and wings are dark, breasts are white meat.
26. If you love frozen treats, consider non-fat frozen yogurt or sorbets instead.
27. When ordering Mexican, opt for soft corn or flour tortillas and look for chicken items. Ask for extra lettuce and salsa and add black beans for more protein. Hold the sour cream and cheese. Also, please know that refried beans contain lard and can be unhealthy.
28. 100 calorie snack packs are great if you stick with only 1 snack pack at a time. They are a great reality check for a 100 calorie portion.
29. Avoid options that say double, extra, loaded, biggie, etc. Anything that suggests more! The key to success is portion size. It is ok to indulge sometimes, just don't over indulge!

Keep Moving!

hibbler22

Trying to cut calories?

Here are a few quick things to consider that might help you:

1. Use cooking sprays like PAM instead of butter or oils when cooking things like eggs or stir frying veggies.
2. Use spray butter or sugar-free jams on toast and breads, avoid butter.
3. Drink low or non-fat milk products and use them in your coffee instead of cream.
4. Be careful of salt. Try not to add extra salt, especially to prepared meals at restaurants, from a deli counter or frozen. There is already enough salt added.
5. Drink water all the time and try to get away from juices with tons of sugars. If you cannot give up soda, opt of diet options. But try to drink water all the time.
6. Use mustard or a small amount of hummus instead of mayo on sandwiches. Use light mayo if you are preparing sandwiches at home.
7. Leave the cheese off of things unless you can find a non or low-fat option you like.
8. Roast turkey, chicken and lean roast beef are better deli selections than bologna, salami, pastrami and most ham.
9. Light feta is a cheese with a ton of flavor and not a lot of fat and calories if used sparingly. If you are a pizza lover, try ordering a veggie pizza with a small amount of feta, hold the other cheeses.
10. Order all dressings and sauces on the side FOR EVERYTHING> especially salad. Leave off sauces added to burgers or sandwiches and if you need sauce, ask for small amount of ketchup and mustard.
11. Order burgers with lettuce, tomato and onion. Hold the cheese, bacon, sauté onions, gravy mushrooms and the double patty.
12. Caesar and cobb salads are very fattening, so opt for other types of salad like a small garden salad with chicken with low-fat dressing on the side. Also macaroni, potato and coleslaw can be very fattening as well. Opt for versions prepared with vinegar or vinaigrette.
13. Use only low or non-fat salad dressings. Vinegar & olive oil or lemon juice are great ways to add flavor to salads as well.
14. If you need a salt fix and prefer potato chips, opt for baked options or snack on pretzels. Also, baked frozen sweet potato fries in the oven are a great fix for traditional fried french fries.
15. A handful of plain almonds are a good snack and can help fight hunger. They are a great source of good fats and protein. Limit to one handful per snack.
16. If you need something crunchy, cut up celery, red, orange or yellow peppers and carrots and keep low or non-fat ranch or blue cheese near for a great snack.
17. Choose red sauces over cream and pesto sauces on pasta dishes. Marinara is usually the best option. Some red sauces contain cream, so make sure to ask your server and opt for sauces that do not contain cream.
18. When eating out, ask for steaks, chicken and fish to be prepared without butter or added oils. Enjoy the flavor of the food not the butter )
19. Eat breakfast. Oatmeal is really a great HEART healthy option and fills you up.
20. At Chinese restaurants ask for steamed options rather than fried. Steamed veggies or pot stickers are better than fried noodles or rice, won tons or egg rolls. Ask for dishes to be prepared without oils or ask to go light on the oils and sauces.
21. Oder items in restaurants that normally are served with butter like pancakes and toast to be dry so that they do not place the butter already on them.
22. Eat frequently throughout the day, do not skip meals. Try eating half of whatever you order at a restaurant and put the other half away and eat it 2-3 hours later.
23. Drink water when you feel hungry. Sometimes we feel hungry when we really need fluids!
24. Drink decaf green tea at night. It is soothing and can help curb hunger if night time is an issue.
25. Take the skin off of chicken and opt for white meat not dark. Thighs and wings are dark, breasts are white meat.
26. If you love frozen treats, consider non-fat frozen yogurt or sorbets instead.
27. When ordering Mexican, opt for soft corn or flour tortillas and look for chicken items. Ask for extra lettuce and salsa and add black beans for more protein. Hold the sour cream and cheese. Also, please know that refried beans contain lard and can be unhealthy.
28. 100 calorie snack packs are great if you stick with only 1 snack pack at a time. They are a great reality check for a 100 calorie portion.
29. Avoid options that say double, extra, loaded, biggie, etc. Anything that suggests more! The key to success is portion size. It is ok to indulge sometimes, just don't over indulge!

Keep Moving!

LynnW52

Great tips! Thanks for sharing. Another snack that I like to help curb the salty/crunchy craving is pickles, only 5 calories a piece!