Tricks To Cut Calories, Gain Better Nutrition

Over the years I have cut back on certain foods or ways of eating to curb what I eat. What tricks do you use?

Here are a few that I have tried and they have worked.

1. Stop eating leftovers from my children's plate.

2. NO, catsup with French fries (chips).

3. If, I buy a fast food burger, I only have the small burger, no fries and water or unsweetened tea.

4. I taught my daughter to make my favorite cookie, "Chocolate Chip". I would bake cookies and eat 2-3 dozen while baking. No longer. My daughter bakes them and I have her divide them evenly between the family. Everyone takes their portion to their room. I can enjoy the cookies whenever my daughter is in the mood, which is about every 6-8 weeks. I don't even go into the kitchen. I wait for her to bring me my portion.

5. I substitute more days of Ranch Dressing on my salad for a splash of balsamic vinegar.

6. I line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake my eggs. They have a nice flavor and I didn't have to use butter (or fat or your choice).

7. If I buy sweet treats from the store because of an impulsive purchase, I divide the treats equally between family members. Otherwise I would eat the whole package. Most of the time I can resist buying sweet treats.

8. There was a period of about a year that I would buy a variety of bite size candy bars and mix them and empty into a tin. I said it was just for us "girls". I found I was eating more than the one a day that I said I would eat. I have a check up twice a year with my doctor. The candy was telling the tale on my lab numbers. I stopped buying the candy.

9. I switched from iceberg lettuce to Romaine lettuce. It cost about the same, sometimes a little more, but it's packed with more nutrition than iceberg.
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nutritionfacts/nutrition-comparison.php?o=11251&t=11252&h=102&e=100&r=

10. I switched from salted butter to unsalted butter.

11. I roast my fresh vegetables and frozen too. I've roasted green beans, yellow squash, parsnips, radishes, asparagus, carrots, zucchini, onions, beets (I scrub them clean with a brush and leave the peeling on them), mushrooms...and the list goes on. Roasting vegetables them gives them a richer flavor and they taste more satisfying.

12. Milk is one of my favorite things. I keep myself from drinking it because I know I can drink a gallon a day. I certainly don't need all those calories and fat. I switched to skim milk, but was hesitant about drinking it. I had a habit of "saving" milk for my family so there would be enough. I was buying as much as 12 gallons a month. My grown daughter and son in law love milk too. They are living with me while saving to build a home. So, what I've done is cut down on the amount of milk I buy (the grown ones can buy all the milk they want!), and since coming to MFP I have between 8-16 oz a day with one of my meals or with a snack. It keeps my craving for binge drinking a half gallon at a time, and helps with my sweet tooth.

13. I do not eat store bought/canned soup. It is too high in sodium, even the low-sodium is too high in sodium. It's not to say I never buy it, but 3-4 times a year I buy cream of mushroom for casseroles. I like to make my own soup at home.

14. I have high blood pressure which is controlled by medicine. I have learned to cut down on the salt. It was hard at first, but I've made great strides. I use "No-Salt, Costco's 21 Organic-Seasoning (no salt), lots of spices & herbs, and use mineral salt sparingly. I try to limit my sodium intake to 1500 mg a day, and most times never go over 2300 mg. There are occasion when I do, but I get right back on the right track my next meal. By reducing the sodium intake my ankles don't swell as much.

15. My grocery trips have changed too. I do m best to stay out of the center aisles of the store and only shop the perimeter of the store which keeps me away from packaged, boxed and canned foods.

16. I buy no-salt canned tomatoes for sauces or soups.

17. I sure would love a piece of cake right now. But, I don't want to go to the freezer and take out a piece to let it thaw. Out of sight, out of mind. I bake a cake, cut it into portions, wrap each piece individually, and put all the pieces into a freezer bag. It has saved me from eating most of the cake within a 2 day period.

18. Never add sugar to cereal or oatmeal.

19. I love my coffee black. No need for those calories from cream or sugar to get in the way.

20. There is just nothing better for me than to have English muffins with grated Mexican cheese added to the top and let it get golden brown in the oven. I really love them for breakfast, I could eat them everyday! Since coming back to MFP I haven't had any. I will add them to one of my breakfast menus, but will only have a half.

21. Last night I added 1 teaspoon of EVOO (olive oil) to my baked sweet potato, along with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Of course, I would have liked about 2 tablespoons of salted butter, but found that the sweet potato tasted just as wonderful as with all that butter.

22. God rest his soul, my husband loved chips, ice cream and a fair amount of pickles. Since his death, I rarely buy them. Whereas, I bought dill pickles for the hamburgers we had a least once a week if not twice a week, I bought them at least once a month. Now, a jar will last 7-8 months. I was raised "snack less". The exceptions for our young little bodies was an apple or peanut butter and jelly sandwich before dinner, or maybe twice a week homemade popcorn in the evening after dinner. The first shopping trip after we were married, I didn't buy any chips or soft drinks. My husband told me I needed to buy them every week. Even after 26 years of marriage it was a hard habit for me to get into. So, good habits for our children are important.

23. Recently I took my sister to a middle eastern restaurant for a birthday dinner. I ordered a salad. I questioned what was on the salad. To my surprise it was ground sesame seeds and thyme. It added a nice flavor and come to find out some helpful nutritional things as well. On my next trip to the grocery store I will buy some sesame seeds. The other ingredients that I have on hand are flax seed, parsley and thyme. I will grind these 4 ingredients together to add to salads and anything else. Check for nutritional values of spices, nuts, and seeds to see how you can add more nutrition to your diet.

If you've read this far, thank you for reading my post. Please add your ideas.I would love to try them.