How are you cutting those calories?

ekess25
ekess25 Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all! I am not new but back after about a year. This time i'm trying the whole family approach so that we can all stay healthy together.
What are you doing to cut calories? What are some of your favorite go to meals, snacks etc? I think one of the things we struggle with is finding those options that satisfy you but are still healthy and low calorie.
Let's share... :smiley:

Replies

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    There are so many healthy meal options. Check out the Recipes forums. Lots of good options there.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Modifying my regular recipes. Less cheese, or 2% cheese, adding more veggies, using whole grains. Favoring broth based soups & lower fat casseroles.

    Websites like Skinnytaste & Cooking Light are helpful. I love popcorn as a snack. I use a microwave popper with 1 teaspoon of oil...so the salt sticks.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    Well, the kids can eat a lot differently than a mother can due to their activity levels and the fact that they are growing a whole new human body. So the snacks for kids can be more frequent and larger than your snacks.

    I just logged all the food, studied my food diary here and learned from it. Since I have no way of knowing what kind of things your family eats, I would say - use less butter (but still use it) get vegetables (not just potato) into every meal. Add additional vegetables for bulk and fiber and nutrients to things like spaghetti sauce and pizza. I shred carrots into my pasta sauce and add mushrooms, garlic, lots of onion. Then I use a mix of shredded sauteed zucchini added to the pasta. For myself...I get it that kids may be a bit adverse to zucc in their spaghetti. Try yellow squash or spaghetti squash.

    More vegetables, leaner meat, less butter and oils, fewer sugary snacks. For me, I cut out sugary snacks for most of the week. I allow myself one dessert item in my grocery cart per week. I don't eat out any more, my food is simply more tasty, fresher, and exactly how I want it... Unless fish and chips, because ain't no one got time for that.
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
    My cooking hasn't changed that much. I do tend to use less butter/oil/cheese and add it to the rest of the family's food later. What really made a difference for me was portion size; I still eat mostly the same foods, just a lot less of them. I had NO idea of what size a serving of pasta actually was.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    1) Simply eating a little less of what I used to.
    2) Looking at nutritional info and seeing that some things aren't worth the Calories, so I either eat part of it, or don't on that particular day.
    3) Diet sodas and more water instead of regular soda.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    The only way I have to get Mrs to lose weight is to persuade her to stop drinking Coca-Cola. I haven't succeeded at that in 34 years. Other than that, her portion control is admirable.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I used to drink a lot of soda and now I don't. I've always cooked a lot...I discovered I could make my meals just as good with a fraction of the oil and/or butter I was using. I cut way back on junk food. I made whole foods the center piece of my diet. I cut way back on eating out. I have always been a dairy fiend and went from drinking about 1/2 gallon per day of whole milk to a couple servings of 1%...in that same regard, I seriously cut back on cheese.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited October 2016
    I got fat from grazing on junk all day and too large portions of food. I would eat diet foods too, but that was one of the reasons I started eating too much junk. So, now I eat ordinary food, and only eat at mealtimes, and normal portions.
  • wendypollok150
    wendypollok150 Posts: 20 Member
    I find that little tweaks throughout the day make a big difference. For example, my afternoon snack is .75 ounce of raw nuts (with an apple) verses the whole ounce...saves 45 calories and I really don't notice the difference. 4 ounces of chicken vs. 5 ounces-- 1 1/2 boiled eggs (my dogs are so happy to share).... just little tweaks that add up over the course of the day, and are mostly not noticeable.
  • Red_Pill
    Red_Pill Posts: 300 Member
    I fast. That way staying in a caloric deficit becomes easier. How my day usually looks is a pre feast type meal (something light to break my fast) then a big meal, then usually whatever I like to fill out the macros for the day. It's really simple.
  • KyleGrace8
    KyleGrace8 Posts: 2,205 Member
    Find vegetables and fruit (not too much fruit) that you love. Buy a lot of spices. Add them together. <(for snacks) For meals, I keep it simple, fish, chicken, turkey, rice, beans, veggies. SPICES! Watch the sodium though on those spices. There's a Salt Free Seasoning <that's the name that I get from Dollar Tree that's actually really good. BADIA Complete Seasoning is also good on everything. BADIA's curry powder is amazing if you like curry flavor. Pumpkin spice for things like apples and other fruit. Only use spray oil for your pans so you don't over use them. Measure things out, figure out what a portion size looks like. Good Luck! <3
  • LB551
    LB551 Posts: 4 Member
    I am trying to cut my sugar intake since that is a weak area. I have cut my portions and stay within my caloric intake. Cook and eat more healthy. Don't buy junk food and never go grocery shopping when I am hungry.
    Drink lots of water and exercise regularly. So far it has been working well.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    1. Intermittent fasting, eating window from 1pm until 8 or 9pm (not the kids though!)
    2. For me, eating more filling foods, like Fage greek yogurt, raw cauliflower with hummus, apples and bananas, bean burritos.
    3. Eating less chocolate! But still eating some...
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited October 2016
    A start would be to see where the majority of your calories are coming from and thinking of ways to cut there. For me, it was mostly from nuts and oil. My approach for each was different: I simply started using less oil gradually, but nuts needed a firmer hand so I simply stopped bringing them to the house and only eat them when I can buy a single serving.

    Adding bulk has also been a successful strategy. If it's something that can be modified without compromising the appeal of that dish I do it, like adding more vegetables to pasta which allows me to have a nicely sized portion without going overly crazy with calories. If I want something is is high in calories that loses its appeal when you modify it, I just have a 3 course meal - a brothy soup, lots of vegetables (salad, grilled, sides..etc), then a small portion of the high calorie dish. By the time I get to the dish I'm not very hungry so a small portion is enough. I also use ways that may not be suitable for a family, like skipping meals in favor of a high calorie meal.

    There are lots of nice recipes online under 500 calories and they don't even have to be on dieting websites.
  • mari5466
    mari5466 Posts: 137 Member
    Meal planning is my number one tool. I eat plenty of veggies, cook at home and I don't eat out that much, shop for good choices at home, I weigh my food and do research on low calorie meals. If I do eat out I only eat half my meal so get something filling.
  • mysticlizard
    mysticlizard Posts: 896 Member
    Doing a whole family approach can be a challenge. I have always taken my kids grocery shopping and we plan the weekly menu together. If I find a new recipe I want to try, I run it by them and we try it. If it is liked it goes into the meal rotation. The kids now bring me recipes they want to try and they cook them for the family. It is an on going process. Also as someone posted above kids need more or bigger snacks, I make sure there is a fruit bowl, yogurt that they enjoy, cheese, and trail mix available to them. I also keep sweet treats around that they like, that I am not interested in (because I don't always have good will power). I don't want the kids to feel like they are missing out on anything they might like. I preach moderation and tell them if I would have practiced what I preached I would not be changing my lifestyle now. :)
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Eliminate processed carbs as much as practical since they are some of the highest calorie density foods.

    Eat more meat and veggies.
  • kentbuhr
    kentbuhr Posts: 10 Member
    Smuckers makes jam with 10 calories per serving. Delicious. Turkey bacon instead of pork. Cut some yolks out of hard boiled eggs. Reduced sodium black beans. Tons of ways to make little cuts on every meal without sacrificing all taste.
  • ekess25
    ekess25 Posts: 3 Member
    The whole family approach can be a challenge, but I notice the eating habits of everyone and something needs to change. starting with what we bring into the house of course. So basically, no butter, oils, bread. lots of veggies fruits and proteins. We'll get there, but it's nice hearing how everyone else is making it work for them. thanks for the input!
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    kentbuhr wrote: »
    Smuckers makes jam with 10 calories per serving. Delicious. Turkey bacon instead of pork. Cut some yolks out of hard boiled eggs. Reduced sodium black beans. Tons of ways to make little cuts on every meal without sacrificing all taste.

    Hormel Black Label pork bacon has just 45 calories per slice while Oscar Mayer turkey bacon has 35 calories per slice. For a measly 10 calories I'd rather eat real bacon.

    A large hard boiled egg is just 70 calories. Though the yolk does contain most of those calories, it also contains most of the eggs nutrients so that's not where I would opt to cut back. I find hard boiled eggs (complete) to be very nutritious, low-calorie snack.

    Reducing sodium does nothing to reduce calories.



  • campfirequeen1
    campfirequeen1 Posts: 317 Member
    I'm not a big sweets person, so I've had to clean up my salty snacks a lot. I eat air popped popcorn, 1 oz mini pretzels and if I need extra flavor with the crunch, I eat a slice or stick of cheese that has lots of flavor like provolone or sharp cheddar. There is one sweet thing that I make that people love for a dessert and that's baked apples. I core the apple and in the center I put just a dot of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar or agave nectar. You can even do them in the microwave and they taste wonderful and the calories are always under 200 for a whole apple!

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