Easy Ways to Cut Calories

If you cut 100 calories from your diet every day this could result in a weight loss of up to 10 pounds in 1 year. Instead of gaining the “freshman fifteen” you will be going home slimmer! All it takes is some simple substitution. Here are a few ideas of how to shave 100 calories without even noticing! Try gradually including these substitutions into your diet one week at a time. Adopt more than one of these ideas into your daily routine and you could save yourself a substantial amount of calories you won’t even miss.

#1: Order your coffee with nonfat milk
Order your coffee with nonfat milk instead of cream and sugar. For a 12-ounce size, this will free up about 100 calories. If you need a little sweetness (and are OK with consuming artificial sweeteners), you can add a little Splenda.

#2: Have an English muffin or toast instead of a bagel.
You'll save 100 calories if that bagel was 4 inches in diameter—and even more if it was a bigger one from the bakery. Spread it with some peanut butter: its protein, fiber and heart-healthy fats will give this breakfast some staying power.
#3: Ditch the chips, have popcorn
Some snack chips aren't so bad for your health but are still packed with calories. A 1.5-oz. bag of SunChips, for example, has 210 calories. If you have 3 cups of air-popped popcorn (a whole grain!), you'll cut the calorie count in half (about 90 calories). Popcorn also contains more dietary fiber to keep you feeling fuller longer and also promotes a healthy digestive tract!

#4: Lose the top piece of bread on your sandwich
An open-face sandwich is often just as satisfying as one with double the bread. Isn't the filling the best part anyway? Ditch the bun when you order your burger, or even take off the top roll of your sub.

#5: Swap that heaping tablespoon of mayo for some mustard
Mayo delivers 90 calories in just 1 tablespoon and you're probably using even more than that. Mustard adds a spicy bite to your sandwich at only about 10 calories per tablespoon.

#6: Say Goodbye to Ranch. Eat your veggies with low fat dressing.
Ranch dressing is notorious for its calories and fat. Dipping your veggies in this calorie loaded dressing destroys any health benefits you may be getting from your veggies. Choose a light dressing, try balsamic vinegar and a little bit of oil.

#7: Cut your serving of rice or pasta in half
A cup of rice (200 calories) is technically two servings of grains. That's fine: even if you're eating only 1,200 calories—the lowest calorie level that's considered healthy—you still need six servings of grains a day. But if you're trying to bank calories, limit your grain servings to one at dinner and save those calories to spend at other meals and snacks.

More ideas!..........

Breakfast
• Replace your morning glass of regular juice with a glass of lite or reduced-sugar juice
• Switch out 1 ounce (oz) of cooked pork bacon for 1 oz of Canadian bacon
• Trade ¼ cup (C) regular pancake syrup for ¼ C lite pancake syrup
• Choose three medium-sized pancakes, instead of ordering an 8″ round waffle

Lunch
• Replace 1 C of a cream-based soup with 1 C of a broth-based soup
• Use diet bread to make your sandwich
• Skip the cheese on your burger, sandwich, or salad
• Choose carbonated fruit-flavored water, instead of regular soda
• Trade a 6-oz cup of yogurt with fruit on the bottom for a four-oz cup of lite yogurt blended with fruit

Dinner
• Make your tacos with 3 oz of grilled chicken breast, instead of 3 oz of ground beef
• Choose one slice of thin-crust cheese pizza, instead of a slice of pepperoni pan pizza
• Replace either smoked pork or beef sausage with either smoked turkey or chicken sausage
• Replace 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) of salted stick butter with 2 Tbsp of a reduced-calorie margarine spread
• Choose ½ C of black beans, instead of refried beans, when preparing Mexican food

Snacks
• Choose a ½ C of sorbet, instead of premium ice cream
• Munch on five reduced-fat vanilla wafers, instead of one big chocolate-chip cookie
• Replace half of the oil in your favorite recipe with unsweetened applesauce
• Trade your regular buttered popcorn for Orville Redenbacher’s® SmartPop! Gourmet® microwave popcorn

UB Healthy
Lindsay Nutrition Intern