When you’re trying to lose weight or get healthy, watching your calorie intake and keeping it in check is the key. The good news is, there are plenty of simple changes you can make that will cut out some of those sneaky extra calories without you even feeling deprived.
Here are some easy ways to cut calories from your diet without even noticing…
Be careful with your coffee. Most people don’t even realise how many calories that caramel syrup or scoop of chocolate is adding to their coffee. At minimum it usually packs in an extra 100 calories that you don’t need- so skip the flavours.
Start with salad or soup. Studies have shown that filling up on a low-fat salad or soup before your meal can cause you to consume fewer calories for the rest of the day. The reason is that the high water content and low caloric density makes you feel fuller on fewer calories.
Choose fruit over juice. Instead of drinking fruit juice, get your vitamins by eating a piece of fruit and drinking water. A small glass of orange juice has around 120 calories- an actual orange has around half that amount.
Skin your chicken. Removing the skin from chicken can save you around 100 calories for each portion. Keep it juicy by wrapping the meat in foil while cooking or use a light marinade.
Don’t eat from the bag. Eating straight from a bag of chips or a packet of biscuits makes it easier to overeat. Keep track of how much you’re eating by serving yourself a small portion on a plate, or set some aside in little Ziploc bags for when you get a craving.
Get dressing on the side. Salads in restaurants will usually come with 6 to 10 tablespoons of dressing- with each tablespoon usually having 70 to 100 calories and 7 to 10 grams of fat. So ask for the dressing on the side and use it sparingly between bites.
Swap eggs for egg whites. When you’re making that omelette, lighten up the calorie load by using just the whites of eggs (the yolk contains most of the fat). That way, you can get your protein without all the extra calories.
Watch your carb portions. When you eat pasta, rice or potatoes in a restaurant, they typically give you at least 4 times the recommended serving size. Separate a single portion and eat that, only going back for more if you’re still hungry after 20 minutes.
Dilute your wine. Try the same trick with wine for a light, delicious spritzer that keeps the calories low.
Choose lighter spreads. Buy light versions of cream cheese, butter, margarine and mayonnaise- you can save over 50 calories for each tablespoon you use, and you won’t taste a difference.
Use herbs. Seasoning your vegetables with herbs instead of butter or margarine gives you a delicious flavour while saving
around 100 calories.
Your health is in your hands, handle it with care.
M xx