Order dressing on the side and dip your fork first into the dressing, then into your salad. © iStockphoto.com-
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By Jane Harrison, R.D., Staff Nutritionist, myOptumHealth
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Did you know that if you take in 100 fewer calories a day, you can lose up to 10 pounds in one year? Little changes can make a difference. Sometimes, it's easier to tackle small steps instead of trying to make a lot of big changes all at once. Try these simple suggestions to see how easy it can be to cut back. If you add a little exercise to burn off 100 extra calories a day, you can increase that 10 pounds to 20.
- Use 2 tablespoons of light whipped butter instead of 2 tablespoons of regular butter.
- Substitute 2 tablespoons of chicken broth for 1 tablespoon of oil when sauteing or stir-frying.
- Choose smaller bagels instead of larger ones.
- Top waffles or pancakes with fresh fruit and a dollop of yogurt instead of maple syrup.
- Use salsa instead of cheese dip with chips.
- Better yet, try raw veggies instead of the chips!
- Use low-fat yogurt, fat-free sour cream or cottage cheese instead of regular sour cream or mayonnaise in dip recipes.
- Use mustard instead of mayo on a sandwich.
- Substitute Canadian bacon, turkey bacon or sausage for regular bacon or sausage.
- Eat fresh fruit instead of dried fruit or fruit juice.
- Choose thin-crust instead of thick-crust pizza.
- Order coffee with skim or 1 percent milk instead of cream or regular milk.
- Choose sorbet over premium ice cream.
- Have low-fat microwave popcorn instead of an equal amount of boxed caramel popcorn.
- Try diet hot cocoa mix instead of the regular milk chocolate mix.
- Order a sandwich on whole-wheat bread instead of on a bagel, croissant or large roll.
- Ask for oil and vinegar with your salad instead of regular dressing. Be generous with the vinegar and just put on a drizzle of oil.
- Order a broth-based soup or a salad instead of a side of fries.
- Order a cup of minestrone or vegetable soup as an appetizer. Skip the garlic bread.
- Choose minestrone and other broth-based soups over cream-based soups.
- Choose red sauce over cream-based sauces on pasta.
- Select an appetizer as your main entree.
- Choose soft tacos instead of crispy tacos.
- Choose spring rolls instead of fried egg rolls.
- Choose 1/2 to 1 of cup steamed rice rather than an equal amount of fried rice.
- Replace 8 ounces of fruit juice or soda with water.
- Order dressing on the side and dip your fork first into the dressing, then into your salad.
- Choose light beer or wine spritzers instead of frozen or fruit-based drinks.
- Use cooking spray instead of butter when making a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Leave the cheese off of sandwiches and hamburgers.
View the original 30 ways to trim 100 calories article on myOptumHealth.com
SOURCES:
- American Dietetic Association. A Hundred Measly Calories. Accessed: 04/24/2007
- University of Chicago. A Hundred Ways to Decrease 100 Calories. Accessed: 04/24/2007
