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100 Ways to Cut 100 Calories
Maintaining a healthy weight
depends on achieving energy balance. This
is accomplished by balancing the amount of
energy burned and food consumed each
day. To stop weight gain, most Americans
need to do just two simple things:
Small changes in the types of
foods you eat and in the portion sizes you
choose will quickly add up to 100 reduced
calories, or even more! By pledging to walk
an extra mile (equivalent to approximately 2000 steps) and
reduce 100 calories (equivalent to 1 pat of
butter) you'll see how easy it can be to
achieve energy balance.
Find ways to cut calories during your day
with this list of 100 Ways to Cut 100
Calories!
Breakfast
Give your day a healthy start with these
breakfast tips:
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Select nonfat or 1% milk instead of whole
milk.
-
Use a small glass for your juice and a
small bowl for your cereal.
-
Savor a bowl of bananas, berries, low-fat
milk, and sugar substitute.
-
Substitute a no-calorie sweetener for
sugar in your coffee, tea, and cereal.
-
Choose light yogurt made with no-calorie
sweetener.
-
Substitute no-sugar-added jelly or jam for
the sugar-rich varieties.
-
Spread your muffin, bagel, or toast with 2
teaspoons of fat-free or light cream
cheese.
-
Split a bagel with someone, or wrap up the
other half for tomorrow's breakfast.
-
Use a non-stick skillet with cooking spray
in place of butter or margarine to prepare
your eggs.
-
Try turkey sausage or Canadian bacon for
less fat then regular.
-
Fill your omelet with onions, peppers,
spinach, and mushrooms instead of cheese
and meat.
-
Lighten up your omelet, frittata, or
scrambled eggs by using 4 egg whites or
1/2 cup egg substitute.
-
Trade regular butter for light whipped or
low-calorie butter substitute.
Lunch/Dinner
Try these ideas for lighter lunches and
downsized dinners:
-
Put lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles on
your burger or sandwich instead of cheese.
-
Prepare tuna or chicken salad with a
smaller amount of fat-free or light
mayonnaise or try spicy mustard.
-
Grill your sandwich using nonstick cooking
spray instead of butter.
-
Stuff a pita pocket with more fresh
vegetables, less meat and cheese.
-
Pick water-packed tuna instead of tuna
packed in oil.
-
Wrap romaine and sprouts with smoked ham
or turkey in a tortilla.
-
Make your sandwich with light, whole-wheat
bread.
-
Try a veggie burger.
-
Select soft taco size (6-8 inch) flour
tortillas instead of the larger burrito
size.
-
Substitute low-fat or fat-free sour cream
in recipes.
-
Choose 1% cottage cheese.
-
Skim the fat off soups, stews, and sauces
before serving.
-
Enjoy your salad without the croutons.
-
Substitute 2 Tbsp reduced-calorie salad
dressing for regular.
-
Use diet margarine.
-
Trim all fat from beef, pork, and chicken
(also remove the skin from chicken).
-
Bake, broil, or grill chicken and fish
rather than frying.
-
Limit meat portions to 3-4 ounces (the
size of a deck of cards).
-
Customize spaghetti sauce with fresh
zucchini, green peppers, mushrooms and
onions.
-
Turn a mixed green or spinach salad into a
main dish by including blueberries, diced
apples, or strawberries, almonds, and
grilled chicken.
-
Reduce your portion of cooked rice and
pasta by 1/2 a cup.
-
Grill portabello mushrooms as a main or
side dish.
-
Use 1 Tbsp less butter, margarine, or oil
in your recipe.
-
Try reduced-fat cheese in casseroles and
appetizers, or use less of a sharp cheese.
-
Season steamed vegetables with fresh lemon
and herbs.
-
Use vegetable cooking spray and nonstick
cookware instead of butter, margarine, or
oil when stovetop cooking.
-
Omit or use half the amount of butter,
margarine, or oil called for in macaroni
and cheese, rice, pasta, and stuffing.
-
Leave 3-4 bites on your plate.
-
Eat slowly to make your meal last and
reduce the urge for second helpings.
Desserts
You don't have to eliminate desserts to cut
100 daily calories...instead, try these
ideas:
-
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a sliver,
bite, or taste of dessert instead of a
full portion.
-
Savor a root beer float with 0 calorie
root beer, and 1 scoop of low-sugar
vanilla ice cream.
-
Have a single-dip ice cream cone instead
of several scoops in a bowl.
-
Choose your piece of sheet cake from the
middle, where there is less icing.
-
Top angel food cake with berries and
low-calorie whipped cream.
-
Freeze blended fresh fruit into a sorbet
for a refreshing dessert.
-
Select a cupcake rather than a standard
slice of cake.
-
Dish up low-calorie frozen yogurt or
sherbet instead of ice cream.
-
Enjoy a dish of fresh fruit in season
instead of custard or pudding.
-
Choose apple, peach, or blueberry over
pecan or cream pie.
-
Follow the low fat directions when
preparing brownie, cake, and cookie mixes.
-
Share your dessert with someone else.
-
Cut a half slice of cake or pie.
-
Substitute half or all the oil in a recipe
with applesauce when baking.
-
Substitute half or all the sugar in a
recipe with a sugar-substitute when
baking. Follow product directions for
optimal results.
Snacks
Curb your hunger with these healthy snack
ideas:
-
Freeze grapes or watermelon wedges for a
Popsicle-like treat.
-
Blend a smoothie out of yogurt, low-fat
milk, and fresh fruit.
-
Choose 4 ounces of light yogurt made with
no-calorie sweetener.
-
Control your portions by pouring an
individual serving of pretzels or chips
into a bowl instead of eating from the
bag.
-
Mix fruit in a no-sugar gelatin for a
colorful snack.
-
Try hummus with pita wedges.
-
Enjoy canned fruit packed in water or its
natural juice instead of heavy syrup.
-
Pick a small piece of fruit (apple, peach,
orange) the size of a tennis ball, or eat
just half or a bigger piece of fruit.
-
Make kabobs with fresh fruit and
reduced-fat cheese.
-
Dip apples in low-fat caramel, celery in
lite cream cheese, veggies in low-fat
dressing, or fruit in a yogurt/orange
juice mix.
-
Try fresh fruit in place of dried fruit.
-
Eat just 1 of the granola/snack bars in
the package and share the other or save it
for later.
-
Have 1 less handful of mixed nuts.
-
Satisfy your chocolate craving by opting
for 1 or 2 small "fun size" candy bars, or
just a few M&Ms or kisses.
-
Munch on a small bag of microwave
popcorn--and don't add butter.
-
Eat 2 of your favorite packaged cookies
instead of 3.
Beverages
Try these lower calorie thirst quenchers:
-
Substitute diet soda for regular soda.
-
Pay attention to serving sizes, most soda
cans contain 2.5 servings.
-
Select diet flavored iced tea.
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Quench your thirst with bottled water
instead of soda from the vending machine.
-
Opt for the small or medium drink instead
of large.
-
Select nonfat (skim) or 1% milk instead of
whole milk.
-
Have 1 cup of low-fat (1%) chocolate milk
instead of whole milk with chocolate
syrup.
-
Lighten up your favorite coffee drink by
requesting nonfat milk and using half the
sugar or flavored syrup.
-
Choose no-sugar-added fruit juices.
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Replace just 8 ounces of soft drink, fruit
juice, or fruit beverage with water each
day.
-
Drink light beer--limit yourself to 1 or
2--instead of regular.
-
Request diet mixers (cola, tonic water,
ginger ale).
-
Choose light beer or wine instead of
frozen or fruit-based alcoholic beverages.
Dining Out
Whether you're whipping through the
drive-thru or going out for a special
occasion, try these ideas for cutting
calories when dining out:
-
Limit yourself to 1 portion of bread,
rolls, crackers, chips, or better yet,
save your appetite for your meal.
-
Ask for a cup of soup rather than a bowl.
-
Select minestrone or other broth-based
soups over cream-based soups.
-
Ask for sauce and salad dressing on the
side; eat enough to enjoy the flavor, but
leave most of it behind.
-
Dip your fork into the dressing, then into
your salad greens.
-
Order a vinaigrette dressing rather than a
mayonnaise-based dressing.
-
Ask for no croutons and cheese on your
salad.
-
Substitute steamed vegetables for the
potato, rice, or pasta side dish.
-
Select an appetizer as your main dish; add
soup, salad, or vegetable side dish.
-
Choose a healthy option item designated by
a symbol on the menu.
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Ask for a half-portion or don't eat
everything on your plate.
-
Use fresh lemon to season fish instead of
tartar sauce.
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Choose a side salad instead of fries when
ordering fast food.
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Skip the super-size promotions.
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Select grilled chicken in place of breaded
and fried.
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