25 Ways to Cut Calories Every Day

Written by Danna Demetre, RN

Try a few of Danna Demetre’s calorie-saving tips taken from her book, Scale Down: A Realistic Guide to Balancing Body, Soul & Spirit. Start applying them to your life today and begin losing fat without sacrificing taste!

1. Try frozen grapes or blueberries for a fun snack.

2. Land O’ Lakes light whipped butter is excellent – and only 35 calories per tablespoon!

3. When you dip veggies, chips, or other snacks, dip sparingly. It adds up fast.

4. Hard candy or mints are low in calories and satisfy the sweet tooth.  They also take about 3-4 minutes to eat.

5. Graham crackers with warm herbal tea satisfy sweet cravings—with less sugar and fat.

6. Choose rolls instead of high-fat biscuits.

7. Leave the cheese off your sandwiches and save at least 100 calories!

8. You can easily save hundreds of calories weekly by reducing the amount of butter, mayonnaise, and other spreads on your breads, rolls, etc. The spread should totally blend into the surface of your food. Scrape off any excess with your knife before you take the first bite.

9. Love cheese? Select parmesan or low-fat mozzarella. Buy sharper cheeses for more flavor – and use less.

10. Never eat regular mayonnaise. Cut low-fat mayo with Dijon mustard to decrease the calories and increase the flavor.

11. Reduce the frequency of red meat in your diet and increase the frequency of fish. Your brain and heart will love you.

12. Angel food cake can be dressed up in many ways for a non-fat dessert.  Try making a chocolate angel food cake – yum!

13. Lower fat cookies include biscotti, vanilla-flavored wafers, and good ol’ Oreos.

14. Low-fat frozen yogurt and fruit sorbet with berries have fewer calories than most ice creams.

15. Avoid the guacamole and stick with low-calorie salsa. If you can’t resist the avocado, mix it with generous amounts of salsa and fresh tomatoes.

16. Substitute ground turkey for beef. Brown and rinse with hot water in a colander to remove excess fat. Save about 160 calories per pound.

17. Croissants contain about 300 calories from fat. They’re not worth it! Stick with your favorite fresh bread.

18. Order pizza with thin crust, a third less cheese, and lots of veggies. Save 100 to 150 calories per slice.

19. Use less low-fat mayonnaise in tuna or chicken salad by adding a little low-fat dressing, such as rice vinegar.

20. Never butter your pancakes, waffles, or French toast.  Just top with reduced-sugar syrup or jam. Pancakes are generally the lowest calorie choice. Make your own in a nonstick pan.

21. Reduce the amount of meat or poultry in your fajitas, casseroles, or other dishes and increase the vegetables, rice, or beans.

22. All tortillas are not equal. Read the labels and buy the smaller, low-fat selections.

23. Eat a turkey sandwich instead of chicken salad. Save 200 to 300 calories.

24. Add an extra two cups of beans to your turkey or chicken chili to increase fiber and decrease calories.

25. Bake a big, fluffy potato and stuff with low-fat cottage cheese, chives, and top with a little sharp cheddar. Very satisfying.

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