Don’t eat off your kid’s
plate! You could be consuming 250 or
more calories a day by eating leftover macaroni and cheese.
Don’t drink your
calories! Check the label – even some
“healthy” waters contain 32 grams of sugar (8 teaspoons and 128 calories).
Salads are a great way to
get your 5 vegetables a day, but beware of salad dressing! Two tablespoons of Caesar dressing contain
100 calories and 9 grams of fat (that means 81 of the 100 calories are
FAT). Also, read the label to avoid
partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils (also known as trans fat).
Reduce your cheese
intake! Cheese is high in calories and
fat. If you find it hard to stick to an
ounce (the size of your thumb) skip it.
Swap a calorie dense creamy
sauce for a lower calorie marinara sauce.
Also, think about eating whole grain pasta and watch your serving
size! If you’ve already had grains at
breakfast and lunch, it’s probably best to avoid them at dinner.
But...it’s good fat! Avocados, olive oil, and nuts are all healthy
fats, but the calories add up quickly even in small amounts. We need fat for vitamin absorption, but we do
not need excess fat. Recommended fat
intake is between 25-30% of one’s daily caloric intake. Very few American’s
need to worry about lack of fat in their diet!
Most people know swapping
raw vegetable for potato chips and other snack crackers is a good idea, but it
may be best to not purchase snack items if they are tempting. Set yourself up for success!
Here’s a tip I started
using several years ago: use non-fat
evaporated milk as your morning coffee creamer – it provides a great color and
flavor without adding fat and excessive calories.
A few cuts and swaps can add
up to a couple hundred calories a day and you’ll adopt even better eating
habits too!
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