Ten Ways To Cut Calories

1. Switch to lower calorie versions of the foods you normally eat.
Switching from whole milk to semi-skimmed milk will save you around 56 calories and 6.5g fat a day if you use ½ pint a day. Over the course of a year, this simple change could save you 5lbs of body fat! And think of the other changes you could make – yoghurt, margarine, crisps, mayonnaise, salad dressing and even garlic bread all have lower calorie versions. But do be careful - fat free doesn't equal calorie free! Many reduced fat products have extra sugar added to maintain the taste and texture we enjoy so read those nutrition labels to make sure the lower fat version isn't actually higher in calories or more unhealthy than the original!




2. Snack smart.
That means planning what you eat between meals. Don’t leave it to chance and end up having whatever is in the nearest vending machine - bring your own snacks with you! Opt for low fat, low calorie snacks like cereal and milk, crackers and breads, popcorn, rice cakes, wholegrain cereal bars, veggie sticks, dried, tinned or fresh fruit and low fat yoghurts.




3. Eat breakfast.
It might sound strange to say ‘eat to lose weight', but research indicates that eating breakfast can prevent excessive eating throughout the day. It's also a great way to kick-start that metabolism and start burning calories!




4. Watch how you cook.
Cut way back on fried foods and use the minimum of oil when you griddle, sauté or stir-fry. You don't have to say goodbye to your favourites - simply cook them in the oven instead of in fat! Boiling, steaming and grilling are also low fat ways to cook.




5. Choose leaner cuts of meat.
Limit your intake of processed meats like bacon, sausages and sausage-type luncheon meats like pepperoni or salami to cut calories. Choose the leanest cuts of meat that you can afford and always remove the skin from poultry. Choose white meat whenever possible.




6. Have a smarter starter.
Begin each meal with a large salad or a bowl of veggie-packed soup to fill you up and prevent over-eating at the dinner table.




7. Reduce your portion sizes.
Try cutting down by a third. The chances are you don’t need the extra calories and you don’t need to feel quite so full. It will help to try to eat more slowly so that you will begin to feel full as you eat. This will take a bit of getting used to but you will get used to it! Obviously, the number of calories you save depends on what you are eating, but over time this could save you pounds




8. You don’t have to finish what’s on your plate
Cancel your membership to the clean plate club, especially when you are eating out or having take aways. You don't have to waste half your meal - doggie bags are the perfect way to enjoy two fair-sized meals instead of one pig-out portion!




9. Be food aware.
Start reading food labels. Sometimes it can be difficult to know which foods are laden in calories and it’s easy to get caught out by clever marketing. Read articles on food and nutrition in the newspapers, magazines, on the net and here in our News section. You can’t cut calories without nutrition know-how




10. Watch what you drink.
You’d be amazed how much drinks can add to your daily intake of calories. Take a typical day – a glass of orange juice for breakfast (72 calories in 200ml), a coffee with sugar at break time (20 calories), a can of coke through the afternoon (129 calories) and a couple of glasses of wine with dinner (approximately 200 calories). Not exactly excessive but the total is around 420 calories! Watch the serving sizes when drinking juice or milk and try to stick to water as much as possible. Try gradually giving up sugar in your tea and coffee and switching to low sugar drinks for a week. It will make a big difference to your calorie intake.

Thanks Rose
Taking from your health list I would just like to give a little input on our family.
(1) We are doing most of these but do have full fat for the little ones of milk all the others keeping check on the packaging much mind boggling but learning all the time.
(2)
My daughter Stef has 2 little ones, Ethan 3 and Max 16 months, she is a healthy eater as most of us also encourage them in their lunch box with such for example:
rice cakes, wholegrain cereal bars, veggie sticks, dried, or fresh fruit and low fat yoghurts, also a handful of raisins for the younger one and nuts included for Ethan,....popcorn is made at home for snacking.
(3)
Breakfast time seems to be for the little ones a hearty eating time Max although the younger has 2 weetabix, they have toast and marmalade or marmite also is the norm, when Max goes to nursery he has another breakfast.
Stef has made mention to Nursery he attends she would prefer her own pack lunch rather than the daily input list she gets of what he had had such as spaghetti and donuts
which was making him crabby when picked up, so at least even if he didn't want his evening meal the offers of cheese sticks celery Sweet peppers etc., could be opened up which he would have on the way home.
(4)
Steaming grilling oven or wok is in our usual daily. Seems we are following your healthy diet here although must admit to the occasional take away of fish and chips besides doing our own healthy
(5)
I have to admit here to not always getting the leaner cuts I Rib of beef as a treat.....and :( even though we eat lots of chicken, Stef the norty one here like the crispy chicken skin which all others prefer to remove,.....
pepperoni or salami is on the menu for the others but I don't like either...I have a stomach ulcer so maybe it disagree with me.

(6)

Have a smarter starter.
Begin each meal with a large salad or a bowl of veggie-packed soup to fill you up and prevent over-eating at the dinner table.
6.Need to work on this one! Me for sure as I dont like any distraction from my Roast or whatever is dished up oops
(7)
7. Reduce your portion sizes.

Another oops for me just about everyone says when I bring out the plates OOOOh It is something that really needs much working on for me although I have started giving Stef smaller portions and the kids

(8) You don’t have to finish what’s on your plate
Cancel your membership to the clean plate club, especially when you are eating out or having take aways. You don't have to waste half your meal - doggie bags are the perfect way to enjoy two fair-sized meals instead of one pig-out portion!

8. Another almost woops I do hate waste probably comes from my youth of lick your plate I was born 1945 as the war was ended so food was still scarce and made to eat up all. We do have 2 dogs

(9). Be food aware
9. Stef is probably I must admit more aware than myself
although I do read labels also receive input signed up with newsletters on the net so I am still eager to learn.

(10) Watch what you drink.
I do good on this one the rest of the family other than our Brendan, we are educating him there is no need to take more than a small glass of orange juice for the daily need all else is wasted.
10. None of us take sugar other than when I slyly put a spoonful in Brendan's tea 'cos he is still craving bless him.. other than that water drinkers for all and none of us have sugar on our cereal.
We have learned also to watch with the low sugar drinks what is used instead as could be another health problem ..you may do well to just try to cut out altogether or get more updated.
I think we are doing quite well
My/Our
Little contribution.
Thank you Rose looking forward to checking in to your healthy postings......sure do save MEEE/us checking up on these things.
Elaine.