30 ways to trim 100 calories - abc27 WHTM

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.

1. Use 2 tablespoons of light whipped butter instead of 2 tablespoons of regular butter.
2. Substitute 2 tablespoons of chicken broth for 1 tablespoon of oil when sauteing or stir-frying.
3. Choose smaller bagels instead of larger ones.
4. Top waffles or pancakes with fresh fruit and a dollop of yogurt instead of maple syrup.
5. Use salsa instead of cheese dip with chips.
6. Better yet, try raw veggies instead of the chips!
7. Use low-fat yogurt, fat-free sour cream or cottage cheese instead of regular sour cream or mayonnaise in dip recipes.
8. Use mustard instead of mayo on a sandwich.
9. Substitute Canadian bacon, turkey bacon or sausage for regular bacon or sausage.
10. Eat fresh fruit instead of dried fruit or fruit juice.
11. Choose thin-crust instead of thick-crust pizza.
12. Order coffee with skim or 1 percent milk instead of cream or regular milk.
13. Choose sorbet over premium ice cream.
14. Have low-fat microwave popcorn instead of an equal amount of boxed caramel popcorn.
15. Try diet hot cocoa mix instead of the regular milk chocolate mix.
16. Order a sandwich on whole-wheat bread instead of on a bagel, croissant or large roll.
17. 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.
18. Order a broth-based soup or a salad instead of a side of fries.
19. Order a cup of minestrone or vegetable soup as an appetizer. Skip the garlic bread.
20. Choose minestrone and other broth-based soups over cream-based soups.
21. Choose red sauce over cream-based sauces on pasta.
22. Select an appetizer as your main entree.
23. Choose soft tacos instead of crispy tacos.
24. Choose spring rolls instead of fried egg rolls.
25. Choose 1/2 to 1 of cup steamed rice rather than an equal amount of fried rice.
26. Replace 8 ounces of fruit juice or soda with water.
27. Order dressing on the side and dip your fork first into the dressing, then into your salad.
28. Choose light beer or wine spritzers instead of frozen or fruit-based drinks.
29. Use cooking spray instead of butter when making a grilled cheese sandwich.
30. 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