Substitute Yogurt for Mayo
“When making tuna salad, use 2-percent Greek yogurt, about 75
calories for half a cup, instead of mayonnaise, about 450 calories
for half a cup. Greek yogurt has the same texture and creaminess as
mayonnaise but far less fat and calories. I use the tangy Greek
yogurt as a lower-cal replacement anywhere I’d regularly use sour
cream or mayo.”
— Leah Sipher-Mann,
Skip the Cheese
“Build a healthier sandwich: Hold the cheese because two slices
can add up to well over 200 calories. Load your sammie with
low-calorie veggies or go gourmet with slices of apple and
pear.”
—Susi May, FitSugar
See our tips: 10 Ways to Tell He’s Lying
Make Over Your Milkshake
“I love milk shakes, but at 420 calories for a small strawberry
fast-food shake, they can be a real diet breaker. So when I’m in
the mood for one, I blend a cup of 1-percent milk with a cup of
unthawed, unsweetened frozen strawberries and a teaspoon of agave
nectar for a delicious and satisfying cold treat. It’s only about
170 calories, which is a savings of 240 calories.”
—Diana Swallow, Scale Junkie
Save Your Salad with Salsa
“When ordering salad out, ask for salsa or pico de gallo instead
of dressing. Many restaurant-size servings of dressing have around
300 to 500 calories. Using salsa, even half a cup of it, will
likely save you hundreds of calories and dozens of fat grams—half a
cup has 35 calories and almost no fat. And salsa rocks on
salads.”
—Lisa Lillien, HungryGirl
Beat the Office Munchies
“Every afternoon at work, I tend to want a snack. With small
chocolates in my coworker’s nearby office—five mini chocolate bars
are 210 calories!—and a vending machine down the hall that’s
calling my name, I avoid the temptation by chewing a piece of
fruit-flavored sugar-free gum. Sugar-free gum comes in all kinds of
fun, tropical flavors these days like sangria and pina colada, so I
feel like I’m indulging even though I’m not.”
—Jenn, Fit Bottomed Girls
Embrace Water
“Many people forget that calories you drink count too, so I try
to be aware of what I consume in liquid form and drink as much
zero-calorie water as possible. Simply cutting out a 20-ounce
bottle of regular soda saves more than 200 calories. Plus, when I’m
hydrated, I can more accurately tell whether I’m actually
hungry.”
—Erin, Fit Bottomed Girls
Pop Your Own Corn
“Next time you go to the movies, bring your own popcorn.
Microwave kernels in a brown paper bag and use a little nonstick
spray. Season them to suit your mood: savory with garlic powder and
sea salt, sweet with cinnamon and a few dark chocolate chips, or
‘cheesy’ with sea salt, chili powder and nutritional yeast. It’s
delicious and tastes just like cheese with fewer calories!”
—Gina Harney, Fitnessista
A Breakfast of Champions
“Instead of the average 450-calorie cream-cheese bagel, I have a
Thomas’ English muffin with two tablespoons of fat-free cream
cheese for a similar taste that saves about 300 calories.”
—Karolina Starczak, NeverSayDiet
Invest in a Steamer
“Food steamers save calories and your time. Before I got my
steamer, which has multiple layers, so you can cook your entire
meal at once, I would usually pan-fry salmon in oil or butter or
cover it in sugary teriyaki sauce and bake it. Both of those
methods add so many unnecessary calories. Now when I get home from
work, I throw veggies, brown rice and salmon with a lemon slice and
some fresh parsley in the steamer. It absorbs all the flavor, and
it tastes so fresh that way. It takes 15 minutes, so I avoid fatty
takeout.”
—Lara Baldwin, Thinspired
Slim Down Your Strawberry Shortcake
“In the summer, I particularly love strawberry shortcake at a
barbecue. I bake my own angel-food cake, slice it thin and throw it
on the grill for a few minutes instead of using a biscuit—that cuts
about 100 calories right there. Then I use a balsamic
reduction—cook the vinegar down slowly until it’s about half the
volume it was originally—and drizzle it over the strawberries and
cake. The flavors are so elegant, and no one misses the whipped
cream, which would usually tack another 100 calories onto the
dessert.”
—Katherine Tweed, That’s Fit
Check out these summer dessert dos and don’ts!
Give Mashed Potatoes a Healthy Twist
“For me, mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. To make
your potatoes healthier, try using equal amounts of potato and
another mashable vegetable, like cauliflower or turnips. Not only
is this reducing the calorie content, but you’re also adding extra
nutrients to your plate. To add even more flavor, replace butter
and whole milk with a small amount of tahini and some fat-free
yogurt.”
—Melanie Thomassian, Dietriffic
Create Your Own Chips
“Instead of snacking on tortilla chips and salsa, I make my own
pita chips in the toaster oven. I cut a whole-wheat pita into small
triangles, spray them with no-calorie cooking spray, sprinkle with
salt and toast for about two minutes. They taste just as good as
regular tortilla chips but without the added calories and fat. You
can even add garlic salt, cinnamon or paprika to jazz them up.”
—Tina Haupert, Carrots ‘N’
Cake
Coffee, Hold the Milk
“Instead of a latte, order your coffee drink Americano style,
which is espresso with water instead of milk. A 12-ouce Americano
is 10 calories versus the same-size latte made with whole milk,
which comes in at 180 calories. Nix the sugar—two packets are 30
calories—and you’ve saved yourself 200 calories.”
—Stephanie Quilao, Noshtopia
Related: 10 Things He's Thinking When You're Naked!
MORE FROM GLAMOUR:
- 9 Things in Your Home That May Be Killing You
- 8 Sex Moves Every Woman Should Try Once
- 8 Snacks to Eat for Weight Loss
- Secrets of Happy Couples (in 100 Words or Less)
