By: Jenna Bergen
Ditch the diet! We'll show you how a few simple food swaps will help you trim a little here and there but slim a lot, all without missing a bite.
Breakfast
Follow these brilliant tips to scale back your calorie intake...by the hundreds! From breakfast tips to dessert ideas, get some great ideas that will make your diet totally doable.
1. Make your own parfait instead of buying one. Use a cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt, a half cup of sliced strawberries or blueberries, and a quarter cup of Kashi GoLean Cereal. Save: 151 calories
2. Share your favorite brunch dishes with friends. "Split a 500-calorie waffle and a 600-calorie omelet four ways," says Leslie J. Bonci, RD, FITNESS advisory board member and director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "You won't overindulge or feel deprived." Save: 225 to 325 calories
Related: No More Excuses: Breakfast Recipes for Every Morning
3. "When ordering eggs, ask for them to be cooked dry," suggests Alyse Levine, RD, dietitian and the nutrition adviser for Livestrong.com. "Chefs often overpour the oil or butter." Save: 250 calories
4. Slice your bagel lengthwise into thirds. Keep the ends and toss the center and "you'll have the illusion that you're eating a full bagel," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, FITNESS advisory board member and author of The Flexitarian Diet. Save: 120 calories
5. Order Canadian bacon instead of sausage on your breakfast sandwich. Save: 100 to 200 calories
Related: Healthy Breakfasts Under 300 Calories
6. At Dunkin' Donuts, get a medium iced coffee with skim milk and Splenda instead of a medium Coffee Coolatta with cream. Save: 560 calories
7. Eat half a grapefruit. "Its high water content can make you feel fuller and keep you from overeating at your main meal," Blatner says. Save: about 100 calories
Related: Are You Guilty of These Diet Crimes?
Lighten Your Lunch
1. Use a teaspoon of dry-roasted sunflower seeds instead of croutons on your salad. "You'll get a healthy crunch with more protein, vitamins, and minerals," Levine says. Save: 30 to 50 calories
2. Choose a 6-inch turkey sub instead of tuna the next time you're at Subway. Save: 220 calories
Related: Lose 10 Pounds Lunch Recipes
3. Spread a wedge of light cheese on your sandwich instead of using a slice of Swiss. Save: 71 calories
4. Order a cup of egg drop soup instead of a cup of wonton soup. Save: 50 to 100 calories
Related: Healthy Lunches Under 400 Calories
5. Order any of Taco Bell's Fresco tacos or burritos instead of a salad. Save: 510 to 760 calories
6. Get an open-face grilled chicken sandwich with a half serving of fries and a side salad instead of a burger and fries. Save: 300 to 500 calories
Related: Excuse-Proof Your Diet
Downsize Your Dinner
1. Trade a cup of spaghetti for a cup of spaghetti squash. "The noodles have nearly five times the calories," says Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD, author of Power Eating. Save: 179 calories
2. "You don't have to change the foods you're eating to cut calories," Blatner says. "Just reportion them." Nonstarchy veggies, such as green beans, should take up half your plate, and carbs and protein, like potatoes and steak, should each fill a quarter of it. Save: 250 to 300 calories
Related: 7 Light and Easy Summer Dinners
3. Prevent late-night binges by dividing your dinner into two separate meals, Bonci suggests. "Eat half your portion of carbs, protein, and veggies at 7 p.m. and the rest at 10 p.m., when you would normally have a snack." Save: at least 250 calories
4. Toss your salad with a squeeze of orange and a teaspoon of olive oil instead of two tablespoons of ranch dressing. Save: 100 calories
5. Rather than saute veggies in olive oil, stir-fry them in fat-free vegetable broth and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil after they're cooked. Save: almost 200 calories
6. Make cauliflower and cheese instead of mac and cheese. Save: 192 calories a cup
Related: Healthy Dinner Recipes Under 500 Calories
7. Swap sour cream on a baked potato for nonfat Greek yogurt. Save: more than 60 calories
8. Replace butter on asparagus with grated lemon peel. Save: 200 calories
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