30 Days of Blogging: 44 Ways to Cut 100 Calories!

"Calories can be cruel and mean. Sweat through a 30-minute workout and torch 200 of them. Take three gulps of a sweet and foamy coffee drink and you're right back where you started! Slashing those suckers can be as effortless as piling them on though. From picking the right slice of pizza to skipping the whip on your latte, you can avoid hundreds of calories without missing a thing- until poof!- those love handles are gone!


At Breakfast

• Ditch the PopTart for a slice of high-fiber toast with strawberry jam.
• Drink your two cups o' joe black. Or order a single espresso instead of your usual latte.
• Swap OJ for the real deal- one fresh orange.
• Top your waffles with Reddi-Whip instead of syrup (or use fresh fruit!)
• Eat your granola from a 4 oz. mug, not an 8 oz. bowl.

At Lunch

• Leave the Swiss cheese off your sandwich.
• Slather your bread with mustard instead of mayo and save 80 calories per tablespoon!
• Use up to 10 pumps of ranch dressing spray instead of pouring two tablespoons from a bottle.
• Devour a slice of Pizza Hut cheese pan pizza instead of the Meat Lover's variety.
• Take your iced tea unsweetened.
• Reach for a bottle of Snapple raspberry white tea instead of Snapple raspberry iced tea.
• Stuff chicken salad into a whole-wheat pita, not between two slices of multi-grain bread.

Presto Pasta Soup (170 cal, 470mg sodium)

1 cup low-sodium vegetable juice
1 cup frozen pesto-flavored pasta- vegetable mix

In a saucepan, heat vegetable juice on medium-low. Microwave pasta-vegetable mix according to package directions, then stir into vegetable juice. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.


At Dinner

• Use chicken broth (low-sodium) instead of oil to saute meat or veggies.
• Making mac & cheese?? Cut two tablespoons of butter from the recipe.
• Next time you make meatballs or meatloaf, make them with half ground beef and half turkey.
• Swap low-fat cottage cheese for whole-milk ricotta when you make lasagna or stuffed shells.

Shrimp Pasta Florentine (331 cal, 801mg sodium)

1 package fettuccine Alfredo frozen entree
1 1/2 cup tightly packed baby spinach leaves
1/4 tsp minced garlic
6 medium-size frozen shrimp

Microwave the pasta entree according to package instructions. Meanwhile, lightly coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, then heat skillet to medium. Toss the spinach, garlic, and thawed shrimp into heated skillet, turning frequently with tongs until leaves are wilted (about 2 min.) Stir spinach-shrimp mixture into the pasta.


At Happy Hour

• Drink one glass of wine instead of two beers.
• Ask for your rum and coke to be poured in a highball glass. Bartenders pour nearly 20% less liquid into taller tumblers, so you'll swig less per round.
• Drizzle extra hot sauce, not bleu cheese or ranch, on those wings.
• Ordering a cocktail? Make it on the rocks instead of frozen. Slushy fruity drinks tend to be made with bottled mixers that contain added sugar and syrups.
• Pop the cap off an MGD 64 instead of a Killian's Irish Red.
• Sip a glass of water between drinks-pacing yourself can help you cut back on a glass or more.
• Sip wine from a champagne flute instead of an oversize goblet.
• Mix your vodka with Red Bull Sugarfree instead of cranberry juice. 

At the Drive-Thru

• Pass up a Wendy's baked potato with sour cream and chives and chow down on Value Fries instead. Amazing but true.
• Have a McDonald's cheeseburger instead of a quarter pounder with cheese. 
• Go for grill marks. Order a flame-broiled chicken sandwich rather than one that's breaded (and usually fried in oil).
• Treat yourself to an ice cream cone at McDonald's instead of Dairy Queen.
• Make your daily pick-me-up at Starbucks a skinny vanilla latte, not a regular. 

On your Snack Break

• Drink sparkling water instead of soda. Move your stash of Hershey's kisses six feet away from your desk- you'll dip in half as often. 
• Have half a cup of fresh grapes inside that little snack box of raisins. 
• Lay off the Lay's potato chips and go for the Rold Gold Pretzels.
• Chase down the ice-cream man for a Good Humor vanilla sandwich, not a King Cone.

When You're at a Restaurant

• Skip the crunchy noodles with your wonton soup.
• Request the lemon chicken with brown rice, not fried. 
• Go with the baked potato (butter only) instead of mashed as your side. 
• Dip your bread in marinara sauce instead of olive oil. 
•  Pop 12 pieces of sashimi and a third of a cup of edamame instead of 12 pieces of spicy tuna roll.
• Indulge in beef stroganoff, not meat lasagna.

During Dessert

• Stop eating when you hit the crust. The edges and bottoms of baked goods are especially caloric-they absorb the butter used to grease the pan.
• Eat sorbet instead of ice cream-you can have an extra half cup of the former and still slash calories!
• Have sugar-free Jell-O instead of pudding.
• Can the cone. Have your ice cream in a bowl.
• Eat five meringue cookies instead of two chocolate chip ones.

Ice Queen Sandwiches (75 cal, 92 mg sodium)

2 Tbl. reduced-fat butter pecan ice cream
4 ginger cookies

Let ice cream sit out on the counter for a little bit to soften up. Scoop out 1 Tbl. of ice cream and place onto cookie. Top with the second cookie, pressing lightly. Place sandwiches in a zip-top plastic bag and return to freezer to firm up. Enjoy!"




See? Cutting calories can be easy and a no-brainer! You will feel good about the decisions you make and feel better about yourself...living on your own two feet...






Until the next step bloggers...