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 Research reveals that faster is better when it comes to supermarket shopping. We live in a fast-moving world. All too often, we eat on the fly, selecting food for convenience or a quick energy fix, instead of taste and healthy sustenance. It helps tremendously to have delicious and healthy foods on hand. And it’s only going to happen if you use a shopping list and keep your kitchen stocked. Shop for tasty, quick, low-fat food, low-calorie basics. “You might think that browsing slowly through the store would help you pick out the best products. But our research shows that’s not the case,” reported Kate Stein, in the New York Times. “The shoppers I studied who took the longest, examining packages, stopping at whatever caught their eye, invariably spent more money. They tumbled stray, often unhealthy, items into their baskets, and later, when questioned, couldn’t cite a reason for the purchases. “It turns out that making up a precise list beforehand and getting the errand done as quickly as possible is the best way to save money. Cutting time cuts costs, as well. Bananas? Check. Special on Kozy Shack banana pudding? If it wasn’t indelibly marked on your grocery list, control your instincts and move on quickly.” But do take the time to read labels as you select new products. Pay attention to the serving size and the servings per container. All labels list total calories in a serving size of the product. Compare the total calories in the product you choose with others like it; choose the one that is lowest in calories. Eating fewer calories doesn't necessarily mean eating less food. To be able to cut calories without feeling hungry, you need to replace some higher calorie junk foods with fruits, veggies, beans, fish, and other high fiber foods. Most people try to reduce their calorie intake by focusing on food, but another way to cut calories is to change what you drink. You may find that you're consuming more than you suspected in beverages. To cut liquid calories, make your own iced tea, dilute fruit juices with sparkling water or iced green tea and trade in whole milk for skim. Freeze sweetened coffee or apple juice for a slimming dessert Portion control can have a huge impact on your weight and health. Research shows that people unintentionally consume more calories when faced with larger portions. This can mean excessive calorie intake, especially when eating high-calorie foods. Frozen entrees like Amy’s Organics can be satisfying and healthy, with controlled portions. Another strategy is to put away leftovers in single serving containers. That way, when you reach in the fridge to find something to reheat, you're retrieving just enough for one helping.You can use fruits and vegetables to help manage your weight. Celery and snow peas makes a great before-meal snack to take the edge off your hunger. Other fruit and veggie snacks that are about 100 calories or less include:
You can cut calories by eating foods high in fiber, making better drink choices, avoiding portion size pitfalls, and adding more fruits and vegetables to your eating plan. Once you start looking, you can find new ways to cut calories for your meals and snacks. Ideas for Every Meal Breakfast Substitution CaloriesReduced by Top your cereal with low fat or fat-free milk instead of 2% or whole milk. 1 cup of fat-free milk instead of 1 cup of whole milk 63 Use a non-stick pan and cooking spray (rather than butter) to scramble or fry eggs 1 spray of cooking spray instead of 1 pat of butter 34 Choose reduced-calorie margarine spread for toast rather than butter or stick margarine. 2 pats of reduced calorie margarine instead of 2 pats of butter 36 Lunch Substitution Calories Reduced by Add more vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, and onions to a sandwich instead of extra meat or cheese. 2 slices of tomatoes, ¼ cup of sliced cucumbers, and 2 slices of onions instead of an extra slice (3/4 ounce) of cheese and 2 slices (1 ounce) of ham 154 Accompany a sandwich with salad or fruit instead of chips or French fries. ½ cup diced raw pineapple instead of 1 ounce bag of potato chips 118 Choose vegetable-based broth soups rather than cream- or meat-based soups. 1 cup of vegetable soup instead of 1 cup cream of chicken soup 45 When eating a salad, dip your fork into dressing instead of pouring lots of dressing on the salad. ½ TBSP of regular ranch salad dressing instead of 2 TBSP of regular ranch dressing 109 When eating out, substitute a broth-based soup or a green lettuce salad for French fries or chips as a side dish A side salad with a packet of low-fat vinaigrette dressing instead of a medium order of French fries 270 Dinner Substitution Calories Reduced by Have steamed or grilled vegetables rather than those sautéed in butter or oil. Try lemon juice and herbs to flavor the vegetables. You can also sauté with non-stick cooking spray. ½ cup steamed broccoli instead of ½ cup broccoli sautéed in 1/2 TBSP of vegetable oil. 62 Modify recipes to reduce the amount of fat and calories. For example, when making lasagna, use part-skim ricotta cheese instead of whole-milk ricotta cheese. Substitute shredded vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, and spinach for some of the ground meat in lasagna. 1 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese instead of 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese 89 When eating out, have a cocktail or dessert instead of both during the same eating occasion. Choosing one or the other saves you calories. A 12-ounce beer has about 153 calories. A slice of apple pie (1/6 of a 8" pie) has 277 calories. 153 if you have the apple pie without the drink 277 if you have a drink and no pie. When having pizza, choose vegetables as toppings and just a light sprinkling of cheese instead of fatty meats. One slice of a cheese pizza instead of one slice of a meat and cheese pizza 60 Snacks Substitution Calories Reduced by Choose air-popped popcorn instead of oil-popped popcorn and dry-roasted instead of oil-roasted nuts. 3 cups of air-popped popcorn instead of 3 cups of oil-popped popcorn 73 Avoid the vending machine by packing your own healthful snacks to bring to work. For example, consider vegetable sticks, fresh fruit, low fat or nonfat yogurt without added sugars, or a small handful of dry-roasted nuts. An eight-ounce container of no sugar added nonfat yogurt instead of a package of 6 peanut butter crackers 82 Choose sparkling water instead of sweetened drinks or alcoholic beverages. A bottle of carbonated water instead of a 12-ounce can of soda with sugar 136 Instead of cookies or other sweet snacks, have some fruit for a snack. One large orange instead of 3 chocolate sandwich cookies 54 Chart: Cutting Calories CDC.gov |
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