10 Easy Ways to Cut 100 Calories

Saving calories; you may know this as “dieting,” but when you consider what it means to save or cut calories, your weight loss program or weight management lifestyle may feel a little easier.

Trying to lean out and look more defined for the rest of the summer?  Consider some simple and effective ways to cut out 100 calories or more from your diet to help you reach the goals for which you are searching.  In addition, following the simple and effective tips below, you are setting yourself up for success and doing it all without having to starve your body.

10 Easy Ways to Cut 100 Calories

1. Watch your milk. Milk is a great drink which contains plentiful calcium and vitamin D and can be a great before bed drink.  If you indulge in whole milk, consider swapping it out for fat-free, or skim, milk to save 97 calories per eight ounce serving [1].
2. Drink more water and less sugar at lunch. You may be eating healthy at lunch and choosing good options, but do you drink soda with your meal?  If so, your meal is officially not healthy.  Consider dropping the soda for cold water with some lemon or lime splashed in to save well over 100 calories.  Most 12 ounce sodas contain about 150 calories, all of which is from high-fructose corn syrup.
3. Skimp on the bread. If you make your lunch for work and often prepare a sandwich, consider skimping on your bread next time.  Try making your sandwich with only one slice of bread rather than two to save about 100 calories [2].
4. Turn to fruit rather than fruit juice. If you enjoy orange juice in the morning when you wake up, consider swapping the juice variety out for a fresh medium orange.  This option will save you 106 calories and will add to the bulk of your breakfast [3].
5. Skip the cream with that sugar. If you frequently drink coffee (more than six ounces every day), consider dropping the cream and sugar and use strictly non-fat milk with your coffee [4].  For the average person, drinking a 12-ounce coffee (which is double the standard serving size) and skipping the cream and sugar will save about 100 calories.  If you drink one 12-ounce coffee every day for a year, the caloric savings would constitute about 10 pounds of pure fat just by cutting out cream and sugar.  Think about how much work that saves you in the long run.
6. Take half home, regardless of size. The next time you go out to eat at a restaurant, order the “healthiest” item on the menu and ask for a box when you order.  Upon being served your meal, immediately package half of the meal into the box and eat it the next day for lunch.  This is a sure way to save at least 100 calories for your entrée and it allows you to still eat your dinner and enjoy the socializing out.
7. Swap mayo for mustard. While most sandwiches have this combination on them, try cutting out or merely swapping the mayo for mustard.  Most mayo options contain about 90 calories per one tablespoon serving and many of us hardly ever add only one serving of mayo on a sandwich [5].  While mustard is lower-calorie than mayo, the savings will be vastly greater than 100 calories, especially if you have two servings of mayo.
8. Watch how you prepare your food. So you had a stir fry the other night which included four different vegetables and eight ounces of chicken.  Seems pretty low-calorie right?  One thing you forgot to add in was the oil you dripped in the pan for that stir fry.  The next time you have a stir-fry at home, consider using a light coating of cooking spray rather than two tablespoons of oil.  If you are lucky enough to have a Wok at home and it is a non-stick pan, consider using zero oil and have a truly low-calorie stir-fry.  This will save you at least 120 calories per serving of oil you use to cook the food.
9. Watch your portions. It is no secret that portion sizes have been a large contributor to increasing waist lines.  With that said, do you watch your portions?  Just because one bagel is often the standard norm to consume, it doesn’t mean it has to be your portion size.  For example, cutting out a four ounce bagel to a three ounce serving size can save you over 100 calories [7].  If you are looking to cut out some calories, consider making your own personal serving sizes with the food you eat.
10. Skimp on your alcohol. Ok so the American Medical Association recommends one serving of booze per night to help with heart health and to help calm the body.  Another product that has similar effects is chamomile tea.  Sip this instead of your beer or glass of wine and save anywhere from 60-150 calories depending on your drink.  If you are a guy, this calorie savings doubles because men get double the alcohol serving size compared to women.

References