Balan ce Of Good Hea lth
According to AOM (America on the move) foundation:
Maintaining a healthy weight depends on achieving energy balance – balancing the amount of energy burned and the food consumed in your day. To stop weight gain, all of us need to do just two simple things:
Add 2000 more steps each day
Eat 100 fewer calories daily
Small changes in the types of foods you eat and in the portion sizes you choose will quickly add up to 100 reduced calories, or even more!
Just make small changes each day and you’ll see how easy it can be to achieve energy balance.
Try our tips for more healthier living (tips are meant to help reduce daily caloric intake. No one tip, by itself, will equal 100 calories exactly, but selecting a few of your favorites each day will get you well on your way!)
BREAKFAST
Give your day a healthy start with these breakfast tips:
1. Select nonfat or 1% milk instead of whole milk
2. Use a small glass for your juice and a small bowl for your cereal
3. Savor a bowl of bananas, berries, low-fat milk, and sugar substitute instead of a sweet roll
4. Choose light yogurt made with no-calorie sweetener
5. Split a bagel with someone, or wrap up the other half for tomorrow’s breakfast
6. Substitute a no-calorie sweetener for sugar in your coffee, tea, and cereal
7. Use a nonstick skillet and cooking spray in place of butter or margarine to prepare your eggs
8. Spread your muffin, bagel, or toast with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese in place of regular cream cheese
9. Substitute no-sugar-added jelly or jam for the sugar-rich varieties
10. Select lean sausages.
11. Fill your omelet with onions, peppers, spinach, and mushrooms instead of cheese and meat
12. Lighten up your omelet, frittata, or scrambled eggs by using 4 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute
13. Make your sandwich with light, whole-wheat bread
LUNCH/DINNER
Try these ideas for lighter lunches and downsized dinners:
14. Customize spaghetti sauce with fresh zucchini, green peppers, mushrooms, and onions instead of adding meat
15. Put lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles on your burger or sandwich instead of cheese
16. Prepare tuna or chicken salad with fat-free mayonnaise
17. Grill your sandwich using nonstick cooking spray instead of butter
18. Stuff a pita pocket with more fresh vegetables, less meat and cheese
19. Pick waterpacked tuna instead of tuna packed in oil
20. Select a portion-controlled frozen entrée in place of a burger and fries
21. Trade regular butter for light whipped or low-calorie butter substitute
22. Make a pizza with half the cheese
23. Select soft taco size (6-8 inch) flour tortillas instead of the larger burrito size
24. Substitute fat-free sour cream in recipes
25. Choose 1% cottage cheese in place of regular
26. Skim the fat off soups, stews, and sauces before serving
27. Leave 3-4 bites on your plate
28. Substitute 2 tablespoons reduced-calorie salad dressing for regular
29. Choose a low calorie frozen grilled sandwich or panini to replace a butter rich grilled cheese
30. Trim all fat from beef and chicken
31. Enjoy your salad without the croutons
32. Bake, broil, or grill chicken and fish rather than frying
33. Choose 3-4 ounce meat portions (the size of a deck of cards)
34. Remove the skin from chicken
35. Reduce cooked rice and pasta by 1/2 cup
36. Grill portabello mushrooms as a main or side dish in place of meat
37. Use 1 tablespoon less butter, margarine, or oil in your recipe
38. Reduce the amount of cheese in casseroles and appetizers
39. Season steamed vegetables with fresh lemon and herbs instead of butter
40. Use vegetable cooking spray and nonstick cookware instead of butter, margarine, or oil when stovetop cooking
41. Omit or use half the amount of butter, margarine, or oil called for in macaroni and cheese, rice, pasta, and stuffing
42. Eat slowly to make your meal last and reduce your urge for second helpings
DESSERTS
You don’t have to eliminate desserts to cut 100 daily calories… instead, try these ideas:
43. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a sliver, bite, or taste of dessert instead of a full portion
44. Make your own root beer float with sugarfree root beer and sugar-free, fatfree ice cream
45. Freeze blended fresh fruit into a sorbet for a refreshing dessert
46. Leave the cone at the counter; have a single dip ice cream scoop in a cup
47. Choose your piece of sheet cake from the middle, where there’s less icing
48. Top angel food cake with berries instead of icing or chocolate sauce
49. Cut a half slice of cake or pie
50. Dish up slow-churned reduced calorie ice cream in place of regular ice cream
51. Enjoy a dish of fresh fruit in season instead of custard or pudding
52. Choose apple, peach or blueberry over pecan or cream pie
53. Follow the low fat directions when preparing brownie, cake, and cookie mixes
54. Share your dessert with someone else
55. Select a cupcake rather than a standard slice of cake
56. Substitute half the oil in a recipe with applesauce when baking
BEVERAGES
Try these lower calorie thirst quenchers:
57. Substitute diet soda for regular soda
58. Pay attention to serving sizes, some cans and bottles contain 2 or more servings
59. Prepare hot chocolate and instant breakfast drinks with skim milk instead of whole milk
60. Quench your thirst with bottled water or diet iced tea instead of soda from the vending machine
61. Opt for the small or medium drink instead of large
62. Select nonfat (skim) or 1% milk instead of whole milk
63. Have 1 cup of low-fat (1%) chocolate milk instead of whole milk with chocolate syrup
64. Replace just 8 ounces of soft drink, fruit juice, or fruit beverage with water
65. Drink light beer — limit yourself to 1 or 2 — instead of regular
66. Request diet mixers (cola, tonic water, ginger ale)
67. Choose no sugar added fruit Juices
68. Choose light beer or wine instead of frozen or fruit-based alcoholic drinks
69. Lighten up your favorite coffee drink by requesting nonfat milk and using half the sugar or flavored syrup
SNACKS
Curb your hunger with these healthy snack ideas:
70. Freeze grapes or watermelon wedges for a popsicle-like treat
71. Blend a smoothie made from no fat yogurt, skim milk and fresh fruit instead of ice cream
72. Choose 4 ounces of sugar-free yogurt in place of an 8 ounce container
73. Control your portions by pouring an individual serving of pretzels or chips into a bowl instead of eating from the bag
74. Try raw vegetables instead of tortilla chips with salsa
75. Try baked chips in place of the regular variety
76. Enjoy canned fruit packed in water or its natural juice instead of heavy syrup
77. Pick a small piece of fruit (apple, peach, orange) the size of a tennis ball, or eat just half of a bigger piece of fruit
78. Replace cookies with cubed and whole fresh fruit kebobs
79. Be dip savvy: Dip apples in low-fat caramel, celery in fat-free cream cheese, carrots in fat-free ranch dressing and fruit in yogurt
80. Try 1/2 cup fresh fruit in place of 1/2 cup dried fruit
81. Eat just 1 of the granola/snack bars in the package and share the other or save it for later
82. Have 1 less handful of mixed nuts
83. Satisfy your chocolate craving by opting for 1 small “fun size” candy bar
DINING OUT
Whether you’re whipping through the drive thru or going out for a special occasion, try these ideas for cutting calories when dining out:
84. Munch on a small bag of microwave popcorn with no added butter
85. In place of a chocolate bar select a sugar-free, fat-free chocolate pudding
86. Ask for the bread basket to be removed from the table as you sit down
87. Ask for a cup of soup rather than a bowl
88. Select minestrone or other broth-based soups over cream-based soups
89. Skip the super-size promotions
90. Order a vinaigrette dressing rather than a mayonnaise based dressing
91. Ask for croutons to be removed from your salad
92. Try a low calorie frozen pizza instead of your usual take-out
93. Substitute steamed vegetables for the potato, rice, or pasta side dish
94. Select an appetizer as your main dish; add soup, salad, or vegetable side dish
95. Skip the free chips with your sandwich or sub order
96. Ask for a half-portion or don’t eat everything on your plate
97. Use fresh lemon to season fish instead of tartar sauce
98. Choose a side salad instead of fries when ordering fast food
99. Select grilled chicken in place of breaded and fried
100. Ask for sauce and salad dressing on the side; eat enough to enjoy the flavor, but leave most of it behind