Eat Healthy: Six Easy Ways to Cut 500 Calories A Day

You can lose weight, the more calories you cut, the more you lose! Eat healthy snacks in between meals. The key besides just cutting calories is eating small portions frequently through out the day. Adding exercise to your daily routine will not only enhance the weight loss, increase your energy and concentration throughout the day. The following examples can be used as a guideline to get you on track eat healthy and lose a pound a week.

Breakfast: Meal Replacement Shake vs. A blueberry muffin and a medium vanilla frappuccino
Muffin and medium frappuccino: Calories: 930 Fat: 33 grams
Meal Replacement Shake with nonfat milk: Calories: 180 Fat: 1.5 grams
You save: 750 calories and 31.5 grams of fat. If you typically have "just a muffin and coffee" every day for breakfast, you could lose 1½ pounds a week just by making this one swap!

Snack: Roasted Soy Nuts vs. Peanuts
3/4 cup of peanuts, dry roasted: Calories: 630 Fat: 52 grams
1/3 cup Roasted Soy Nuts: Calories: 130 Fat: 5 grams
You save: 500 calories and 47 grams of fat.


Lunch: Roast beef sandwich with cheese and mayonnaise vs. Turkey sandwich with vegetables and mustard
Roast beef sandwich + cheese, mayo: Calories: 850 Fat: 30 grams
Turkey sandwich + vegetables, mustard: Calories: 350 Fat: 5 grams
You save: 500 calories and 25 grams of fat

Dinner: Eat healthy Skinless Chicken breast vs. Red meat
6 oz. lean sirloin steak: Calories: 660 Fat: 29 grams
3 oz. chicken breast: Calories: 150 Fat: 4 grams
You save: 510 calories and 25 grams of fat

Side dishes: French fries vs. Steamed vegetables
35 French fries: Calories: 560 Fat: 28 grams
1 cup zucchini + 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese: Calories: 60 Fat: 2 grams
You save: 500 calories and 26 grams of fat

Lunch or Dinner: Large restaurant Chinese chicken salad with fried noodles vs. 3 cups salad greens with 1 cup mixed fresh vegetables, 3 ounces fresh chicken breast and 2 tablespoons light salad dressing at home
Chinese chicken salad - could mean eating up to 1000 Calories and 61 grams of fat
Eat healthy Greens/vegetables/chicken + light dressing only 320 calories and 11 grams of fat
You save: up to 680 calories and 50 grams of fat each time you make this choice

Eating healthy doesn't need to be complicated. Just make some little adjustments daily can add up losing weight slowly and in a healthy way.

Low Calorie Snacks

To eat healthy snacks doesn't have to be an unhealthy habit. It's not unusual to get hungry between meals-particularly if you have a long stretch in between. The key is planning ahead to make sure you have some healthy foods available, and ideally, you should combine some protein with a little carbohydrate to fill you up and keep you going. A protein-enriched beverage, a piece of string cheese and a piece of fruit, or a small carton of yogurt with a few low-fat crackers should do the trick.

HERE ARE SOME SNACK IDEAS-ALL UNDER 100 CALORIES:

• Nonfat latte made with nonfat milk or soy milk

• Mini pita bread with a quarter of an avocado

• Lowfat / low sodium Creamy Chicken Soup Mix

• Two rice cakes with one wedge light cheese

• One 100-calorie pudding cup

• ½ cup nonfat cottage cheese with ½ cup blueberries

• 1 ounce turkey jerky with one slice rye cracker

• One individual carton light nonfat yogurt with 1 tablespoon raisins

• Toasted whole-grain waffle with a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar

• One stick mozzarella cheese with one sesame breadstick

• ¾ cup tomato soup made with nonfat milk

• Three hard-cooked egg whites mashed with a little Dijon mustard and a sliced tomato

• 15 baby carrots with 2 tablespoons fat-free ranch dressing

• 12 ounces tomato juice

• 10 soy crisps with a small peach

• One frozen fruit bar

• 1 cup whole strawberries with 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup