Cut Calories Easily

Arthritis Today

November/December 2008

9 ideas to improve your diet without making major changes

Forget intimidating diet overhauls. Take the easy road, and you may find yourself on the path to better heatlh before you know it says registered dietitian Anne VanBeber, PhD., a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Texan Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. You really can improve heart health and prevent weight gain with simple tweaks. Thes small changes are great examples of how easy (and delicious) it can be to eat a more healthful diet.

Maple Wins: Honey is better than white sugar, but maple syrup is better than both. It has12 fewer calories per tablespoon and contains more zinc, potassium, magnesium and bone-strengthening calcium. Try it in oatmeal, smoothies and muffins.

Chicken Strip: Cook your chicken skin-on for lfaovr and moisture, but strip it off before you eat. That gets rid of more than 60 calories and 8 grams of fat per 4-ounce serving.

A Flavorful Rub: Try a rub iistead of a fat-ladedn marinade on meat or fish. Rubs are calorie-free and you can add flavor and potential health benefits with a spice like turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Try an equal mixture of coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika and cardamom on your next poultry or fish meal.

A+ For Apple Butter: Skip the jelly on your bread, and spread on some apple butter. Here’s a novel idea. A fruit spread that is, well, just fruit. It’s got more appetite-quelling fiber than most sugar-laden jams. For a nutritious snack, mix a tablespoon of apple butter into protein-packed cottage cheese and sprinkle of cinnamon and sunflower seeds.

Milk It: Fat-free evaporated milk adds more flavor to coffee but 30 percent fewer calories than fat-free half and half. Fat-free half and half also has more processed ingredients, such as corn syrup, that you won’t find in evaporated milk.

A Better Burger: Replace half the ground beef with ground turkey breas in your next burger. You’ll slash around 60 calories and upwards of 8 grams of fat, even if you are using 80 percent lean ground beef. Or increase the fiber swapping cooked, ground lentils for some of the beef.  

Salmon Savvy: Salmon filet may be the best thing to happen to your sandwich since…well, sliced bread. Replace your cold-cuts with fish and you end up with less saturated fat and more heart-healthy, inflammation fighting omega-3 fats.

Go Soy Nuts: Add crunch to your salads with soy nuts instead of croutons. These whole soy beans that are soaked in water and then baked to a crisp brown provide protein and may help reduce blood pressure and unfavourable cholesterol levels.

A suitable sauté: Sauté meats and vegetables in broth rather than oil or butter to keep calories low. You'll save nearly 120 calories, tablespoon for tablespoon. One caveat: Opt for low-sodium versions to keep your salt intake in check.