Low Calorie Eating

When counting calories, here are a few pointers to remember that help in everyday situations:

1. Use fresh ingredients! This way you can avoid unknown and hidden calories. Especially pre made sauces and packaged meals, or vegetables, with sauce. We'll go through a few easy recipes and tools below to replace these.

2. Avoid cooking with sugar, high sugar sauces and, of course, avoid candy and sodas as snacks. There's a great energy bar recipe below!

3. If you're a coffee drinker order your coffee with skim milk and Splenda. If you make your coffee at home, use this handy milk frother to add some body to your fat-free milk.

4. Avoid alcohol when possible...this may not always be possible, so here are some options to save on calories. If you need a drink, just stay away from the dark stuff and mixing with too many sweet sugary juices. Vodka is a great low calorie alcohol. Mix it with fresh lemon or lime juice and light tonic water. If you don't like the carbonation, use regular water...it's like a stout glass of ice water! If you want other choices, here are a few links to help you better understand the calories you are consuming in alcoholic beverages....it's really shocking how much can be in that little glass!!

Mixed Drinks General Nutrition Info

Wine, general beer and alcohol

Beer nutrition info

5 Low-Calorie Cooking Tools and Methods:

1. Steam when ever possible! Buy a handy steamer that you can use in your own pots. This steamer basket is available for $5-$6. Here are some other people's opinions about steaming.

~or you can get a microwave steamer for those quick cooking needs for only $9.99

2. Because you want to use fresh foods as much as possible, this may limit your selection at the grocery store. So keep it interesting when cutting your fresh fruits and veggies with a slicer to make sticks, cubes, or even fresh chips.

Slicer 1

Slicer 2

3. Make your own sauces and salad dressings. There are a few in the recipes below to get you started. Use a hand blender to chop your herbs and garlic fresh, and to blend the dressing quickly.