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Ten Ways to Cut Calories

September 25, 2006

Looking to cut or control your calories? Try these tips:

1. Get the Facts: Foods that seem healthy can be surprising sources of calories and fat, so check out the details on the Nutrition Facts panel.
2. Limit alcohol: Although it’s fat-free, alcohol contains about 70 calories per ounce.
3. Switch to smaller plates: Serve yourself on a salad-size plate rather than on a dinner plate to reduce your portion sizes.
4. Kid size: When dining out, order child-size portions. For example, a kid-size popcorn at the move theater contains 150 calories, but a large bucket (without butter) can top 1,000 calories.
5. Serve in the kitchen; eat in the dining room: When you bring plates to the table already filled, you won’t be tempted to pick from serving bowls and plates of food in front of you.
6. Eat slowly: Put your fork down and take a sip of water between bites. And remember it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full.
7. Use plates: Snacking from packages of chips or pinching from the brownie tray can add up. Portion out what you plan to eat onto a plate or bowl, then put the package away.
8. Fill up on plant food: Fruits, vegetables and whole grains take up stomach space, leaving less room for high-calorie or less-nutritious foods. They also take more time to chew and eat.
9. Switch to lower-fat dairy products: Reduced-fat, low-fat or fat-free dairy products contain significantly fewer calories.
10. Dull is better. Not dull as in boring, but dull as in “not shiny.” At the salad bar, shiny usually means a thick coating of oil has been added to the vegetables.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team