Tips for Cutting Calories and Fat

• Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products like bread and rice.
• Eat only small, single servings of foods high in fat or calories.
• Eat less sugar and fewer sweets.
• Drink less alcohol or no alcohol.
• Choose foods whose labels say low, light or reduced to describe calories or fat.
• Choose 1 percent or skim milk products and reduced fat cheeses.
• Replace ice cream with fat-free frozen yogurt.
• Replace sour cream with fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt.
• Make sure fish, poultry and meat are lean. Trim skin and fat.
• Broil, roast or steam foods.

TIP: To buy lower calorie canned fruits, buy those packed in water or juice instead of in heavy syrup.

TIP: To buy lower calorie frozen vegetables, buy those without added cheese, butter, or cream sauces.


Eat a Favorite Rich Food, Sometimes
That may keep you from craving it. But eat only a small amount.
Make sure your other foods that day are low in fat and calories.


Eat a Wide Variety Of Foods
Variety in the diet helps you get all the vitamins and other nutrients you need.

Recommendations
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 2 to 4 servings of fruit and 3 to 5 servings of vegetables each day.

A serving =

1 medium apple or orange (no bigger than a tennis ball) or banana
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
1/4 cup of dried fruit
3/4 cup of fruit or vegetable juice
1 cup of raw leafy greens (a little smaller than a softball)
1/2 cup of cooked vegetables

Be a "Sensible" Consumer
If you don't know whether or not to believe a weight-loss or nutrition claim, check it out! Find out more about nutrition and weight loss by reading the publications listed below, contacting the organizations listed, or talking with a registered dietitian. Learning more about nutrition will help you to make sense of the myths, find out the truth, and practice healthy eating and weight-control habits.

Source from Weight-control Information Network, http://www.niddk.nih.gov/