- 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.
- Limit Alcohol: Although it's fat free, alcohol contains about 70 calories per ounce.
- Switch To Smaller Plates: Serve yourself on a salad-size plate rather than on a dinner plate to reduce your portion sizes.
- Choose 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.
- Serve In Kitchen, Eat In 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Switch To Lower-Fat Dairy Products: Reduced-fat, low-fat or fat-free dairy products contain significantly fewer calories.
- 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.
Content provided by the American Dietetic Association. For more nutrition tips, visit www.eatright.org.
