The fact is that to lose weight you have to cut calories. There is just no way around it. But eating less is a superfine way to feel dissatisfied after every meal. Instead of shrinking your portions, bulk up your meal with foods that will fill you up without weighing you down like fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. These healthy eats pack fewer calories per bite than higher fat items like nuts, dark chocolate, butter and bacon. Try out these tips to add volume and subtract calories from your meals.
1. Add Veggies to...Everything: Filling up on water and fiber is the key. So load your meals with vegetables so there is less room for higher calorie meat and grains. At lunch stuff a lettuce wrap with tomato, grated carrots, sprouts, bell peppers and sliced cucumbers. At dinner you can still enjoy carb heavy favorites like casseroles, pasta dishes and rice stir-fries by bulking them up with more veggies.
2. Fill Up on Fruit: Select fruits that contain the most water and leave plenty of room for them on your plate. Opt for watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, oranges, apples and blueberries over higher calorie plantains and bananas. A cup of sliced banana contains 133 calories but you have to eat more than 2 cups of strawberries or peaches to take in the same number of calories.
3. Start with Soup or Salad: Starting your meal with a broth based soup or salad with light dressing can help you eat less over the course of the meal, according to researchers at Penn State. "It fills you up with fluid, or veggies, without giving you a ton of calories and makes you feel more satisfied," says Andrea Giancoli, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Its also visually pleasing: "A big, piping hot bowl of broth-based soup can be very satisfying compared to having half of a hamburger because you're going to get a lot more soup."
4. Eat Flaked or Puffed Cereal: Ready to eat cereal can help you slim down when you stick to a single serving and use it to replace a higher-calorie meal. To stretch out that serving choose your brand wisely, you can get a lot more flaked or puffy cereal when compared to dense granola. Choose a high fiber, whole grain variety.
5. Opt For Egg Whites: Science suggests that eating eggs can help keep your weight in check. Studies show that eating two eggs in the morning can cut your calorie consumption throughout the day. Cut calories and cholesterol by using egg whites or egg substitute in place of whole eggs. While a large egg will set you back about 80 calories, 2 eggs whites only have about 34 calories.
6. Switch to Low Fat Dairy: When you make the switch from whole milk to low-fat milk you can drink almost twice the amount for the same number of calories. The same thing applies to other dairy products too.
7. Look for Leaner Sources of Protein: Shrimp, tilapia, light tuna in water and roasted turkey breast are packed with protein, but not fat and calories. When you pick fish you can eat almost three times as much food as when you select something like sausage.
8. Select Less Dense Desserts: A half-cup of frozen yogurt contains about 110 calories, while a half-cup of premium ice cream contains about 290. Or pick fruit like melon or grilled pineapple, over cake and cookies, to fill up on water and fiber. While a single Double Stuff Oreo sets you back about 70 calories, you could eat 1.5 cups of watermelon or three-quarters cup pineapple for the same number of calories.
9. Buy It Whipped: Whipped cream cheese and butter come with added air and contain fewer calories than regular spreads. Just don't think that buying the lighter gives you license to eat more.
10. Pick a Puffy Snack: If you want a salty snack that you can eat more than one handful of, opt for popcorn. "That way you get to indulge in the whole bag," says Giancoli. She recommends popping kernels on the stove with a small amount of oil or buying 94 percent fat free 100 calorie bags. Just be careful or ready made varieties. Some counterbalance popcorn's benefits by adding lots of calories with butter.
11. Go Raw: You don't get much food for your calories when you munch on traditional snacks like crackers, cookies and cereal bars. They contain very little water. For a voluminous, water-dense snack you can dip vegetables rather than chips into salsa. Or enjoy a bowl of vegetable soup or Greek yogurt with fruit.
12. Dilute Dressings and Dips: Topping your salad with a creamy dressing can instantly add hundreds of calories to your plate. But if you can't imagine eating greens without your favorite Caesar dressing, you can cut calories and fat but extending your dressing. Try mixing your dressing with lemon juice, a mashed avocado, or plain, no-fat Greek yogurt.
