We all love to eat well, but the fact is that many of us regularly exceed the calories we should be eating daily. Over the years I’ve found a large range of ways to cut down on what I consume, without feeling like I’m cheating myself. Find my top 5 tips here.
1) Cutting Calories from Pasta
If, like me, you are a lover of pasta, why not try substituting some of it for thinly sliced courgette or “courgetti”? You’ll still have the carby satisfaction of pasta, but will consume a lot less calories, and get one of your daily veg portions as a bonus.
- 100g of dry pasta = 346 calories
- 50g of dry pasta and 100g of courgetti = 190 calories
Calories saved = 156
2) Cutting Calories from Cooking Meat
What a lot of people don’t realise is the significant difference that the way you cook your food can affect its calorie content. Oils, butter and ghee can turn a simple chicken breast or joint of meat into a far more calorific meal. I recommend boiling, grilling or roasting meats instead of frying them. Use things like soy sauce and marinades to retain the flavour, just try to keep the fats out where you can.
- 100g of chicken, fried in a tablespoon of olive oil = 284
- 100g of chicken, roasted in a teaspoon of soy sauce = 168
Calories Saved = 116
3) Cutting Calories from Mince
Most vegetarian alternatives to meat are a lot lower in calories than their meaty cousins. What’s more, they’re a lot more ethical, and can also be significantly cheaper. Why not try swapping to quorn mince to trim over 200 calories? Also, if you can’t handle the meat swap, go for leaner cuts, and drain the mince mid-cooking.
- 100g Mince (70% lean): 332
- 100g Quorn Mince: 105
Calorie Saving: 227
4) Cutting Calories from Sausages
We all love sausages, but they are absolutely packed with calories. Why not try a veggie alternative? There are a wide range on the market, some of which (yes only some) are really tasty. See how many calories you could save here:
- 150g (1 serving) Cumberland Sausages: 358 calories
- 2 Linda McCartney Vegetarian Sausages: 141 calories
Calories Saved = 217
5) Cutting Calories from Cheese
Cheese is the best – they’ve done studies. The problem is it’s another one of those massively calorific foods. What I’ve found is a great solution is to go for stronger cheeses. This way, you can get all of the delicious flavour, but you don’t need to use anything like as much. See a couple of examples below:
- 50g (I serving) cheddar = 201 calories
- 15g (1 serving) parmesan = 65 calories
Calorie Saving = 136
- 50g (1 serving) Red Leicester = 200 calories
- 1 inch (1 serving) feta = 45 calories
Calorie Saving = 155
Thanks for reading. Let me know in the comments if you’ve got any good tips I can add to this list!
Jack's Food Blog 