Simple Diet Changes, Big Rewards

Here are 10 simple changes to help you lose weight now.

Purge your cupboards of junk food; buy bags of organic fruits and veggies; switch to low-fat and low-sodium products; scout labels and load up on diet foods. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever gotten frustrated with the dozens of changes required to jump-start a new diet plan, you’ve got company. No wonder you’re likely to say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Instead, you could simplify the whole dropping pounds experience. Here’s a look at 10 small dietary changes to kick start your program. No clean sweeps of the pantry or newfangled foods to buy. Just easy, breezy diet changes that pay off big so you can whittle your way to a healthier diet—and maybe drop a pant size along the way.

Look at Liquids

You may be drinking gallons of excess calories without realizing it. If you slurp a specialty coffee every morning, go to the Web site of whatever coffeehouse you frequent to get a sense of how much fat, calories, and sugar are in the drink you choose. Ideally, come up with a substitute—a beverage that gives you the taste you’re looking for with a lower fat and calorie bottom line. At the very least, order a smaller size. Even moving from whole to skim milk or skipping the whipped cream will shave a few hundred calories.

And if you’re using meal replacement drinks or smoothies as breakfast or lunch options, think about changing to real food. “There is some research that the whole act of chewing provides a greater satiation factor than if we just drink our calories,” says Susan Moores, MS, RD, an American Dietetic Association spokesperson. Hunger and satiety studies show that the brain doesn’t register calories that are imbibed as accurately as it does those that are chewed. Moores recommends eating a whole piece of fruit and a bowl of oatmeal rather than drinking a breakfast smoothie.

Put ‘em There, Partner

If your afternoon snack of a handful of almonds leaves you feeling deprived, hungry, and apt to overeat, partner it with foods from at least two groups for supreme staying power. Add a bunch of grapes to the almonds, or munch pretzels with one serving of string cheese or a yogurt with a cup of pineapple chunks plus nuts. When you combine food groups in this way, you’re likely to feel more satisfied.

Make It Whole

“Only 7% of Americans get the recommended healthy grains they need,” says Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, author of Diet Simple: 192 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations. Choose whole grain whenever you make a choice in bread, pasta, cereal, and crackers. The fiber in whole grains is guaranteed to bite back hunger throughout the day. Plus it cuts the risk of cancer and diabetes by 30%. “If you eat a serving of whole grain at each meal and it keeps you from eating an extra piece of bread or extra serving of pasta, that saves you 200 calories a day, which can add up to 21 pounds a year,” says Tallmadge.

Home Plate

Eating on smaller plates may help you consume less food. Researchers from Cornell University served snack mix in two different bowls: a 4-liter bowl and a 2-liter bowl. Participants reached for 53% more snack mix from the larger bowl.

In another study, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign served juice in two different size glasses—short and wide, and tall and skinny. Both glasses held the same amount of juice, but people who drank from the skinny style poured less because the glass made it appear that they had more. “If you put a normal portion on a big plate, it doesn’t look as full, and already you may be thinking, ‘I’m probably going to be hungry after this,’” says Moores.

Soup’s On

Switch to soup instead of salad as a starter. Studies show that turning soup into meals or having soup as a first course can cut your calorie intake at that meal by 26%. The addition of water makes you feel fuller with fewer calories. “When the water is incorporated into the food, it slows the digestion down so we get the signal to the brain that we’re full sooner,” says Tallmadge. Choose broth-based varieties like gazpacho, minestrone, and vegetable.

Hold the Tuna

Often the tuna salad is the most fattening sandwich you can buy. The tuna itself is healthy—low in calories and fat and a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The problem with this fishy favorite is the gobs of mayo that are tossed into it. A typical tuna sandwich at a restaurant contains as many as 720 calories and 43 grams of fat. And since it’s usually premade, you can’t request less mayo. Avoid tuna when lunching out and opt for lean turkey or roast beef instead. At home, use fat-free mayo, whole wheat bread, and pile on the lettuce, onion, and tomato for healthy fish fare.

Surf Over Turf

In a restaurant, choose surf over turf. The numbers tell the story. Six ounces of tuna steak contain 250 to 300 calories and salmon has 400 calories, but prime rib sports at least 600 calories. If you stick with seafood vs. beef in restaurants whenever possible, you’ll save several hundred calories and still nab a delicious meal.

Do the Splits

When you eat out, it pays to split the entrée rather than box it up or attempt to eat only half. Since we may nibble long after we’re full, pick at our boxed-up portion, or eat the leftovers the next day, it’s worth it to split one meal with your companion. Ask your dining partner if you can share an entrée. In a large group, you can almost always find someone willing to go halfsies. If that fails, ask the server for a half portion. Even if they don’t advertise that option on the menu, a chef will likely oblige.

Lean Mean Machine

Switch from regular to lean ground beef. One pound of 70% lean ground beef has 1,216 calories and 80 grams of fat. But a pound of 96% lean ground beef has just 864 calories and 32 grams of fat. Tallmadge says if you eat a hamburger, cheeseburger, sloppy Joe, or other ground beef meal each week and you make the substitute, you’ll save enough calories over a year to drop six to eight pounds.

Drizzle, Don’t Dip

If you delight in a piece of bread with an Italian meal—and who doesn’t?—drizzle rather than dip the bread into seasoned olive oil. Dipping soaks the oil up like a sponge, so you’ll save calories and have better control if you drizzle the oil lightly over bread instead.

Now that was simple, wasn’t it?

— Jennifer Nelson