A Few Calorie-Saving Tips From This Girl Who (Obviously) Likes to Eat

So, you might remember that last week I was talking about wanting to lose a little (well, a lot of) weight. Since then I haven't lost any and who knows, I might have even gained a little BUT I am trying to get on that healthy horse and stay there. We'll see how it goes.

At the moment, the first thing you'd notice about me if you saw me walking down the street is that I'm not missing any meals. I told you last time that I'm a food fan and it's really true. But sometimes I try to make some healthy choices that don't cost me a bunch of calories.

Maybe my favorite calorie saver of all time is the beautiful, simple egg white. I mean, they are such an awesome, amazing thing. Not even a gram of fat and only 17 calories for each large egg white. I like to cook them up in the microwave; I spray a microwave-safe bowl with cooking spray, put the egg whites in there, cover them with plastic wrap (I leave a little uncovered for venting), and cook them for maybe a minute and half, usually with a stir about halfway through.

Mixing things with egg whites can also give you some of those veggies you need.  Bagged kale from Trader Joe's is AWESOME. It's already washed and cut and ready to go AND it's packed with nutrients. You can cook it on the stove with a little water or chicken stock (my favorite thing to do) in minutes, then eat it as a side dish or do like I do and throw it in with your egg whites! Then take your egg white/kale fake omelette/frittata thing, slap a piece of low-fat cheese on it, put it between two pieces of bread and you have a relatively healthy (and inexpensive) breakfast sammie!

Speaking of bread, one that I like that gives you bang for your buck is Sara Lee's Delightful Wheat. And they make a couple of other flavors, too, that's just the one I usually get. But for only 45 calories a slice, it's pretty darn tasty!

I mentioned cheese... do you know that there are a TON of low-fat cheeses that are absolutely delicious? And I know what I'm talking about, because I heart cheese. Like, a whole heckuva bunch. And sometimes I do enjoy some fancy, stinky, wonderful full-fat cheese. But for my day-to-day sandwiches low-fat is the way I go. Target's Market Pantry brand has several good ones (I have their Colby Jack in my house at the moment), and I love the selection at Trader Joe's. They have "lite" versions of Provolone, Havarti, and Muenster, and white Cheddar, all of which make appearances in my house on a rotating basis. Good stuff.

I think I am with most people when I say that I have had some super gnarly fat-free cheese in my day so I would not recommend going that route. HOWEVER, if someone knows of a good one, by all means, let me know! Now that I think of it, back in the day I think Kraft made some fat-free singles that weren't horrible... but a little fat in cheese is still the way I want to go!

Oooooo, something else I like to mix with my egg whites is Ro*Tel. I'm sorry, but if lovin' some diced tomatoes with habanero chilis in a can is wrong, I don't wanna be right! Granted, since they are canned the sodium content might be a wee bit high, but it is still a tasty and convenient way to sneak in some more veggies!

Oh yes, here's a tip you guys have probably heard before: Eat more vegetables and fruits! Now instead of the food pyramid we have MyPlate, which uses a plate to show you that you should have some fruit and veggies on your plate, along with grains and protein. Why? Because it's a super good idea. Do my plates always look like that? Ummmm, no. But I still think it's a great idea!

One last random thing I discovered recently that is hopefully going to be a great helper when it comes to shaving some calories off of my meals is Trader Joe's Greek Style Nonfat Plain Yogurt. Wow. It is so thick and creamy that it spreads well on a sandwich and it has a nice little tang. One CUP is only 120 calories, compared to 90 for one tablespoon of real mayonnaise (which I do LOVE very much, though moderation with it is hard for me!!!). Next up will to use it to make salad dressing.

Do you guys have any good calorie-saving tips? Share them with us!