Trim 100 Calories a Day...

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Trim 100 Calories a Day By Nikki Goldbeck, CDN, eDiets Contributor A Plateful of Pasta The recommended serving size on the box for pasta is 2 ounces, which is 1/2 cup cooked. The typical restaurant portion is easily four times this size. Leave just one cup on the plate (or take home leftovers). Note: One cup cooked pasta is about the size of a tennis ball. Resize Your Cereal The amount of cereal eaten by adults is often twice the serving size listed on the box. Check the amount you're pouring in relation to the serving size noted on the box. Less Bread Use only one slice on your sandwich. Replace the top layer of bread with lettuce. Less Spread Reduce the amount of butter you use by one tablespoon (and don't replace it with the latest restaurant trend: dipping bread in olive oil). The YoChee Way In dips and toppings, replace 1/4 cup sour cream or whipped cream with YoChee. YoChee is a creamy, nonfat food that substitutes for butter, mayonnaise and sour cream. You make YoChee yourself by draining nonfat yogurt in a simple straining device. Twofers Replace two glasses of orange juice (8 ounces each) with two oranges. Replace two slices of bread with two rice cakes. Replace two fried chicken breasts with two broiled chicken breasts. Replace two cups of cooked carrots with two cups of cooked cauliflower. Dress It, Don't Drown It Reduce the amount of dressing on salads by about two tablespoons -- use just enough to coat the salad. When dining out, request the dressing on the side. Modify the Mayo For every two tablespoons of mayonnaise, replace one with a tablespoon of YoChee. The Perilous Peanut Cut back two tablespoons of peanuts or a tablespoonful of peanut butter. Control Popcorn Portions Popcorn can be a great diet snack -- but not if you eat the whole bag. Depending on the way it's popped and topped, a cup can vary from 30 to 100 calories. So measure your choice accordingly. One cup of popcorn is about equal in size to a baseball. Skip the Samples Skip just a couple of crackers with cheese to save 100 calories. Count Your Cookies A single medium-sized cookie can easily have about 100 calories. Instead, try spreading a crisp cracker with a thin coat of jam instead. The Chocolate Cheat If chocolate is your downfall, make it go further by mixing a spoonful of chocolate chips into a bowl of mini-shredded wheat, Rice Krispies or puffed cereal. You'll probably save 100 calories over a real chocolate indulgence. Downsize If you've been drinking a supersize 20-ounce container of soda, switch to the 12-ounce size. Rethink Your Drink Replace an 8-ounce glass of soda with seltzer (flavored with fruit essence if you like) or unsweetened iced tea. Not So Sweet and Light If you take your coffee (or tea) with sugar (16 calories per teaspoon) and cream (40 calories per two tablespoons), cut one cup of coffee to be halfway to your 100-calorie goal. Heed the Limit If you drink alcohol, limit your daily consumption to one drink for women and two drinks for men. A typical 5-ounce glass of wine has 100 calories; a 12-ounce serving of beer has 150 calories; and 1 1/2 ounces of distilled spirits contains 100 calories. Lasting Last Bite(s) Do you waste it or "waist" it? Bite No. 1: One tablespoon of raisins left in the box -- 27 calories Bite No. 2: Two spoonfuls of flavored (nonfat) yogurt left in the container -- 20 calories Bite No. 3: Three mini rice cakes left in the bag -- 25 calories Bite No. 4: One-fourth cup of apple juice left in the jar -- 30 calories Only four little "tastes" will net you more than 100 extra calories.