Health24.com | 7 ways to cut 50 calories every day

South Africans are increasingly becoming obese, with two-thirds of women and a third of men being overweight, according to a previous Health24 article.

Did you know that eating an extra 50 calories a day can sneak on more than two kilograms a year? But trimming the same number calories will put the trend in reverse.

Cutting out 50 (or more) calories a day isn’t as hard as you think, says registered dietitian Rachel Begun.

Here are seven ways you can cut down on your calorie-intake throughout the day:

1. Start with your daily coffee. Skip the sugar, and flavour your java with vanilla extract or cinnamon instead.

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2. Replace that pat of butter on your morning toast with a teaspoon of jam.

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3. At lunch, make tuna or salmon salad with low-fat vinaigrette instead of full-fat mayo.

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4. When ordering a salad, ask for a non-creamy dressing on the side, but resist the temptation to use it all – about half is all you really need.

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5. Downsize that glass of wine before dinner from 150ml to 100ml. Add a splash of seltzer to extend it.

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6. Cooking with olive or sesame oil is healthy, but go easy – every tablespoon has 120 calories. Measure out a half-tablespoon instead so that you won’t use too much of a good thing. Save even more by switching to an oil spritzer instead of pouring from the bottle, Begun says.

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7. At 30 calories a tablespoon, barbecue sauce adds unwanted calories to meat. Instead, grill or roast meats with fresh herbs and spices for flavour. Use fat-free (and low-salt) broth when you need to baste.

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