by BLAKE PIESCHKE, CSU Public Relations Intern
To follow up with ways to make diets more enjoyable, I’d like to share some tips on how making simple changes can help you save calories. Even saving 100 calories a day can go a long way by choosing fat free and sugar free options that don’t sacrifice flavor.
Some of our favorite things like sauces, peanut butter, cheeses and popcorn all have healthier and low calorie alternatives. We just have to open our eyes and do a little more thinking outside of the box.
Everyone has that popcorn craving while watching a movie. I personally like to use popcorn as a snack to satisfy my hunger. As you can see, a bag of smartpop! will be roughly 240 calories as opposed to the possible 340 or more calories from the Tender White popcorn depending on how many kernels are popped. That is because smartpop1! is 94% fat free. To add more flavor, you can add some of those popcorn seasonings sold in stores for only a few more calories.
I’m sure most of us think those sugar free options require us to give up good taste. Well, I happen to live with one of the pickiest eaters I’ve ever met in my life and he even likes one of the sauces I use for a variety of meals I eat.
G Hughes makes a variety of these sugar free sauces that taste the same, if not better than the other options. You can see the huge difference in calorie comparison. When most of us use condiments, we tend to use a lot more than a serving size. With using these lower calorie options, you are allowed to consume more volume while saving calories.
Some more simple swaps include: diet sodas, fat free cheeses, powdered peanut butter, turkey pepperoni and the list can go on and on. You just have to think differently by choosing some of your favorite foods and seeing if there is an alternative and healthier option.
These are the building blocks to success that Greg Doucette preaches. Choosing low calorie options that make you full over other options can lead to more positive results in weight loss. This goes to show that there are ways to improve your diets without suffering and sacrificing flavor.
Blake Pieschke is a CSU Public Relations Intern and a senior studying Mass Media at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Blake is from Glencoe, MN and has a passion for sports, fitness, and the outdoors. He plans on pursuing a career in sports journalism when his college career is over
