Calories
You can shed hundreds of calories from your daily intake by eliminating certain - minor - items from your diet. And the best bit? You'll hardly even notice the difference - except when it comes to slipping into a pair of jeans.
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Here is our list of some of the little things you can easily eradicate from your diet.
Hold the spread
We do it out of force of habit more than anything else; but spreading butter or margarine on toast or sandwiches racks up the calories faster than you can say 'muffin top'. A tablespoon of butter contains 102 calories and 7g of fat, whereas margarine gives you 60 calories and 1g of fat. It takes 3,500 excess calories to add a pound of weight, and with a large proportion of us eating sandwiches for lunch almost every day, it's not hard to figure out how this can contribute to unnecessary weight gain. Instead of buying sarnies on the high street, make your own at home and leave off the spread. Alternatively, spread a thin layer or olive oil or rub a garlic clove on one side of bread to add flavour and moisture.
One lump or two?
A cup of tea contains a meager two calories - but add milk and sugar and your favourite brew quickly becomes a threat to your waistline. One teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories, while a tablespoon of semi-skimmed milk adds another eight (whole milk, in comparison, contains 18). We Brits like our tea, and drinking five cups a day with one sugar adds 120 extra calories to your daily intake - or 840 a week. Think this still doesn't sound like much - this is the equivalent of 12.5 extra pounds of weight over the course of a year.
Trim the fat
Meat is an important part of our diet because it is an excellent source of protein, which helps us to build lean muscle and tone up. However, animal fat is also high in saturated fat, of which women should eat no more than 20g a day. It helps to choose leaner cuts of meat, but you can also trim visible fat from steaks, lamb, bacon and other types of meat before cooking to reduce the overall fat consumption. Nutritionists also recommended removing skin from chicken before you eat it, as this is one of the fattiest parts of the bird.
Skip the bread
It's tempting to pile into the customary free bread when eating out, but as well as ruining your appetite, this can add an unnecessary 200-300 stealth calories to your meal before the appetisers have even arrived. Avoid this carb-fest by telling your waiter to keep bread away from your table or requesting a healthier choice like olives or crudités or a simple glass of water to stop your stomach from rumbling.
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Ditch the yolks
Protein-rich eggs - whether scrambled, poached or made into an omelette - make for a healthy breakfast that will leave you feeling fuller for longer. But you can cut out even more of the calories by removing the egg yolks and cooking with just the whites. One egg contains around 100 calories, two-thirds of which come from the yolk. If discarding all the yolks is too much for you, then you could try making an omelette or scrambling using, for example, three whites and only one yolk. Just don't think this means you can replace them with lots of grated cheese.
Fish in water, not oil
Oily fish like tuna, mackerel, salmon and sardines help to boost our immune system, prevent cell damage, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and improve cognitive function, and health experts recommend eating up to four portions a week. However, be careful how you buy it - especially if you like to load up your shopping trolley with tinned varieties. Choosing water-packed over oil-packed saves around 150 calories a can (190 versus 350). The oil also mixes with some of the beneficial fats in the fish, which are lost when you drain it, whereas water doesn't mix with these natural omega-3s.
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Cheese-free pizza
It's convenient, it's delicious - but it makes us fat. It's possible to blow a whole day's worth of calories (2,000 for women) on one whole pizza, but by removing the cheese you can cut the calorie and fat content considerably. Buy pizza bases and construct the topping yourself - by leaving out cheese you can save a whopping 600 calories and about half the saturated fat.
Cook without oil
Again, it is mostly out of habit that we soak the base of a pan with oil or butter before cooking - but in many cases it is wholly unnecessary. One tablespoon of olive, sunflower or vegetable oil contains 120 calories, which you eliminate from your daily intake by stopping to ask yourself if you really need it. Many meats, such as bacon and steak, contain their own fats which are soon released once they start sizzling. If you need to use something, buy an oil spray, which usually come infused with water and is practically calorie-free.
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Mustard, not mayo
Why is it that every high street sandwich comes drenched in mayo (even the cheese and pickle - something we'll never understand)? As well as turning sandwiches into a soggy state of affairs, it's also extremely calorific. One tablespoon contains over 50 calories (almost all of which come from fat) and 5g of fat. Go for lighter, healthier mustard or horseradish instead or, even better, leave it off entirely.
Bun-free burgers
Let's face it - the proliferation of upmarket hamburger chains is one of the best things to happen to British cuisine in recent years. We all love a burger, fries and milkshake - and there's nothing wrong with indulging ourselves once in a while. However, if it becomes a regular treat, then you'll need to make cutbacks to beat the bulge. Asking your waiter to hold the bun will save you 200 calories, 2g of fat and a load of white, refined carbohydrate.
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