Smart Swaps: Cut 1,402 Calories in Four Days!

The key to losing weight by cutting calories is to find small changes that you can stick with on a regular basis. I like to call these changes "Smart Swaps" -- simply by swapping one food for a similar food with fewer calories, you can cut hundreds of calories over the course of a day. By making the following switches, you can save yourself more than 1,000 calories over the course of a few days!

Monday

Breakfast
Swap a large banana for a large orange to save 35 calories.

Lunch
Swap a large fast food hamburger for a child's size burger to save 230 calories.

Dinner
Swap butter or oil for cooking spray when cooking veggies to save 70 calories.

Tuesday

Breakfast
Swap a cup of granola for a cup of high fiber cereal to save 250 calories.

Snack
Swap a small mocha coffee for a cup of fat-free pudding to save 100 calories.

Dinner
Swap a fried chicken breast with a side salad for a Caesar salad with roasted chicken to save 200 calories.

Wednesday

Breakfast
Swap an 8-ounce serving of fruit-flavored yogurt for one half cup of fat-free yogurt with one half cup of sliced strawberries to save 80 calories.

Lunch
Swap regular white bread for reduced-calorie or whole-wheat bread when making a sandwich to save 50 calories.

Dinner
Swap a half cup of regular sour cream on your baked potato for a half cup of reduced-fat sour cream to save 83 calories.

Thursday

Breakfast
Swap a sesame bagel for two slices of whole-grain bread to save 140 calories.

Lunch
Swap a regular hot dog for a 97% fat-free frank to save 104 calories.

Dinner
Swap regular lasagna for one made with low-fat cheese and lean meat to save 60 calories.

I find calorie information for my favorite "smart swaps" using About.com's Calorie Count. You can use it to find your own calorie-smart food swaps, too! Plus, you can keep an online food diary, track your calories, post on the messages boards, and more, with your free membership. Check it out!