Saving Calories: How You Can Easily Cut Calories in Your Everyday Life

Throughout the day, we're tempted with delicious dishes, snacks, and drinks. Resisting the temptation isn't easy. Here, we'd like to suggest some ways you can save calories in your daily life, allowing you to indulge in other places.

Saving Calories in Your Everyday Life

There are several simple ways through which you can save many calories in your daily life:

• Drink Water: Calories are often hidden in beverages like sodas, sweetened teas, or cappuccinos. Opt for water instead. It has zero calories, but it still requires energy to be metabolized, effectively burning calories.
• Healthy Snacks: Swap chips and crisps for nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
• Choose Whole Grains: White flour, similar to sugar, is rapidly digested and can trigger cravings. Whole grains prevent that and keep you feeling full for longer.
• Cook at Home: Restaurants, fast-food joints, and eateries often prioritize taste, resulting in high-calorie dishes. Pack light meals from home instead.
• Eat Mindfully: Eat slowly and attentively. This way, you'll enjoy your meal more and be better attuned to your satiety.
• Active Breaks: Incorporating movement into your day can help regulate hunger and enhance body awareness.
• Watch for Hidden Calories: Perceived healthy foods like salads with dressings, smoothies, or protein bars often pack a lot of calories.
• Reduce Alcohol Consumption: Macronutrients like protein and carbohydrates provide four kilocalories per gram, while fat provides nine kilocalories per gram—our body's energy reserve. Alcohol, however, contains a hefty seven kilocalories per gram, making it worth reducing.
• Save Calories While Grilling: Use fewer pre-made sauces and try grilling vegetables as well.

Save Calories During Breakfast: Opt for whole-grain products and low-calorie spreads that keep you full.

Saving Calories While Cooking

You can also save many calories while cooking with a few tips and tricks. We present some of the best tips:

1. Healthy Cooking Methods: Steam, grill, or boil your food instead of frying it.
2. Use Less Oil, Fat, and Butter.
3. Low-Fat Dairy Products: Use low-fat dairy products like cooking cream, milk, or yogurt to replace heavy cream in sauces and soups.
4. Less Sugar: Use less sugar and sugary ingredients.
5. More Vegetables: Increase the vegetable content in dishes and use vegetables instead of noodles or fries as sides more often.
6. Dietary Fiber: Dietary fiber, indigestible carbohydrates, keeps you full longer and promotes gut health.
7. Use Herbs and Spices: These can replace fatty sauces and dressings. Also, avoid using flavor enhancers, as they encourage overeating.
8. Focus on Quality: High-quality vegetables may contain more nutrients as they aren't rushed to grow and heavily watered.
9. Saving Raclette Calories: If you only have Raclette once a year, you can indulge without worrying about calories.

Saving Calories in Restaurants

In establishments like restaurants, it can be more challenging to save calories. Nonetheless, here are some tips for avoiding high-calorie dishes.

Saving Calories at the Bakery

You don't have to opt for croissants, donuts, and sweet pretzels at the bakery. High-quality breads can be delicious. Special types of bread may contain fruits, nuts, and seeds to provide a unique flavor experience. You might need to find a traditional bakery that bakes fresh every morning.

Saving Calories at the Italian Restaurant

Often, you can ask the chef to work with low-fat sauces to reduce calories. You're on the safe side with tomato sauces. Additionally, consider a light appetizer like a salad with vinaigrette or a simple soup. Antipasti di Pesce can also be a delicious and light appetizer when not fried. The main course can include plenty of vegetables.

Saving Calories at the Chinese Restaurant

At the Chinese restaurant, a light soup as an appetizer is recommended. For the main course, opt for a dish with lean sources of protein and steamed vegetables. Try to avoid rich sauces like peanut sauce. Also, consider replacing rice and noodles with vegetables. Eating with chopsticks can lead to a more conscious experience and slower eating.

Saving Calories at the Greek Restaurant

A healthy appetizer like grilled vegetables or hummus with veggie sticks is ideal, not to mention Greek salad. Replace fried foods with healthy and lean meats. Tzatziki can often be a calorie bomb, but it doesn't have to be. Substitute pita bread with a healthy salad or other vegetables as a side to the main course.

Saving Calories at the German Gasthaus

German gasthauses offer a diverse and delicious cuisine that unfortunately often contains many calories. We recommend choosing lean dishes that preferably don't include potato dumplings or French fries as sides. Sauerkraut is an excellent accompaniment, as is vegetables. 

High-calorie beers and wines are also common in gasthauses, so opting for water is a good choice. Desserts often contain unsuspected amounts of calories; you can ask for alternatives like a fruit salad instead.