How to eat cakes, ice-cream and drink lattes and still lose weight
You've heard of that phrase, watch the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves? Well the same can also be said for calories so next time you are thinking about tucking into a biscuit, cake or curry take a second to see if there's something similar but more figure friendly instead? Here are just a few examples.
Swap: An Iced Cream Slice (335 Kcals and 16g fat)
For: An Iced Finger (152 Kcal and 3.4g fat)
Save: 183 Kcals and 12.6g fat
All the sugar from the icing, the whipped cream and the high fat puff pastry in a cream slice wages all out war on the waistline. Iced fingers however are made from soft bread, not pastry, they don't contain cream and although still topped with icing for the sugar hit you crave they generally come in a smaller serving size all of which makes them far more figure friendly.
Swap: A Cornetto (195 kcal 9.7g fat)
For: A Whipped Ice-cream in a Cone (85 Kcal and 3.5g fat)
Save: 110 Kcal and 6.2g fat per ice-cream
Cornetto cones are packed to the tip with ice-cream and other ingredients such as chocolate and nuts that all add to the calories and fat content. A traditional 'Mr Whippy' consists of a light, low calorie wafer style cone topped with half the amount of ice-cream whipped up with double the amount of air making it far more diet friendly. Just try and pass on the flake!
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Swap: A mini naan bread (165 Kcals, 7g fat)
For: A Chapatti (95 Kcals 0.5g fat)
Save: 70 Kcals and 6.5g fat
Naan breads are a great source of energy giving carbohydrates but they can be quite high in fat and calories. Weight for weight chapattis contain just as much carbohydrate and protein as a naan but have far less calories and fat.
Swap: Mayonnaise (238 kcal and 26g fat per tablespoon)
For: Hummus (106 kcals and 9g fat per tablespoon)
Save: 102 kcal and 17g fat per tablespoon)
The main ingredients of mayonnaise are oil and egg yolks which makes it a high fat, high calorie addition to your sandwich. Hummus is largely made from chickpeas and contains less olive oil so the calories and fat content are lower.
Swap: Double Cream (197 kcals and 21g fat per serving)
For: Single Cream (55 kcals and 4.7g fat per serving)
Save: 142 kcals and 16.3g fat per serving
Double cream contains approximately 50% fat which is what makes it possible to whip into a thicker consistency. Single cream only has about 18% fat so if you are just looking for something to pour on a dessert or add to soups it is a far healthier choice.
Swap: A small skimmed vanilla latte (151 Kcal, 0.2g fat)
For: A small skimmed latte (51 kcal, 0.3g fat)
Save: 51 Kcals per serving
Whether it's vanilla, maple, coconut or whatever other flavours might be on offer in your favourite coffee bar, the extra sweet shot really pushes up the calories in a latte. Go for a regular skimmed latte instead and you'll save over 100 calories per drink. If you need a bit of extra sweetness add a sprinkle of chocolate powder on top.
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Swap: Caesar Salad (510 Kcals and 40.5g fat per portion)
For: Chicken Salad (229 Kcals and 4.2g fat per portion)
Save: 281 kcals and 36.3g per portion
Don't let the lettuce and the name 'salad' fool you! The deep fried croutons, Parmesan shavings and fatty Caesar salad dressing that are traditionally associated with this meal can really pack a calorific punch! However, char grilled chicken breast served on a bed of salad and drizzled in a little balsamic vinegar makes a really tasty, healthy alternative.
Swap: Beef Lasagna (285 Kcal and 15g fat per portion)
For: Vegetable Lasagna (204 Kcal and 8 g fat per portion)
Save: 81 Kcals and 7g fat per portion
Beef is a good source of iron but even lean beef mince contains fat which can push up calories. Swapping the beef mince for vegetables such as peppers, carrots, tomatoes and courgettes almost halves the fat content of this classic dish and significantly increases the fibre.
Swap: French Dressing (71 Kcal 7.5g fat per tablespoon)
For: Balsamic Vinegar (13 Kcal 0g fat per tablespoon)
Save: 58 Kcals and 7.5g fat per tablespoon.
The olive oil in French dressing may be high in healthy monounsaturated fats but it can be high in calories too. Balsamic vinegar still tastes delicious but contains far fewer calories and is fat free.
