Weight Management Services

Weight Management Center: Tips

Tips for cooking, eating, and moving.

  •  Make dips with low-fat (not non-fat) sour cream or yogurt.
  • Use condensed skim, two percent, or whole milk instead of half-and-half or cream.
  • To reduce the calories in sweet baked goods, substitute applesauce for half of the fat in the recipe.
  • Avoid recipes with “extra rich” in the name. This always means more fat.
  • Refrigerate chicken- or beef-based soups overnight, and skim the hardened fat off the top.
  • Thicken gravy with tapioca mixed with a little water instead of butter or margarine.
  • Eat clear soups. If you want to make a cream soup, use milk or condensed skim milk instead of cream or half-and-half.
  • Cook poultry with the skin on to keep the meat moist, but remove it before eating.
  • Use reduced-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise.
  • Use reduced-fat cheeses for sauces and toppings.
  • For lots of cheese flavor, sprinkle a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese instead of a handful of shredded full-fat cheddar or mozzarella.
  • Use a butter spray instead of butter or margarine to coat your vegetables before serving.
  • Add raisins, dried cranberries, pretzel sticks, or shelled nuts to a bowl of snack mix to reduce both calories and fat.
  • Top a cake with powdered sugar, cinnamon, or cocoa instead of a thick frosting.
  • Use small cookie cutters. No one needs cookies the size of your head.
  • Purchase or prepare eggnog with reduced fat or skim milk.
  • Cut baked goods into twice the servings called for in the recipe.
  • Serve small sweet or white baked potatoes and keep toppings on the side.
  • Do not mash potatoes with cream and butter.
  • Make a pie without a top crust and top it with fruit glaze or streusel topping.
  • Chew sugarless gum while you cook so you’re not picking at food.
  • Become a “taster.” This means take one bite and throw out the rest.
  • Sample hors d’oeuvres by taking one bite of four different kinds.
  • Eat a small portion of non-fat, sugar-free yogurt or a cup of a clear soup before going to a party.
  • Share an entrée with your dining companion.
  • Order two appetizers instead of an entrée.
  • Share a dessert with at least one other person.
  • Limit yourself to one piece of bread or one roll. Take the basket off the table if necessary.
  • Ask for salad dressing on the side. Dip your fork in the dressing and then scoop up some greens.
  • Eat small amounts of rice and pasta along with a lean protein and vegetables.
  • In a restaurant, order meat, poultry, or fish prepared without added fat and with sauces and dressings on the side.
  • Eat grilled or steamed vegetables with your entrees and appetizers to fill you up.
  • Plan your choices at a buffet by cruising up and down the line before you fill your plate.
  • When dining out, firmly but politely explain to the server your preferences for sauces and dressings served on the side, and meat/chicken/poultry/fish grilled without added fat.
  • Don’t feel that you have to clean your plate. Try each item and say you are saving room for the next course.
  • Don’t refuse food because you’re “on a diet.” This phrase tends to make people try to talk you into eating more than you would choose.
  • Ask for milk instead of cream for your coffee or tea.
  • Cut the calories in fruit juices by mixing a drink that is half juice and half sparkling water.
  • Stretch your alcohol calories by using non-calorie diet mixers, tomato juice, or Bloody Mary mix.
  • Make a wine spritzer with half wine and half sparkling water.
  • Do not have more than one serving of alcohol per hour.
  • Remember that fat-free doesn’t mean calorie-free.
  • Many people find low-fat items much tastier than non-fat items, with very few additional calories.
  • Eat raw vegetables instead of chips.
  • Use salsa as your dip of choice.
  • Drink at least 64 ounces of liquid every day, and make sure at least half is water.
  • Instead of taking a nap after a meal, take a 20- to 40-minute walk.
  • Walk a full lap or two around the mall before you start to shop.
  • Add extra steps to your day by walking around in your office or house every 30 minutes.
  • Get off the elevator at least one flight before your destination and then use the steps.
  • Park far away from the store so you have to walk farther.
  • Walk up escalators.
  • Put on some music and dance while you cook.