100 Healthy Tips - Cooking Light

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Healthy Tips for the New Year

With the new year comes new expectations and goals, often accompanied by the fear of falling off the resolutions wagon by month’s end. Make this year different. Put aside over-blown resolutions and commit to making small changes all year to make this year your lightest ever. The benefits: Lose weight, put a bounce in your step, get some calm in the kitchen, and become a healthier you without feeling deprived.

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Spice Things Up

Eating even one meal that contains capsaicin—the compound that gives hot sauce and chile peppers their heat—not only reduces levels of hunger-causing ghrelin, but also raises GLP-1, an appetite-suppressing hormone.

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Don't Ditch Breakfast

Caffeine from your coffee is not enough fuel to start your day. Make sure to include a breakfast that is full of protein-rich and high-fiber foods like eggs with whole-wheat toast.

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Team Up with Mother Nature

Find a trail near you and rediscover the great outdoors. A 4 to 5 mile hike is a great start for beginners. Visit Trails.com to find nearby hiking trails.

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Swap Sides

A recent study showed that if you eat with your nondominant hand you can reduce what you eat by 30% because it breaks up that automatic hand-to-mouth flow. If you have trouble slowing down, put your utensil in your other hand. It's inconvenient, it's awkward, and you cannot go fast.

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Feel Free to Graze

Squeezing in 3 square meals a day may not suite your lifestyle. At the end of the day, it’s how many total calories you’ve taken in. If you like to “graze,” eat smaller meals and a few snacks throughout the day.

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Nix the Noodles

Nix the noodles and try spaghetti squash. Squash noodles transform lasagna into a delightful dinner for less than 400 calories.

See More: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

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Swap Out Sugary Cereals

Cut your current high-sugar cereal with a low sugar, high-fiber brand. Gradually reduce the amount of sugary cereal in your bowl until you are eating only the high-fiber brand. Check out our picks for The Best Healthy Cereals.

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Save Time by Prepping

Mise en place is a French word meaning “putting in place.” Preparation is one of the biggest time savers when cooking a healthy meal. Lay out all ingredients, equipment, and utensils you need before you begin cooking.

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The Little Seed That Could

Add chia seeds to your water bottle, morning OJ, afternoon iced tea, or sprinkle them on salads, yogurt, and cereal. One ounce delivers an impressive 10 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Research found they can help you eat less by naturally regulating blood sugar, which helps put the breaks on hunger.

Find more Filling Foods.

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Love the Lemon

Nothing cheers up food the way lemons do. Perk up snack time by sprinkling freshly-grated rind over hot popcorn.

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The Coffee-Power Nap Trick

Drink a cup of coffee right before a 20-minute power nap. Studies show it takes about that amount of time for the caffeine to kick in, so you'll wake feeling ready to go.

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Work to Sustain Health

To be a winner in health, it doesn’t matter how quickly you lose weight. What matters is how long you can sustain your new healthy lifestyle.

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Instead of Ultralight, Reach for Local Craft

Savor and sip the superiority of one local, full-flavored high-gravity craft beer. It’ll quench and satisfy far greater than 2 ultralight pints.

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Replenish with Salad

If you’re starving when you get home from work, prepare your salad, eat it, and then cook the rest of your meal. Try one of these simple, veggie-packed salad recipes.

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Use Less Pasta, More Veggies

Build you pasta meal not with pasta alone. The ideal dish should have ½ cup cooked pasta, 1 cup veggies, and 3 ounces of lean protein.

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Salt Shaker Switch

Fill your salt shaker with pepper and your pepper shaker with salt. Since salt shakers have more holes, the switcheroo will help to slash your sodium intake.

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Avoid Disaster Salads

Be careful not to turn your salad into a high-calorie disaster. Pass on creamy dressings and opt for olive oil and vinegar, choose nuts or sunflower seeds for crunch instead of croutons, and limit portions of cheese.

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Quick and Good for You

A speedier cook time doesn’t mean less wholesome. Instant and quick cooking oats—both rolled and steel cut—are as nutritious, tasty, and fully whole grain as their longer-cooking counterparts.

Find more Common Nutrition Myths.

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Keep Fit with Friends

Need exercise motivation? Find a buddy to work out with—family members, friends, or even the dog can help keep you accountable.

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Cut Condiments

Have a craving for French fries but don’t want to add too many calories to your meal? Cut the calories somewhere else. Try losing half of the hamburger bun, skipping the mayo, or passing on the cheese. Check out these homemade Better, Lighter Burgers.

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Follow the 2x2x2 plan

Eat twice as often, eat half as much, and chew twice as long.

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Stuff Sandwiches with Veggies

Add volume to your sandwich by piling on low-calorie veggies instead of more meat. You’ll feel like you are eating just as much but you’ll be consuming fewer calories.

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Divvy Snacks Up

You are more likely to consume more chips, nuts, or pretzels if you eat straight from the bag. Be a smart snacker by portioning out your serving size and putting the bag away immediately before you indulge. Try making your own spiced snacks, like these yummy almonds.

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Table Matters

Make your table monochromatic: If your plates and bowls match and are the same colors as your tablecloth or placemats, you’ll naturally eat about 5% less compared to a table set with contrasting colors.

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Spritz, Don't Pour

To save calories in the kitchen, put your olive oil in a spray bottle. If you spritz versus pour, you will use a little less when cooking.

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Go Nuts for Breakfast

Are you hungry after your morning bowl of cereal? Try adding some healthy fat to your meal for satiety. Top your cereal with 2 tablespoons of nuts or seeds.

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Make a Smarter Smoothie

Make a better smoothie. Use unsweetened beverages and whole fruit instead of juice, and pump up the nutrients with a handful of greens. Try this combination for an easy, 162-calorie smoothie for one: 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves + 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh honeydew + 1/3 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt.

See More: Low-Calorie Smoothies

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Instead of Mixed Nuts, Reach for Trail Mix

Two handfuls of nuts may be heart-healthy, but also calorie-heavy. Downsize the 2 handfuls (1 1/2 oz) of nuts by half, and add a handful of air-popped popcorn and whole-wheat cereal, such as Chex.

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Get the Most Out of Snacks

Just because it is a “100-calorie” pack doesn’t mean it is healthy. Make sure it offers fiber, protein, and possibly healthy fat. If not, skip it. Check out these 10 Snack Mix Recipes that kids and adults will both love.

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Live in the "Now"

When it comes to your health, stop worrying about what you did yesterday and start focusing on what you are doing now.

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Become a Social Butterfly

Instead of filling your mouth with food at parties, try filling it with conversation.

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Lighten Up Chicken Salad

Love the creaminess of mayonnaise? For a healthier alternative, try using hummus or low-fat plain Greek yogurt while making your favorite tuna, egg, or chicken salad.

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Put Produce on Eye Level

To increase your fruit and veggie intake, don’t put them in a drawer in the refrigerator but rather on a shelf at eye level. The more you see them, the more likely you will be to grab for them.

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Swap Cheeses, Add Veggies for a Ligher Pizza

To lower fat and calories in pizza by around half, swap mozzarella for part-skim ricotta. Make it an opportunity for vitamins and minerals by loading up on the veggies.

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Be the First to Order

When dining out, be the first one to order. You’ll be less likely to change your mind after hearing what others are having.

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Cut Beef Portions in Half

Next time you order a meaty meal, ask the server if the portion can be cut to 4 or 6 ounces. Normal servings in restaurants are 8 to 12 ounces, twice the amount needed at a sitting. A 4-ounce portion of beef is shown in this delicious recipe.

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Rev Up your Morning with Water

Drink an 8-ounce glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning to rev up your metabolism. Your body is parched after 6 to 8 hours of sleep.

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Wear Your Workout Clothes to Bed

Less effort in the AM means you’re more likely to rise for that early morning workout!

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Give Almond Milk a Try

Try almond milk in your coffee. Not only will it add a sweet, nutty flavor without sugary syrups, you’ll save a gram of saturated fat compared to low-fat milk.

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Do This Simple Interval Workout

Interval workouts prevent boredom and burn more calories. Try this 20-minute interval routine: 2-minute walk, 1-minute jog, 3-minute walk, 2-minute jog, 5-minute walk, 4-minute run, 3-minute walk—and burn about 200 calories.

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Read Up on Fitness

Make it a goal to read one fitness or nutrition article each day. Studies show those who expose themselves to information develop a natural inclination to act on the advice. Read some of Cooking Light's great fitness articles.

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Simply Try a Smaller Plate

Studies show you’ll eat about 20-22% less calories per meal simply switching from a 12-inch to 10-inch plate.

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Read the Label

Read the label on breakfast cereals and follow this advice: Less than 10 grams of sugar, 1 serving of whole grains (16g), more than 3 of grams fiber, and less than 200 calories per serving. Here are our picks for The Best Healthy Cereals.

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Instead of Milk Chocolate, Reach for Dark Chocolate

Indulge in 2 satisfying squares of dark chocolate (we like 72% cacao!). Skip the milk chocolate candy bar.

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Eat S.L.O.W

A Japanese study found that faster eaters gained an average of 4.2 pounds over 8 years, while slower eaters gained only 1.5 pounds.

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Turn off Your Tech for a More Restful Sleep

Light stimulates the brain, making you more awake and less likely to sleep.

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Lace Up First Thing in the Morning

Keep your workout shoes next to your bed. Lace them up before your feet touch the floor in the morning and get a move on.

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Up Your Potassium Intake

Potassium is important for healthy blood pressure, but most people don’t get enough. Include potassium-rich potatoes, bananas, and oranges in your snacking. Try mixing up a potassium-rich smoothie like this one.

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Pet a Puppy

Studies show that petting a dog or cat can immediately elevate your mood.

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Grab a Handful of Almonds When Stressed

Almonds are bursting with vitamin E, an antioxidant that bolsters the immune system, and also contain B vitamins to help keep your body on track when it's under stress.

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Spice It Up

The addition of nutritious, highly flavorful ingredients like fresh herbs, vinegars, and citrus can take a meal from ordinary to extraordinary. Enhance your meal without losing out on nutrition by keeping these 10 flavor-packed ingredients on hand.

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Eat Protein and Fiber to Feel Full

Eat protein and fiber in every meal and snack. It will help you feel fuller longer and maintain a more stable blood sugar level, which translates to less fatigue and fewer food cravings. Lean meat is high in protein, along with these Vegetarian Protein Sources.

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Go For the Pulp

While pulp-free juice may be smoother, consider juicing the whole fruit instead—you’ll get more fiber and less sugar and calories.

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Try Meatless Mondays

Go vegetarian one day a week. For an easy substitution in a stir fry, use 1/2 cup cubed tofu (marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and peanut oil) instead of chicken. Cook as usual with your veggies for a satisfying dinner.

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Make a Shopping List

Typical shoppers spend 60 to 80% of their time pushing their carts up and down aisles aimlessly, buy up to twice as much (and more of the unhealthy choices) compared to those who shop with a list and stick to it.

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Move to the Beat

A recent study by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity found that women are more likely to stick to an exercise program if they listen to music.

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Switch Your Latte to a Tea to Chill Out

Research shows L-theanine, an amino acid in tea, reduces feelings of stress and increases relaxation.

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H2O in the AM

Hydration tip: Put a bottle of water by your bedside at night so it’s the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning, reminding you to drink up.

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Pre-Lunch Piece of Fruit

Not eating enough fruit? Try having a piece before your lunch instead of afterwards. You are less likely to skip it and more likely to get full from your meal.

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Scope Out Buffets

Peruse buffets first without your plate, and then decide what you really want. Our video on Holiday Party Buffet Strategies can help you navigate buffets better.

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Order Your Salad Chopped with Tomatoes

The juice from the tomatoes moistens the salad, lessening the need for lots of salad dressing. Make sure to specify dressing on the side too, so you can control the amount that goes on.

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Chop it Up

Keep a container of chopped cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, and cherry tomatoes in the fridge for snacking. When they are easily accessible and already chopped, you are more likely to grab them for snacks.

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Be a Generous Baker

When baking cookies or brownies, save a couple to have at home, then give the rest away to coworkers or friends to munch on too. Check out our Healthy Baking ideas to find inspiration.

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Go Shopping

Getting a new pair of workout pants or a cool water bottle can motivate you to be active.

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Learn How to Healthy Fry

Fried food lover? Master the art of faux frying. Coat veggies and meat with whipped eggs, then dip in cornmeal, flour, or panko breadcrumbs and bake.

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Make Workouts a Priority

We prioritize work, meals, and family time every day. Schedule time in your day for a run or gym visit too.

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Bake Smarter

When baking, use mini chocolate chips in place of regular chips and you can use about ¼ less than the recipe calls for without anyone noticing. Find recipes for

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Sub Paprika for Bacon

Nix the bacon; use smoked paprika instead to get that smoke-infused taste.

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Pile Veggies on Pasta

Rev up the veggies in your next pasta dish, hassle-free. Simply toss in broccoli or green beans with boiling pasta during the last two minutes of cooking.

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Spice Up Seafood

Get excited about seafood by making your own yummy spice rub. Paprika + garlic powder + chili powder + cumin + salt and pepper is a good blend to start with.

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Cut the High-Sodium Lunchmeat

Look for lower-sodium lunchmeat at deli counters and in the prepackaged section of the market. Roast beef is usually lower-sodium than other deli meats.

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Keep Frozen Veggies Handy

Stock up on non-sauced frozen stir-fry veggie bags, such as Birds Eye. You can control the sodium levels and make a quick, healthy dinner.

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Make a Main Dish Salad, Easily

Turn a variety of salads—whole grain, green bean, potato—into a main dish by adding shredded rotisserie chicken.

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Switch to Yogurt Dressings

If you love creamy dressings, consider switching to yogurt-based ranch or blue cheese, such as Bolthouse Farms brand. Find these dressings in the refrigerated aisles, next to the veggies. You can also try your hand at making you own.

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Think Baby Vegetables for Fast Cooking

To cook healthy in a flash, try cooking with baby vegetables. They are more tender and small than full-grown veggies and cook faster.

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Make a Smoothie

Combine some low-fat milk or yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen berries, and a banana for a supereasy blended breakfast—and 2 whole fruit servings!

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Veg Out for Breakfast

Work in more veggies early in the day by adding peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, or onions to your eggs for a delicious omelet. For more ideas, read 6 Ways to Eat Vegetables for Breakfast.

Plan on Sundays

Create a weekly meal plan and grocery list on Sunday—it can be a huge time saver and a good way to eat healthier. Feeling really energetic? Do all your grocery buying on Sunday too.

Do Your Chores

Catch up on household chores. Gardening, vacuuming, mowing the lawn, and washing the car all burn calories and will make your life more clean and organized.

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Think Savory, Healthy Dips

We get it. Not everyone gets excited when they look at a plate of raw vegetables. But pair them with a nutty hummus, zesty ranch, creamy avocado, and fiery salsa and now we’re talking.

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Make Smoothies Fruit-Filled

Make sure that fruit is the base of your smoothie creation—too much fruit juice can rapidly add calories without providing any of the heart-healthy and digestive-friendly fiber that you get from the fruit itself.

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Use Heart-Healthy Dressings

Don’t cheat yourself on the dressing. Be moderate, but be tasteful. A few splashes of a good, heart-healthy canola- or olive-oil based dressings can do wonders to that bed of greens.

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Try New Greens

Alternate your greens from the normal Romaine or iceberg. For general rule of thumb, the darker the greens the more nutrient rich they are. Check out our Guide to Greens for some tasty ideas!

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Look for Seasonal Sales

On a budget? Check the weekly specials at your local grocery store and choose one of the items on special that week. The specials often reflect the abundance of certain seasonal produce.

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Make the Farmers Market Fun for the Family

If there is a local farmers' market nearby, support your community and pay them a visit. Get the whole family involved. Allow either yourself or a family member to choose a new item from the produce section and add it to your meal.

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Sneak in Pureed Veggies

Puree cooked cauliflower, winter squash, or red peppers and stir them into sauces, mashed potatoes, pot pies, or even mac and cheese.

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Double Up on Veggies

In soups, salads, pastas, sandwiches, pizzas, and casseroles, most recipes call for a certain amount of vegetables. Our advice? Double the amount called for in the original recipe. You are already doing the prep work; so a little extra chopping can go a long way for your vegetable intake.

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Instead of a Bagel, Reach for an English Muffin

Swap the 3½-inch bagel with 1 tablespoon each cream cheese and fruity jam for a whole-wheat English muffin topped with a tablespoon of peanut butter and fresh strawberry slices and save 100 calories.

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Toast the Day

Put a new twist on a breakfast standby with Ricotta-Pistachio Toast: Spread 2 tablespoons light ricotta cheese (we love Calabro’s part-skim) on crusty whole-grain bread. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon crushed, dry-roasted, salted pistachios. Find more 200-Calorie Ideas for Toast here.

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In-Shell Pistachios

In-shell pistachios are a good low-cal source of protein, with a filling 6 grams of protein per ounce and only 100 calories per 30-nut serving. Researchers have found that eating in-shell pistachios resulted in eating 41% less calories compared to those who ate shelled nuts.

Find more about 5 Foods That Fight Fat.

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Energy Food

With the perfect combo of slowly digested protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, lentils could be the ideal energy food. Just one half cup of cooked lentils provides more protein than an egg and more than a quarter of your daily dose of fiber for only 115 calories and practically zero fat.

Find more Foods For All-Day Energy.

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Full-Belly Workouts

Don’t worry about waiting an hour to hit the gym after eating. Though a full belly (ideally with healthy choices to fuel your workout) may not inspire the most vigorous workout, what matters is that you get moving.

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Watch for Sneaky Sugar

Be a sugar sleuth and know how to ID sneaky names that food manufacturers use for added sugar. Words with “-oses” generally mean added sugars: sucrose, glucose, galactose, maltose, dextrose and fructose are all sugars.

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Crack an Egg, and Enjoy

A recent analysis by the USDA found that today’s eggs, on average, have 14% less cholesterol and 64% more vitamin D—a nutrient everyone needs more of in winter.

Find new ways to enjoy eggs in our Top-Rated Egg Recipe collection.

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Sleep Routine

An hour of winding down before bed relaxes your mind and readies it for sleep. Adults, like youngsters, benefit from a routine: Go to bed at around the same time, take a warm shower or bath, and turn off bright lights and screens.

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Put Other Things Aside

When you sit down to eat, just eat. The experience is so much more vivid, so much better. Enjoy the bite you’re eating, focus on it, and finish it before you take the next. You enjoy it so much more, and you have much greater control of portion sizes.

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Check the Freezer Aisle

Quick-frozen fruits and veggies—like berries, peas, and spinach—are nutritionally equal to fresh and may be better than many produce items that travel far in winter, losing nutrients along the way.

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Breakfast on the Go

When it comes to breakfast on the run, it can be hard to find one with plenty of protein that’s not also oozing with saturated fat. Enter Starbuck's Protein Bistro Box, an energizing combo of fruit, peanut butter, a hard cooked egg, and multigrain muesli bread.

Find more on-the-go breakfasts in The Healthiest Fast Food Breakfasts

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Lighten Up Frozen Pizza Night

If pizza is your choice for movie night, the frozen aisle has lots of healthier options. And they’re easy to jazz up with extra toppings. Newman’s Own Thin & Crispy Supreme Pizza surprisingly fits the bill with 1/3 of a pizza with only 320 calories. Find Healthy Frozen Pizzas that are low-cal and yummy.

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Mind the Day, Not the Goal

If your end goal is to lose weight, focus only on what you can do that day—not the daunting final goal. For more mindful eating tips, check out our Healthy Habits hero, Susan Albers, PsyD.

100 Ways to Start Your Year Off Light