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“Empty calories” term refers to foods and beverages of low nutritional value but high in calories. They provide your body with primarily solid fats and added sugars, causing weight gain and nutritional deficiencies.
That said, empty-calorie control can make or break your weight loss journey. Fortunately, cutting these calories from your daily diet isn’t complicated as you may expect.
To start, you need to recognize some typical food and drink with high empty calories.
#1: Salad Dressing and Toppings
Toppings and salad dressings can add as many as 200 calories to your meal! It means that once you add dressing, croutons, bacon, and other toppings, a healthy dish can become an unhealthy one.
I know without dressing and topping, salad can’t be your favorite dish any longer. But think about your body. It prefers a low-calorie one!
#2: Coffee Additions
You can find hidden calories in your coffee, just like in salads. Be aware of some coffee addition such as creamer, whipped cream, or other toppings. Getting rid of sugar and other “extras” in your coffee will allow you to reduce hundreds of empty calories.
#3: Cocktails
Alcohol contains a high amount of calories, and juices and other additives can make this even worse. If you want to win the weight loss journey, keep cocktail intake minimum!
#4: Miniature Desserts
Miniature desserts allow you to satisfy your sweet tooth without consuming tons of calories. Therefore, it appears to be a good choice when dieting. Be careful, however. Desserts like these can ruin a diet week. Don’t forget to consume them in moderation.
#5: Pasta
Pasta can be part of a healthy diet, but the calories add up quickly if it’s part of every meal. If you must eat it frequently, you should limit the portions or keep your eyes on the amount of calories intake in a typical serving of pasta at restaurants or at home.
#6: Healthy snacks
Even healthy-claimed processed or packaged foods can contain empty calories. Always remember to read labels on products and be aware of the serving size to control your intake whenever having snacks.
Final Thought
Cutting empty calories doesn’t have to be a complicated or annoying process as long as you know which food is not suitable for your health. By eliminating the highest-calorie culprits and enjoying most items in moderation, you will lose weight.