20 Slimming Tips

1. Half a baguette contains the same number of calories as five slices of bread, enough to make two-and-a-half rounds of sandwiches. This is about 350kcal before you add butter/spread and filling.
   
2. Fresh pasta, with a stir-in roast pepper sauce and 12 olives, contains 260kcal and takes five minutes to cook. A ‘convenience’ pasta meal can have up to twice this number of calories.
   
3. Always have a side salad with your evening meal. A fresh mixed leaf salad with mango/tomato fat-free dressing contains only 30kcal.
   
4. Beware of croutons. Just 10 little croutons can add up to 155kcal to a healthy low calorie salad.
   
5. A glass of orange juice (250ml) contains 102kcal whereas a whole fresh orange contains 50kcal.
   
6. Sadly, grapefruits do not burn fat off your tummy or thighs however they are very low in calories and are ideal for breakfast or as a snack between meals.
   
7. 2 digestive creams = 126kcal, 2 chocolate digestives = 174kcal, 2 Kimberley biscuits = 122kcal, 1 Figroll bar = 130kcal, 1 Go-ahead cereal bar = 137kcal and 2 café noir = 78kcal.
   
8. One teaspoon of sugar contains only 16kcal. That's fine when you only take one teaspoon in one or two cups of tea a day. However, if you drink five to six cups a day and take two spoons of sugar per cup, then you are looking at 192kcal per day – a different story.
   
9. Olive oil contains 99.9% fat (998kcal/100ml). When trying to cut calories you should use 1kcal spray oil to stir-fry meat and vegetables. Use crème fraiche, sour cream or natural yogurt for sauces instead of cream or a white sauce.
   
10. Herbs and spices are calorie free, so use them instead of sauces for flavour.
    
11. Half a pint of beer contains 87kcal; half a pint of stout 111kcal, one can of beer 145kcal and one bottle of beer contains 96kcal.
    
12. Can you stop eating Pringles or tortillas once you start? 100g of Pringles contain 273kcal and 100g tortillas 493kcal!
    
13. An average packet of crisps contains 9g fat and 136kcal and a small packet of peanuts contains 301kcal, whereas an average-sized apple contains 0g fat and 60kcal.
    
14. Use a splash of Tabasco or Soya sauce instead of a cream sauce or gravy. You can save at least 250kcal this way.
    
15. Each teaspoon of mayonnaise contains 138kcal. Fat-free dressings will save you around 200kcal per salad serving.
    
16. 1 small glass of white wine = 112kcal, 1 small bottle of white wine (pub size) = 140kcal, 1 small glass of red wine = 102kcal and 1 small bottle of red wine (pub size) = 127kcal.
    
17. Drinking a pint of semi-skimmed milk rather than whole milk will shave off 112kcal.
    
18. Go for low fat vegetable- or tomato-based soups and sauces. A bowl of cream of tomato soup contains 150kcal whereas low fat fresh tomato contains 40kcal.
    
19. Two scoops of ice cream contain 10g fat and 197kcal, whereas two scoops of frozen yoghurt contain 5g fat and 100kcal.
    
20. Reduced fat foods can contain lots of calories. Six inches of garlic bread contains 360kcal, whereas reduced fat garlic bread contains 240kcal.