Dropping a few pounds doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all the foods you love, but making a few minor adjustments will help. Even cutting back 50 calories a day can make a difference and it doesn’t have to be difficult. Use these switching techniques to help you look your best this summer.

 If you regularly have 2% milk in your latte, try switching to fat-free. You’ll be saving yourself 32 calories for every 8 fl. ounces. Do the same with all dairy products including yogurt and cheese.

 Instead of having a blueberry muffin from your favorite coffee shop, equipped your self with a nutritious and lower calorie breakfast bar. The Luna Sunrise Blueberry Bliss bar  is the perfect choice. They taste amazing, they’re healthy, and they’re only 170 calories compared to Starbucks’ 310 calorie reduced-fat blueberry coffee cake.

 Choose lighter condiments on your sandwiches. If you normally have regular mayo on your sub, try using light mayo instead. Just by swapping out regular mayo for light mayo, you’re cutting back from 100 calories to 50 calories per tbs. You can cut back even more by using yellow mustard; it’s only 11 calories per tbs.

 While grocery shopping take the time to compare the calories of several brands. I try to buy the loaf of whole grain bread with the least calories per slice or the salad dressing with fewer calories per tbs. Being a bit more conscious at the grocery store, can make cutting back on calories simple.

 Cutting down on booze calories can be easy too. Instead of having a regular beer, opt for a light beer instead. I especially love the 99 calorie Heineken Lights . If you like margaritas try the skinny girl version; Patron Silver on the rocks with a splash of lime juice and a splash of triple sec. You get the taste of a margarita with out loads of sugar. Another great low-cal cocktail is to have vodka with club soda and just a splash of your favorite fruit juice.

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I love yogurt so when I decided to go vegan I went on a mission to find the best tasting soy yogurt around. I sampled many different brands and flavors but only 2 of them really do it for me.

1. Turtle Mountain So Delicious Dairy Free Yogurt: I particularly love the cinnamon bun flavor because it tastes like dessert but it's actually very healthy for you.

2. Silk Soy Yogurt: The vanilla flavor is by far the best. It's perfect for smoothies, adding fruit, fruit jam or simply eating alone. I especially love this yogurt with freshly sliced banana and mango.

It truly is the best time to give up animal products because there are so many tasty alternatives available.

MORE ON GOING VEG:

• There's Proof That Vegetarian Diets Cause Weight-Loss
• Bake Tofu For a Firmer Bite
• Skinny Bitch Author Shares Her Healthy Eating & Cooking Secrets
• Get The Best Nutrition As a Vegetarian
• Eat Your Beans, They're Natures Perfect Food
• The Top 5 Must Try Superfoods According to Me
• FROZEN FAVORITES: Boca Chili
• Thumbs Up To Veat Gourmet Bites
• Carrie Underwood In Women's Health Magazine

Most of you know that I'm an avid tea drinker and I especially love green tea. For those of you who aren't into drinking hot tea, I found this recipe in the Vegetarian Times that may be more appealing to you. Now you can reap the many benefits associated with drinking green tea in a whole new way. 

Some possible benefits Include:

• Fights Cancer
• Lowers bad cholesterol
• Fights tooth decay
• Weight loss
• Lowers high blood pressure

Recipe serves 1 (126 calories)

Ingredients:

• 1 green tea bag (or 1tsp. matcha tea powder)
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 small ripe, mashed banana (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• 1 Tbs. orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger, honey or sugar to taste

Directions:

1. Brew green tea in water. Steep to desired strength and discard tea bag. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or until cool.

2. Puree tea, banana, ice, orange juice concentrate, and ginger in blender until smooth. Add sweetener of choice. Drink immediately or place in freezer for up to two hours or until ready to serve. (If the smoothie freezes too much just chop it up with a spoon.)

Enjoy one of my personal favorite breakfast options. Using milled flaxseed as an alternative to granola will provide you with 2600 mg of Omega-3!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces Fat-Free Vanilla Yogurt (or soy alternative)
• 1/4 cup Milled Flaxseed (or granola)
• 1 cup with an assortment of your favorite fruit cut into bite size pieces (bananas, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, kiwi, etc..)

Directions:

• Begin by laying 1/2 of the yogurt
• Next layer 1/2 the flaxseed
• Then 1/2 the fruit
• Repeat layering

A U.S. Department of Agriculture survey released last week showed that only 7 percent of Americans meet the latest recommendations for three servings, or three ounces, of whole grains daily, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. That's about three slices of whole-wheat bread or one-and-a-half cups of whole-grain pasta. The people eating them are the same ones who buy organic, read product labels and generally watch what they eat. Other surveys have shown that about 40 percent of Americans still don't eat any whole grains at all.

Considering Americans get one third of their calories eating out this survey doesn't surprise me much. Not many restaurants offer whole grain options. Breakfast is the easiest way for me to incorporate whole grains into my diet. I'll usually have a slice of whole wheat bread or a serving of oatmeal in the morning but I generally don't consume three whole servings. For 2009 I'm going to aim to eat more whole grains. How about you? 

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