Gloria Tsang, nutrition expert and founder of Health Castle has five tips to help you keep an eye on how many calories you’re consuming when you make a pit stop at the ice cream shop.

1. Know Your Cone: A cake cone has ~35 calories, a sugar cone has ~50 calories, and a waffle cone or bowl has ~110 – 160 calories. Chocolate dip adds at least 120 extra calories plus 8g of fat and trans fat.
2. Go Easy on Sauces: Hot fudge topping adds 150 extra calories plus trans fat. Hershey’s chocolate syrup adds 75 calories, and whip cream adds 45 calories.
3. Nix Bad Mix-ins: Fruits and nuts can add fiber or beneficial omega 3 fatty acids, but cookie dough and brownies only add calories and trans fat.
4. Make the Light Choice: Many ice cream parlors now offer light ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet – sweet cold treats with less calories and fat, especially if you skip the cone.
5. Forget About Shakes: Ice cream parlor milkshakes generally contain 1,100 – 1,500 calories! Avoid them at all costs.

For most kids (and adults too), a trip to the ice cream parlor is a sure sign that summer is here. These simple tips can help you survive a summer full of trips to the ice cream shop without blowing your calorie budget.

Image via sxc.hu

Post from: Blisstree

5 Ice Cream Parlor Calorie Cutting Tips

However, if you plan ahead, you can cut calories from your holiday meal and still eat plenty of delicious food. Gloria Tsang offers these simple tips for trimming up to 400 calories and lots of fat grams.

Potatoes: Mashed potatoes are loaded with fat-heavy cream and butter. Try using buttermilk instead of cream, and use light butter instead of regular.
Calories saved: about 140

Cakes and pies, tip #1: Yes, you can still serve dessert! Try substituting unsweetened applesauce or pureed prunes for half the sugar in your baking recipes. Or, try using no-calorie artificial sweeteners like Splenda.
Calories saved per 1/8 cake or pie piece: up to 96

Cakes and pies, tip #2: To make your cake even leaner, try substituting egg whites or egg substitute for the eggs in recipes. If the eggs are used as an emulsifier, it’s best to use egg substitute (1/4 cup = 1 egg).
Calories saved per 1/8 cake or pie piece: up to 13

Whipped cream: Cutting whipped cream from a holiday meal seems a bit cruel – but this tasty topping is loaded with fat. Try making your own whipped cream using evaporated milk, or use non-dairy Cool Whip Free. Both offer a similar taste and texture without the fat and guilt.
Calories saved per 2 Tbsp serving: up to 90

Turkey: It’s not a holiday meal without the turkey! And believe it or not, turkey is actually a healthy item on your holiday menu. It’s an excellent source of protein, and has the least amount of fat per serving among all meats, if you pass on the skin. So there’s the key – remove the skin from your serving of turkey and you’ll save 5-7 grams of fat.
Calories saved per serving: 45 – 63

Photo credit: David Lat – sxc.hu

Post from: Blisstree

Cutting Calories and Fat From Your Holiday Meal