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Breakfast
About 400 calories (choose one daily)
Open-Faced Caprese Omlet
Bulk up your omelet with veggies and cut back on the eggs and cheese to net an almost 200-calorie save.
Whisk together 2 large eggs; gently cook on medium-low
heat in 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil to make an
open-faced omelet. Top evenly with 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese during cooking. Slide omelet onto a plate, and top with 1 sliced medium vine-ripened tomato. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with sea salt to taste, and garnish with 8 fresh basil leaves.
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Nut Butter and Nectarine Open Sandwich
By trading a bakery-size bagel for an English muffin, you’ll slash 210 calories from your morning meal.
Spread 1 tablespoon roasted almond butter onto each of 2 toasted whole-grain English muffin halves. Very thinly slice 1 nectarine and arrange on top; sprinkle with a pinch of ground ginger or cardamom.
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Granola Yogurt Parfait
Use plain yogurt instead of a sugary one—and save up to 70 calories.
Layer 6 ounces plain fat-free Greek yogurt with 2/3 cup granola mixed with 1/2 cup puffed wheat cereal, and 1 sliced peach.
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Grab-and-Go Egg Sandwich
Need to eat on the fly? Swing by a restaurant drive-through and order 1 take-out egg sandwich (around 400 calories), such as Wendy’s Artisan Egg Sandwich with Applewood Smoked Bacon.
By choosing bacon instead of sausage, you’re cutting more than 100 calories from your breakfast. Enjoy with 12 ounces unsweetened iced tea with 1 teaspoon sugar.
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Lunch and dinner
About 400 calories (choose two daily)
Turkey Cheeseburger With Guacamole
This stacked burger is piled high with veggies and is half the calories of a regular one.
Grill or pan-grill 1 small (3-ounce, about 93% lean) ground turkey patty; sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve on 1 grilled whole-grain bun smeared with 1 1/2 table-spoons guacamole and topped with a 3/4-ounce slice of sharp cheddar cheese, 2 large red onion slices, 3 large heirloom or beefsteak tomato slices,
and 2/3 cup packed baby salad greens. Serve burger with an additional cup packed extra baby greens, splashed with champagne vinegar.
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Peppery Linguine With Pesto
Mixing pasta with veggies and pesto saves about 400 calories, versus digging into a heavy Alfredo entree.
Toss 1 1/3 cups cooked (2 ounces dry) whole-wheat or spinach linguine with 2 tablespoons each of the pasta cooking liquid and basil pesto Then mix with 1 cup thinly sliced red, orange, and yellow bell peppers; half of a small, very thinly sliced (crosswise) Serrano pepper; and sea salt to taste.
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Sushi and Salad
To choose rolls wisely, steer clear of words like "tempura" and "spicy"—these cooking preparations can easily double your calorie count.
Have 1 tuna roll and 1 avocado roll, served with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Enjoy with 1 side seaweed salad.
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Chicago-Style Chicken Hot Dog
Sink your teeth into this leaner poultry frank—it has 150 fewer calories than the typical dressed-up dog.
Spread 2 teaspoons mustard on 1 whole-wheat hot dog bun; top with 2 tablespoons drained sweet pickle relish and 1 grilled or boiled organic uncured chicken or meatless hot dog. Add 2 sliced cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons minced sweet onion, 1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper or bok choy, and a dash of celery salt. Serve with 1/2 cup store-bought potato salad.
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Lobster Wrap
Made with a tortilla instead of a buttered bun and with a lightened-up mayo mixture, our version of the typical lobster roll is 300-plus calories lighter.
Top 1 (8-inch) whole-wheat tortilla with fresh lobster salad: 2/3 cup cooked, chilled lobster meat, 1 tablespoon each mayo and fat-free plain Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon, 1/8 teaspoon each hot-pepper sauce and grated lemon zest, and a pinch each of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with 3/4 cup sliced Boston lettuce or other leafy greens, and roll
up. Eat with 1 cup red bell pepper strips or zucchini slices, raw or grilled.
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Grecian Cobb Salad With Lemony Hummus Dressing
The ultimate girlfriends’ summer lunch out—have a skinny version (430 calories less than usual) together outside.
Top 3 cups packed mesclun with 2/3 cup each sliced unpeeled English cucumber and grape tomatoes; 3 ounces grilled seasoned chicken breast strips; 3 tablespoons each thin strips sundried tomatoes (rehydrated) and crumbled feta cheese; and 1 tablespoon pan-toasted pine nuts. For dressing: Whisk together 3 tablespoons hummus, 1 tablespoon water, and 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
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Pizza Gone Glam
Instead of picking deep-dish, order up 2 medium slices of regular cheese pizza (or heat a 400-calorie portion of your favorite frozen one like Amy’s Kitchen Cheese Pizza)—and save 150 calories.
Then fab up the pizza with your favorite seasonal veggies, such as 1/2 cup each sliced baby bella mushrooms and fresh baby spinach or arugula; sprinkle with Italian seasoning or truffle sea salt to taste.
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Snacks
About 150 calories (choose one daily)
Endive Boats With Baba Ganoush
Swap potato chips and French onion dip for this refreshing
and low-cal snack.
Fill spears from 1 head Belgian endive with 2 tablespoons store-bought all-natural baba ganoush. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Free anytime snack
2 cups raw (or 1 cup cooked) veggies; season with ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.
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Grilled Apple A La Yogurt
Snack on this instead of apple pie—and save 250 calories.
Core and halve 1 medium apple; cut each half into 6 wedges, and grill over direct medium heat until rich grill marks form (about 6 minutes per side). Microwave on high until fully softened (about 1 minute).
Top with 3 tablespoons fat-free or low-fat vanilla yogurt, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs and a pinch of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
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Shrimp Cocktail and Prosecco
Indulge in this skinny app plus drink pairing.
Enjoy 10 large shrimp and 1 1/2 tablespoons cocktail sauce while sipping 3 ounces prosecco.
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Red Grape and Aged Goat Cheese Skewers
Nosh on this instead of crackers and Brie for a 150-calorie save.
Start with 15 red seedless grapes and 1 ounce aged goat cheese. Slide 5 grapes onto each of 3 bamboo skewers; top each with a 1/3-ounce piece of cheese.
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Snack mix and mangopolitan
It’s summer happy hour made light!
Toss together 1 cup air-popped popcorn with 12 pistachios; season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Then mix up this cocktail: 2 tablespoons chilled 80-proof mango or lemon vodka, 3 tablespoons mango nectar, and 6 tablespoons sparkling lemon or lime water.
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Triple-Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae
Trim 500 calories from the typical sundae with this petite version.
Top 4 mini scoops (2 tablespoons each, or 1/2 cup total) 98% fat-free chocolate ice cream or low-fat frozen yogurt with 2 teaspoons finely chopped semisweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips. Dust with 1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder, and top with 1 tablespoon whipped cream. Garnish with 3 or 4 small fresh mint sprigs.
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