We are big proponents of watching the extra calories from condiments and the June 2008 issue of Shape magazine printed a very handy Condiments by the Numbers Guide. This breaks down the calorie counts of popular condiments we reach for when making the perfect hot dog. It looks like I'll be sticking to relish and mustard.

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Whole Grain Breads tend to vary wildly in the amount of calories they contain depending on the brand. I've seen anything from 45 to 100 calories per slice. I'm always on the lookout for breads that are low in calories, but I still want them to be slightly soft and tasty too.

I've found that Sara Lee Delightful 100% Whole Wheat Made With Honey Bread and Sara Lee 100% Multi-Grain satisfy both requirements. Each 22.5 gram slice (which means it's slightly smaller than what I would say is regular) has 45 calories. The Multi-Grain also has 18% of the RDA for fiber (4 grams), while the Whole Wheat only has 2 grams (8% of the RDA). The complete nutrition facts are available at BreadRules.com.

I also like Aunt Millie's Multi Grain Bread, which has 60 calories per 28 gram slice, but only 1 gram of fiber (4% of the RDA). If you have any low calorie favorites, please share with us in the comments.

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Cutting out or reducing your alcohol consumption is another way to cut down on the calories (alcohol contributes 7 calories per gram). But since we are all about simple substitutions, another option is to drink Light beer instead. They are usually have 50% less calories than regular beer. Here's a list of 13 beers that have less than 110 calories (in 12 ounces).

Sources: Beer100.com and ShapeFit.com

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Fried rice is steamed white rice with added soy sauce, little chunks of meat, vegetables and eggs. Getting just the white rice instead means no additions therefore less calories PLUS soy sauce alone adds about 25% of the RDA for sodium per tablespoon.

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Pancakes just cannot - I repeat - cannot be eaten plain. It's just not the same without syrup (although butter is not necessary and should be nowhere in sight). That said, adding 1/4 cup of Aunt Jemima Syrup provides 210 extra calories.

Swap it out with Polaner Sugar Free Blueberry topping for a fruity taste and with only 40 calories per 1/4 cup - 2 servings. For those not into artificial sweeteners, replacing with Aunt Jemima Butter Lite is still half the calories (of the original) at 100 calories (per 1/4 cup).

Do you have any low calorie switcerhoos for your pancake toppings?

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Muffins from Starbucks, Panera Bread and even your vending machine are usually 400 calories or more. For example, a Reduced-Fat Cranberry Oat Bran Muffin from Starbucks is 380 calories and the Lowfat Multiberry Muffin is 340 calories. Here are some better options:

1. Make your own and take it with you. I highly recommend Krusteaz Fat Free Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix - 130 calories each (mix makes 11).
2. From the store, choose VitaTops and VitaMuffins which are 100 calories.
3. Another favorite is Uncle Wallys Smart Portion Muffins - 140 calories for 2 muffins.

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Cheese made with 2% milk isn't a bad choice at only 50 calories, but with 10% of the daily value for saturated fat per slice, we can do better. Not using cheese at all on your sandwiches will reduce your fat (and calorie) intake, but in lieu of removing it completely, try substituting with fat free cheese. I can vouch for the tasty goodness of Borden Fat Free Sharp Singles which only has 30 calories (and 4 grams of protein). I've also heard good things about Kraft (fat free).

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Yes, Slow Churned Ice Cream has half the fat, less calories AND tastes great! With Edy's Rocky Road Ice Cream for example which happens to be a favorite of mine), the regular 'Grand' version has 170 calories and 25% of the RDA for saturated fat (5 grams) in a 1/2 cup serving. Edy's Slow Churned Rocky Road Light Ice Cream has 120 calories and 10% of the RDA for sat. fat - and it is delicious (read the review at Iateapie.net). This is 50 calories less, but more important is the significant reduction in saturated fat.

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Most brands of mayonnaise contribute 50-100 calories per tablespoon. HellMann's Real Mayo has 90 calories and 15 % of the recommended daily amount (RDA) for total fat. Even the Light version is 45 calories and 7% of the RDA for fat.

If you must have a condiment on your sandwich, get mustard instead. Most brands are 5 - 10 calories per tablespoon. Some have no calories, like Annie's Naturals Organic Yellow Mustard, named the Best Yellow Mustard by MarthaStewart.com.

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If you must use coffee creamers, then you can save 20 - 40 calories by using a non-flavored version. For example, 1 serving (4 teaspoons) of Coffee-Mate Original Creamer powder is 10 calories and 0.5 grams of fat. Compare that to the Cinnamon Vanilla Creme which is 60 calories and has 13% of the recommended daily amount for saturated fat (2.5 grams).

Even the Fat Free French Vanilla is 50 calories and the Sugar Free flavors (French Vanilla, Hazelnut and Vanilla Caramel) are 30 calories and 2.5 grams of fat (11% of the RDA for saturated fat).

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