That's Fit

Did you know that your kitchen grater can be a great tool for calorie and health-conscious meals? Believe it or not, it's true. According to Shape, a cup of grated cheddar contains 77 fewer calories than a cup of diced. So they next time you're reaching for a calorie-dense food, consider grating it instead of slicing or dicing it. You're likely to use less and, as as added perk, grated food distributes more evenly. Try grating cheese over salads or steamed veggies. Also, a small amount of grated chocolate is delicious on strawberries and lite whipped topping.

A grater is also a great tool for tricking kids into eating their veggies. I'm pretty lucky in that respect; my son loves vegetables. In fact, the other night I made a quick dinner of whole grain mac and cheese with steamed cauliflower and broccoli. My son went back for seconds on the steamed veggies and barely touched the mac and cheese. But if your kids aren't quite as willing, pull out the grater. You can grate carrots, zucchini, or summer squash into marinara sauce. Also, many baked goods can be enhanced with the addition of grated zucchini or carrots.

For more healthy eating tips, check out AOL Body.

No bones about it: Losing weight is hard work. You're going to have to make some major changes and you're going to have to stick to them. But changing too much too fast is a recipe for disaster, so our advice is to take it slow and start off with some smaller changes.

Diet Blog recently put together a list of easy food swaps you can make that will cut 100 calories from your daily intake. Some examples?

• On your toast, have honey instead of jam and butter.
• On your sandwich, trade mayo for a little bit of light cream cheese.
  
• Instead of having a beer after work, have a glass of wine.
  
• Instead of ordering a cheeseburger, order a plain hamburger.
  

They have plenty of other great swaps -- click here for more info.

Craving soup to soothe your winter illness? Consider spinach and tofu miso soup -- a diet-friendly, veggie-friendly alternative to chicken noodle soup. At 35 calories per serving this soup has more than half the calories of chicken noodle soup, without the carbs. Plus, spinach and tofu miso soup contains less sodium and zero grams of fat, compared with chicken noodle soup's 46% daily sodium and 2.5 fat grams.

Want more winter wellness nutrition inspiration? Read this.

And for more easy ways to slash calories: read this. (Yes, you can eat muffins for breakfast!)

What are your calorie-slashing tricks?

There's nothing better than a steaming mocha latte on the way to work on a frosty morning, or a big cup of hot chocolate during a snow storm. But unfortunately those cozy moments of seemingly small indulgences can really add up in the form of calories in your cup and inches on your waist. But iVillage.com has some low-cal alternatives that keep those "winter woolies" feelings but lose the guilt trip.

Being somebody who usually has a hard time with "diet" versions of anything, I was excited to see the first item on the list was something I already love: mocha coffee! Take one packet of sugar-free hot chocolate and mix it with a cup of coffee, instead of water. Compared to a coffee house mocha latte, this version will cut about 190 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 17 grams of sugar. And it really tastes good!

Other recipes for healthy hot drinks include egg nog and pumpkin spice lattes, and even a few of the dietician's personal favorites.

Healthy living is about fitness but it's also about how much you consume. Cutting calories is a good way to get healthy and feel your best. But cutting calories isn't easy -- or is it? This article offers a list of 100 painless ways to cut calories every day. The tips are simple, like replacing full-fat milk with non-fat, eating dried fruit instead of candy and munching on a whole wheat English muffin instead of a muffin.

If you can cut 100 calories from your diet every day, you can lose a pound of fat a month. This may seem a bit slow but it's a start, and the slower the weight loss, the more likely you are to keep the weight off.