Cut Calories to Lose Weight: 12 Perfect Food Swaps For Every Craving

Liz VaccarielloUpdated: Feb. 09, 2017

Save hundreds of calories and drop pounds quickly with these effortless food swaps from the 'Stop & Drop Diet.' Learn more about the new 'Stop & Drop Diet' book here.

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Italian

Stop Eating: Macaroni Grill Eggplant Parmesan

Start Eating: Olive Garden lunch menu Eggplant Parmigiana (eat half) (shown above)

Drop: 820 calories

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Steak

Stop Eating: Longhorn Steakhouse 11 oz. Ribeye Steak

Start Eating: 6 oz. Outback Steakhouse Special Sirloin, no sides (shown above)

Drop: 486 calories, 36 g fat

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Seafood

Stop Eating: Joe’s Crab Shack Cedar Roasted Salmon

Start Eating: Cheesecake Factory lunch menu Simply Grilled Salmon (shown above)

Drop: 580 calories

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Bagels

Stop Eating: Dunkin’ Donuts Multigrain Bagel

Start Eating: Einstein Bros. Bagels Honey Whole Wheat Bagel (“thin”) (shown above)

Drop: 230 calories

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Salad

Stop Eating: Panera Chicken Cobb with Avocado, with BBQ ranch dressing

Start Eating: Cosi Cobb Salad—Lighter Version (shown above)

Drop: 262 calories, 29 g fat

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Spuds

Stop Eating: Denny’s Cheddar Cheese Hash Browns

Start Eating: McDonald’s Hash Browns (shown above)

Drop: 150 calories, 10 g fat

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Sandwich

Stop Eating: Starbucks Old-Fashioned Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Start Eating: Subway 6-inch Veggie Delite on nine-grain wheat bread (shown above)

Drop: 350 calories

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Comfort Food

Stop Eating: Marie Callender’s frozen Country Fried Pork Chop & Gravy with mashed potatoes and cinnamon-glazed apples

Start Eating: Banquet Boneless Pork Riblet Meal, with sides (shown above)

Drop: 150 calories

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Philly Steak and Cheese

Stop Eating: Stouffer’s Philly-style Steak & Cheese Toasted Sub

Start Eating: 1 (1/2 package) Lean Pockets Philly Steak & Cheese (shown above)

Drop: 100 calories

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Ice cream

Stop Eating: Klondike Original Bar

Start Eating: Skinny Cow Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich (shown above)

Drop: 100 calories

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Roast Beef

Stop Eating: Roast beef sandwich made with kaiser roll, 3 oz.fresh roast beef, 1 tbs. mayo, lettuce, and tomato

Start Eating: Roast beef sandwich made with 2 slices Arnold Stone Ground 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 3 oz. shaved deli roast beef, mustard, roasted peppers, lettuce, and tomato (shown above)

Drop: 209 calories, 15 g fat

Courtesy Stop & Drop Diet

Pasta

Stop Eating: 1 cup cooked spaghetti with 2/3 cup each ground pork and marinara sauce

Start Eating: 1/2 cup cooked Barilla Protein Plus spaghetti, 93 percent lean ground turkey, and Barilla Traditional Sauce (shown above)

Drop: 401 calories, 9 g sugar

Originally Published: December 19, 2015

Originally Published in Stop & Drop Diet

Liz Vaccariello

Liz Vaccariello is the Editor-in-Chief of Parents magazine, the 2.2 million rate-base title. In addition, she is currently the Group Editorial Director for Parents Latina and Meredith's lifestyle titles including Shape, Real Simple, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, and Health. Vaccariello has led many of the media industry's most recognizable brands, developing content across print, digital and social channels. Prior to joining Meredith, Vaccariello held numerous executive editorial roles including serving as the Chief Content Officer for Reader's Digest. She has also served as Editor-in-Chief of Rachael Ray Every Day; Editor-in-Chief of Prevention; Executive Editor of Fitness; and Editor-in-Chief of Cleveland Magazine. Vaccariello regularly appears on national broadcast media including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, and Dr. Oz. She is the author of nine best-selling books, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Flat Belly Diet! She has received numerous awards and honors over her distinguished career and is a frequent speaker at major summits presented by the MPA, Folio, MIN, and Digiday among others. Vaccariello, who is the parent of twin daughters, earned a BA in Communications with Distinction from the University of Michigan and lives in New Jersey with her family.