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

By Liz Vaccariello

Updated: 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.

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Italian

Stop Eating: Macaroni Grill Eggplant Parmesan

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

Drop: 820 calories

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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

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Seafood

Stop Eating: Joe’s Crab Shack Cedar Roasted Salmon

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

Drop: 580 calories

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Bagels

Stop Eating: Dunkin’ Donuts Multigrain Bagel

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

Drop: 230 calories

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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

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Spuds

Stop Eating: Denny’s Cheddar Cheese Hash Browns

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

Drop: 150 calories, 10 g fat

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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

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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

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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

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Ice cream

Stop Eating: Klondike Original Bar

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

Drop: 100 calories

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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

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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