8 ways to slash fat without realizing it

Dieting doesn't have to mean giving up pizza forever, or eating boring, tasteless foods. You can enjoy your favorite foods with all their flavors and still slim down if you employ these strategies.

Slice fat from pizza

Always order your pizza with double tomato sauce and light cheese because tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene. Reducing the mozzarella by just one-third (you won't miss it) will save you 20 grams (g) of fat per pie. That's as much as in a McDonald's Quarter Pounder.

Order the steak fries

If you love french fries, always order the steak fries. Large-cut fries don't absorb as much oil as shoestring or curly fries, which lowers the fat count. 40 Superfoods you should be eating now!

Juice a stir-fry

With a can of frozen orange-juice concentrate, you have a great way to add flavor to stir-fried chicken (or beef) and vegetables without adding fat. Just a few spoonfuls will do. (It's even better if you add some garlic.)

Soften your spread

Soften butter or margarine at room temperature or in a microwave. Chances are you'll spread your bread with one-quarter of the fat and calories you do when you put it on cold.

Cool your cans

Refrigerate canned meats, soups, gravies, and other canned foods containing fat. The fat will rise to the top and collect, so you can scrape it off.

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Dilute your fruit juice

Fruit juice is sneaky fattening—a 16-ounce bottle of cranberry-grape blend, for instance, contains about 275 calories. Dump half and store it, then refill the bottle with water. You'll barely notice the difference, and you'll be cutting half the calories.

It's in "healthy" foods like cereals and juices. Is it really a silent killer? The truth about sugar.

Oil your potato

To save calories and fat, put a splash of olive oil on your baked potato instead of the usual butter or sour cream.

Say goodbye to rubbery cheese

To prevent low-fat cheese from turning to rubber in the microwave, spritz your nachos with a quick blast of cooking spray, such as Pam, before nuking them. A similar trick involves spraying the inside of a grilled-cheese sandwich before you toss it in the frying pan. This adds just enough fat to make the cheese stay gooey and creamy as it slowly melts.

Discover why cheese might just be the world's best snack.