Changing the way, you eat can be easy

To start, learn about some of the worst food offenders and how to replace them with healthier choices. Then try some portion-control tricks.

Most of our calories come from foods high in fat and sugar. Sweets like cookies and cakes, along with yeast breads, top the list. We also load up on calories in chicken dishes (often breaded and fried), sodas, and energy and sports drinks. Pizza, alcohol, pasta, tortilla dishes, and beef dishes pile on more calories. Unless you count fries and chips, fruits and vegetables don’t even make a dent in our daily calorie count.

Just two problem foods — solid fats and added sugars — count for about 800 of our daily calories. That’s almost half the calories an average woman should have in a day. U.S. dietary guidelines say we should limit solid and saturated fats as while as totally eliminate trans fat. Cut back on fast foods and refined grains, like white bread. While you’re at it, cut down on sodium (salt), too. Most of us get too much, raising our chances of high blood pressure and heart and kidney disease.