If you love Asian spring or summer rolls, you're probably familiar with the delicate, starchy taste of rice paper, a thin wrapper that's relatively low in calories. However, you might not know that unlike wonton wrappers or other wheat products, you do not have to cook rice paper.
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Tom kha gai is hearty enough to make a meal of, but it's much slimmer on calories than it is on flavor. This soup, which usually contains coconut milk, mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves and chicken, is a staple at Thai restaurants and is simple enough to make at home.
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With fresh veggies, olives and a sprinkling of feta cheese, Greek salads are full of low-calorie ingredients. Omit the dressing, and your salad becomes extremely light fare. If you're watching calories but still want some zest and moisture, try dipping your fork into the dressing before spearing your vegetables.
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Made with sweetened ricotta cheese and deep-fried pastry shells, cannoli are typically high in calories. While these Italian desserts may be hard to resist, they're best left for rare occasions if you're trying to manage your weight.
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If you're watching your waistline, choosing sparkling wine or light beer could spare you a few calories over regular wine. It is best, however, to consume any type of alcohol in moderation -- at 7 calories per gram, alcohol provides zero nutrition and can lead to weight gain. "The New York Times"
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Margaritas may be a tasty accompaniment to your tacos or enchiladas, but these are among the highest-calorie alcoholic beverages you can choose. Laced with sugar and sweet liqueur, just one margarita may contain as many calories as your meal.
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Full of vegetables and aromatic spices, Indian food can make a lean and nutritious meal -- provided you choose the right dishes. If you're watching your weight, steer clear of dishes made with cream.
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Sweet chili sauce is a standard dip for Asian appetizers such as spring rolls and wontons, but the sugar content makes this condiment relatively high in calories. Calories from sugar are considered empty because they provide no vitamins, minerals or other nutrients.
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Stuffed with cabbage, mushrooms or other healthy veggies, vegetable potstickers make a light, nutritious appetizer or side dish.
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When you just can't shake the sweet tooth, reaching for a mini cupcake instead of a full-size version can help satisfy your urge without splurging on calories. The key is to stick to just one mini.
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If you're watching your waistline, sherbet may be a better dessert choice than ice cream because it usually contains fewer calories. While a 1/2-cup serving of vanilla ice cream contains 137 calories on average, the same portion of orange sherbet contains just 107 calories.
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Most macaroni and cheese dishes are calorie dense. They're also high in fat and have few nutrients, so keep the portion sizes small. If you make macaroni and cheese at home, you can lighten the calorie load by reducing the butter content and using skim milk or reduced-fat cheeses.
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Paneer is a fresh cheese used in Indian foods like saag paneer, which is a spinach dish. It is also used in malai kofta, which is a cheese and vegetable dumpling. Although paneer is somewhat lighter than many other cheeses, it's still relatively high in fat.
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Coffee-mate brand creamer comes in a wide variety of flavors, and the nutrition facts differ with each. The calorie content of Coffee-mate is typically equal to or higher than that of half-and-half cream; however, light and fat-free Coffee-mate products have fewer calories.
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If you have a hankering for Japanese fare and are watching your weight, vegetable sushi is a healthy choice because most vegetables are extremely low in calories. If you include avocado in your sushi, however, stick to thin slices. Avocados are much higher in fat and calories than most other fruits and vegetables.
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Taco salad shells are typically deep-fried, which makes them fairly heavy on calories. Pair them with ingredients like ground beef, cheddar cheese, sour cream and guacamole, and you could end up eating more than 1,000 calories in a single salad.
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Aromatic and warm, a steaming bowl of vegetable pho makes a healthy and soothing lunch on a cold day. While this Vietnamese noodle soup is relatively low in calories -- thanks to the broth base and lean ingredients -- you still need to watch portion sizes.
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Pad Thai, a signature dish of Thailand, is made with rice noodles, tofu, peanuts, vegetables, sugar and chilies, and often contains shrimp. Served plain, the noodles in pad Thai contain about 190 calories per cup after boiling.
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With its nutritious bean sprouts, thin noodles and lean tofu, pad Thai may seem like a healthy choice; however, the calories can add up quickly in large restaurant portions. If you finish your whole plate, you'll have consumed about 940 calories, which is typically too many for a single meal.
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Although some diet soft drinks contain slightly more sodium than their sugary counterparts, the difference is typically negligible. Most diet sodas are low in sodium, which, according to the Food and Drug Administration's guidelines, means that they contain 140 or fewer milligrams per serving.
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