How to cut up to 500 calories from your day without noticing a difference

Thankfully, there are a few easy tweaks to your daily diet that registered dietitians and nutritionists say can help you meet your healthy eating goals. While cutting calories shouldn't be the sole focus of a healthy diet plan, it can be a good starting point for weight loss.

With that in mind, all of the swaps listed here are healthier options overall — not just because they have fewer calories but also because they contain less sugar or more protein.

Go savory, not sweet, at breakfast — slash 350 calories

Breakfast items like muffins, pancakes, and granola parfaits can pack a hefty portion of calories and — since they're not always high in protein or fiber — leave you crashing later.

nstead of starting the day with sugar. Rather than a large blueberry muffin, pair a couple of poached eggs with wheat toast. As registered dietitian Nichola Whitehead told Business Insider,

Order bubbly water instead of soda — shave up to 300 calories

A large soda at your favorite fast-food chain can contain upwards of 300 calories. Pairing a seltzer or an unsweetened ice tea with your meal instead is an easy way to slash those extra calories. Plus, plenty of research suggests that liquid calories don't fill you up the same way solid food does.

Cara Anselmo, a nutritionist and outpatient dietitian at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, advises clients who are trying to lose weight to stop drinking soda, sweet tea, and other beverages with calories.

"If you drink 500 calories of liquid versus eating 500 calories of food you’re going to feel much less satiated, which is one of the reasons soda and sweetened drinks are such horrible things. You don’t get a sense of fullness," Anselmo told Business Insider.

Swap your granola for carrots and hummus — cut 400 calories

Granola is often associated with wholesome vegan hippies and long hikes in the woods,but it's packed with sugar and calories. A cup can contain up to 600 calories — the same amount as about four cereal bars.

By comparison,carrots are high in fiber (great for digestion) and vitamin A (which helps keep skin glowing and eyesight healthy). Pair your crunchy snack with somecreamy hummusfor a protein boost to tide you over. In the meantime, you'll also be cutting about 400 calories.

Eat whole fruit instead of drinking juice — cut 100 calories

best way to get those nutrients

Juicing fruit removes most of the produce's fiber, which is a key ingredient that keeps you feeling full until your next meal. This is one of the reasons calories from sweetened beverages are often referred to as "empty calories," since they can increasehunger pangs and mood swingsand leave you with low energy levels.

A 12-ounce glass of orange juice, for example, has almost the same calorie contentas a can of soda, close to the same amount of sugar andcarbohydrates as a bag of M&Ms, and virtually no fiber. So swap your next glass of OJ with an actual orange and cut about 100 calories.

If you're out and about, prepare a snack ahead of time — save 100-500 calories

Dietitians and nutritionists often suggest that the best way to ensure you'll eat something healthy is to bring it yourself.

"We live in a society where making healthy choices and being at a healthy weight, it’s not defaulted toward that,"Andy Bellatti, a registered dietitian and the cofounder ofDietitians for Professional Integrity, told Business Insider. "Unhealthy foods are cheaper and they're everywhere; if you go to any store, you can buy a candy bar at the checkout but not a piece of fruit."

The next time you're traveling around, bring a bag of sliced apples or a container of carrots and hummus. If you eat either of those options instead of a candy bar or a pastry, you'll be cutting out anywhere from 100 to 500 calories.

If you're eating out, put half your dish in a to-go container — shave 700 calories

American Journal of Public Health Journal of Nutrition Journal of the American Medical Association

Instead of a milkshake, indulge in some dark chocolate — slash 400 calories

Milkshakes are one of the most calorie-dense menu items out there. Chocolate shakes at western regional favorite In-N-Out and eastern competitor Shake Shack each pack an average of 600 calories. Instead of pairing your burger with one of these desserts, bring along some dark chocolate (or buy some at a nearby store after the meal). Four pieces will average you just over 200 calories — about 400 less than the shake. Plus, good quality dark chocolate is high in phytonutrients like

Skip the whip — shave around 100 calories

Although it looks beautiful, the whipped cream topping on your latte or smoothie is pretty high-calorie. It also doesn't pack much else, nutritionally-speaking, aside from sugar. That means the cream is a classic example of what dietitian Nichola Whitehead calls "empty calories" because they "only give a temporary fix." Order your next drink without the whip and shave off about 100 calories.

Get another (plain) burger instead of fries — cut 100-500 calories

Yes, you read that correctly. If you're looking to lose weight but want to indulge in some fast food, the two easiest ways to shave calories from your meal are avoiding shakes and sodas and declining the fries. Fries typically have anywhere from 400-500 calories. Getting them animal style at In-N-Out brings the total to more like 750 calories.

By comparison, a plain hamburger from the popular chain (without cheese or "special sauce") is about 300 calories and has more protein than the fries, which helps keep you feeling full. All in all, that's up to 450 calories less than the California-style fries.

How to make a perfect burger at home