Some of the most classic and tasty dinner meals are filled with a lot of fat and are lacking in nutritional value. If you are trying to cut weight and trim your waistline, you don't have to throw tasty out the window when it comes to your meals. Here are some great tips that will help with trimming the fat and adding more nutritional value to your daily food intake (some tips from "What's Left to Eat," an article in USA Weekend, Aug. 2011): 

• Pick the least-processed foods: An apple is a whole food, applesauce is slightly processed, and apple juice is the most processed of the three. So, the healthiest choice is the apple.
• Think about portions: Strive to have half of your plate made up of fruits and vegetables
• Try add-ins: Add fresh or dried fruits such as chopped apples, raisins, kiwi or orange slices to green leafy salads
• Replace the white flour: Substitute whole-wheat flour for up to half or more of the white flour in recipes. Make muffins using oatmeal, bran, or whole-wheat flour. 
• Go skinless: Cook poultry with the skin on to keep it moist, but remove the skin before eating to reduce the fat.
• Eat more mini meals throughout the day: Instead of eating three heavy meals every day, consider eating 4-5 mini meals that are packed with nutrition and are also filling.
• Cut down on the amount of liquid sugar per day: You may cut down on the fat in your diet, but you may continue to keep on the pounds by drinking sugar-concentrated drinks all day. Drink more water throughout the day - it will not only "flush out" your system, but will also curb your craving for more sugary beverages in time.

-Written by: Cafe Belle's Fitness Barista