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French Fries: 

It's almost impossible to eat just one french fry. The healthiest thing to do is to not order them at all and just beg one or two from your dinner partner. A serving of large fries contains 530 calories -- more than a quarter pounder with cheese. You can make your own healthy french fries at home by slicing potatoes into strips, tossing them with just a spritz of canola oil, then baking in a 400 degrees F oven until crisp. Try using sweet potatoes for a boost of antioxidants and vitamin A, or add garlic and your favorite herbs for a spicy, crunchy potato treat. One cup of these home-baked french fries contains about 100 calories.

Bagels:

Have you noticed that bagels are bigger than they used to be? A typical bagel is no longer equal to two slices of bread -- it's more like four to six slices! Switch to a mini-bagel, and you'll save 180 calories every morning. It may not look like much the first time you have one, but a mini-bagel really is satisfying after you get used to the smaller size.

Beef Chili:

If you adore chili with beef, drain all the fat after browning the beef and then rinse under cool running water to remove even more fat. Adding beans -- dark red or light kidney beans, pinto beans, etc. -- will add tons of fiber without any additional fat. Chop up and throw in as many different types of veggies as you can, and you can easily make a dent in your daily veggie quota. Or go the soy route, using textured soy crumbles instead of ground beef. Another option is to use half soy crumbles and half ground beef. Soy contains no cholesterol and can help protect your heart.

Cereal:

There are three guidelines for choosing a healthy cereal. First, look for the word whole in the first ingredient, meaning that the cereal is made primarily from unprocessed grain that contains more of its natural vitamins, minerals and fiber. If the whole grain is oats or wheat, that's even better. Second, be sure to choose a cereal with no more than 8 grams of sugar per serving. And finally, avoid any cereal that contains trans fatty acids, which increase risk of heart disease. Measure out one or two servings, pour on fat-free milk or yogurt and enjoy!

Cheese:

Most of the fat in cheese is saturated -- the kind that clogs arteries and raises cholesterol levels. In fact, it's easy to get 25 percent of your daily saturated fat requirement in just one ounce of cheese. Choose a reduced-fat version whenever possible to cut your fat intake by half.

Cheeseburgers:

The secret to a healthier cheeseburger is to get rid of the cheese! You save 50 calories, 3 grams of fat and 200 milligrams of sodium by ordering a hamburger at the drive-thru instead of a cheeseburger. Don't even think about a double cheeseburger (460 calories), quarter pounder with cheese (510 calories) or double quarter pounder with cheese (730 calories).

Chocolate:

Chocolate -- especially dark chocolate with cocoa solids or chocolate liquor listed as the first ingredient -- may actually be good for your heart due to its antioxidant content. However, it still contains more calories than we'd like to admit. The secret is to enjoy dark chocolate in very small quantities, for example, two to three strawberries dipped in dark chocolate or one Hershey's Miniatures Special Dark chocolate treat (only 45 calories!).

Coffee Drinks:

Long gone are the days when people routinely drank black coffee. It's astounding that many of us regularly guzzle 16- to 20-ounce coffee drinks every day -- sometimes two or more times per day! Down a 16-ounce caffe mocha and you just drank 300 calories -- 400 if you add whipped cream. Drink two of these each day, and you've spent one-third of your daily calorie budget! If plain black coffee isn't your cup of tea, try these ideas to downsize the calories, fat and sugar in your coffee drinks:

Cookies:

There are two problems with cookies: We can't eat just one, and if we can, the one we eat is usually HUGE. A typical chocolate chip cookie at a mall cookie store contains over 300 calories. One bite-size chocolate chip cookie has only 11 calories. Eat five of these mini-cookies slowly, enjoying every morsel, and you'll get the taste sensation you crave without adding to your waistline.

Cream-based sause:

When you're eating out, simply order sauces on the side. That way, you control the amount you choose to eat. When making your own cream sauces at home, replace the cream with fat-free half-and-half or evaporated skim milk mixed with a little cornstarch to thicken it.

Cream-based soup:

It's simple to make your own healthy, low-fat, creamy soups at home. Instead of cream, trying using fat-free evaporated skim milk. You'll save 87 grams of fat and 620 calories per cup! To make an even healthier cream soup, use pureed white beans or pureed vegetables (try potatoes or cauliflower) instead of the cream. Thin it to the desired consistency with skim milk or broth. If you're using canned cream soup, reconstitute with skim milk to reduce the fat and calories and boost your calcium and vitamin D intake. Try using lower-fat canned cream soups when making casseroles; you'll never notice a taste difference.

Donuts:

Be careful what you order. A glazed donut contains 180 calories, but a glazed cake donut packs almost twice as many calories (350). Don't be fooled by the phrase whole wheat in the whole-wheat glazed cake donut -- it's still over 300 calories. Better to enjoy just one glazed donut hole for only 40 calories.

Fried foods:

Choose the unfried version whenever possible. Have a choice of crispy or grilled chicken on your salad? Go for the grilled. Broiled or fried fish? Broiled is better. Raw veggies with dip or tempura veggies? You know the raw version wins every time. Baked or regular potato chips? Baked is a no-brainer. Learn to oven-fry foods at home by baking at a high temperature until crispy. A spritz of cooking spray or drizzle of olive oil before baking adds flavor and contributes to crispness without hurting your heart -- or your waistline.

Fruit snacks:

For a portable and sweet afternoon snack, get a cup of apple sauce. You'll be satisfying your craving for something sweet while getting fiber and antioxidants.

Ice cream:

Fat-free ice cream or ice milk may contain fewer calories, but most people don't appreciate the gritty texture. Frozen yogurt sounds like a healthy alternative, but it's still packed with fat and sugar. Try a fruity sorbet instead of ice cream. You'll save 13 grams of fat and 100 calories, and the intense fruit flavors simply pop in your mouth. Just one scoop is plenty!

Macaroni and Cheese:

I love a mixture of reduced-fat cheese (sharp cheddar or Velveeta -- you want something with assertive flavor), fat-free ricotta cheese, nutmeg (or dry mustard), white pepper and evaporated skim milk to produce the creamy, cheesy taste and texture we crave in macaroni and cheese. If you're partial to the neon orange boxed versions, use skim milk and skip the added margarine or butter.

Muffins and other baked goods:

Bake your own treats and use apple sauce instead of oil to cut down on fat, while also increasing antioxidants and fiber content. According to nutritionist Amy Hendel, apple sauce is one of the best ingredients you can use when baking, because it adds moisture and a pleasant fruit flavor that won't combat other ingredients.

Nachos:

They may look healthy because they contain foods from most of the food groups, but you know better. Just one loaded nacho chip will set you back 50 calories, with over half those calories from fat. But who eats just one nacho? One cup of nachos (about two handfuls) contains 560 calories and over half the amount of fat most active women need in one entire day. To prepare guilt-free nachos, cut soft flour tortillas into wedges and crisp in a 400 degrees F oven for four minutes. Then top with lots of veggies: tomatoes and onions, of course, but also add shredded carrots, lettuce and jicama and green and yellow pepper strips. Instead of hamburger, use fat-free refried beans and sprinkle with low-fat shredded cheddar cheese. You'll save more than half the calories without sacrificing taste.

Pasta:

The real key to eating healthier when you eat pasta is to reduce the portion size. Rather than making a platter of pasta, have a small dish (about two cupped handfuls). Switch to whole-wheat pasta to bump up your intake of whole grains. And of course, choose a sauce that's low in fat and packed with veggies.

Pastries:

One cheese Danish will set you back 260 calories and 24 percent of your total fat and saturated fat needs for the entire day. If grabbing a midmorning pastry is your habit, it's time for a new snack! A piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter contains fewer calories (170) and half the fat. Plus, it supplies whole grains and fiber, protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top if you crave something sweet.

Potato chips:

A single-serving bag of most plain potato chips contains approximately 150 calories. You'll save half those calories if you choose fat-free baked chips. But if what you're truly craving is something crunchy and salty, opt for popcorn instead of chips. One cup contains only 55 calories if you don't add extra butter.

Soda:

Drink water instead. If it's bubbles you crave, try carbonated mineral water. If you simply have to drink something sweet, choose diet soda or calorie-free flavored water. And anyone concerned about building strong bones or losing weight should opt for fat-free milk instead of soda -- the calcium and vitamin D are essential to health.

Sour Cream:

Instead of the full-fat version, opt for either reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream. Here's the reason: One tablespoon of sour cream contains 26 calories, 3 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat while one tablespoon of reduced-fat sour cream contains 20 calories, 2 grams of fat and 1 gram of saturated fat, and one tablespoon of fat-free sour cream has 14 calories and no fat. Make your meal even healthier by substituting plain, fat-free yogurt for sour cream. The calcium will do your bones good!