Enlarge By Photo Disc Making good food choices at grocery stores and restaurants can be tough. Edy's All Natural Smoothie Strawberry Banana bars sound pretty healthy, right? So do Ritz Whole Wheat crackers and Newman's Own Tomato & Basil sauce. But each product has a flaw. The Edy's bar has a "staggering 21 ingredients," the Ritz crackers' main ingredient is nutrient-stripped enriched flour, and Newman's sauce has nearly twice the sugar as some other brands, says the 2011 edition of "Eat This, Not That!" Making good food choices at grocery stores and restaurants can be tough. But making simple swaps, watching a few key nutrients — saturated fats, sodium, fiber and sugar — and cutting back on certain ingredients and portion sizes can go a long way toward creating a good diet. Even if you don't make the optimal choice every time, better options exist that aren't gut-busting, high-sugar, high-fat and low-fiber choices. That's the premise behind the popular "Eat This, Not That!" series of books written by David Zinczenko, Men's Health magazine editor-in-chief, with Matt Goulding, New York Times best-selling food author. The books, with 7.5 million copies in print, focus on swaps at restaurants and groceries for meals at home, for kids' meals and for drinks. They also highlight topics such as 350-calorie meals, 50 best supermarket foods and the worst foods in American restaurants. Topping the worst restaurant meals in the 2011 book? The Cheesecake Factory's bistro shrimp pasta with a whopping 2,727 calories, 78 grams of saturated fat and 1,737 milligrams of sodium. Better choices at lots of restaurants are pointed out that can save hundreds of calories along with fat grams, sodium and sugar. "We get so much health advice on how to eat 100% perfect," said Clint Carter, contributing editor to the "Eat This, Not That" series, published by Rodale Inc. "Most people approach food as an all-or-nothing transaction — either you're going to eat good or eat bad. That's not really the case." Eating at a restaurant, even at fast-food places, Carter said, doesn't mean you have to load up on high-calorie and high-fat food. "You can make smart decisions. It doesn't have to completely derail your diet. And if you want to eat a TV dinner, it isn't dietary suicide." A case in point from the 2011 book: Instead of eating Au Bon Pain's sausage, egg and cheddar on asiago bagel (810 calories, 46 grams of fat, 1,340 milligrams of sodium), try the bacon and egg melt on ciabatta (470 calories, 23 grams of fat and 980 milligrams of sodium). While the fat and sodium content of the melt is lower than many of the other choices recommended in the book, it's higher than what most dietitians would say is healthy. Yet it's the better of those two options. "It's a nice visual way to see what's better for you," said Angie Scheetz, wellness coordinator and registered dietitian for the National Institute for Fitness and Sport. "But the best option is to stay home and cook something healthier. The more fresh, whole foods you can eat, the better." Still, many people eat out multiple times a week, buy processed foods, don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, and consume too many high-sugar and high-fat (saturated) foods. The so-called SoFAS — solid fats and added sugars — in the average American diet amount to 35% of total calories. "If you're making swaps and better choices, then it just becomes a habit, and that's going to promote weight loss and better weight management long-term," said registered dietitian Margie Fougeron with The Care Group, a member of St. Vincent Medical Group in Indianapolis. Making those changes is better than yo-yo dieting or following fad diets, she added. So, what are some easy food swaps or diet tweaks? Look for key words on menus Baked, broiled, roasted, steamed or grilled foods usually have fewer calories than fried, battered, crispy, marinated or stuffed foods. Ask for salad dressings on the side, and inquire about the sauces and oils used to cook foods. Request that cooks go easy on oil. At home, try spice rubs on meat or fish. Make pan sauces for meat. Use fresh salsa as a condiment. Cut back on high-sugar foods This includes sodas and fruit drinks, and foods with added sugar. On packaged foods, Fougeron cautions people to read the ingredient listing and avoid products that list added sugars first. People need to realize, she said, that natural sugars found in fruit, milk and grains aren't separated from the harmful added sugars on the nutritional label showing the total grams. Only by checking the ingredient list can you see if the added sugars are high. Drinks such as Crystal Light or Minute Maid Light or sugar-free versions of coffee beverages will save calories, said Scheetz. But she warned that some fat-free food products will dump in sugar to make them taste better, so she often advises to go with the "light" version. Pay attention to portion size Eating large portions is the No. 1 way people add "invisible" calories to their diets, said Sara Blackburn, clinical associate professor in Indiana University's Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. For example, the standard portion size for pasta is a half cup, while most people will eat 4 cups, she said. Similarly, people tend to eat much more than the 5 ounces of meat — the size of a deck of cards — most should have daily. Swap seafood and other lean protein sources, such as beans, in place of some meat. Fougeron agrees with these new U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendations and notes that it's good to adjust recipes, such as chili and tacos, to include more lean ground turkey or beans. While these swaps and tweaks are helpful, dietitians recognize that people can sometimes lapse into bad habits, falling prey to big restaurant portions and misleading food package labeling. While some are willing to count calories, not everyone wants to do that. "Instead of counting calories all day, you need to be more in touch with how you actually feel," said Alyse Levine, a nationally known, Los Angeles-based registered dietitian who advises Lance Armstrong's Livestrong.com initiative. Mindful eating, when you eat slowly, pay attention to how you feel and not get distracted will help you realize when you are satisfied, so you won't eat until you're stuffed, Levine said. "Have that pause moment," she said. "Take a deep breath and ask yourself, 'Am I even still hungry?' " So how much and what kinds of foods do you really need? The U.S. Department of Agriculture's My Pyramid website has a daily food plan that allows you to plug in your age, weight, height and activity level. Then it tells you how many calories you should consume to maintain (or lose weight) and the quantity of food that you need from each food group. Here are recommendations for an average female and male. Female: Age 45, 5 foot, 4 inches, 135 pounds, 30 to 60 minutes of moderate/vigorous exercise daily. • Calories: 2,000 daily. • Grains: 6 ounces (at least half whole grains). • Vegetables: 2-1/2 cups. • Fruits: 2 cups. • Milk/dairy: 3 cups. • Meats/beans: 5-1/2 ounces. • Oils/discretionary calories: Aim for 6 teaspoons of oil; limit extra fats, sugars to 265 calories. Male: Age 45, 5 foot, 10 inches; 165 pounds, 30 to 60 minutes of moderate/vigorous exercise daily. • Calories: 2,600. • Grains: 9 ounces (at least half whole grains). • Vegetables: 3-1/2 cups. • Fruits: 2 cups. • Milk/dairy: 3 cups. • Meats/beans: 6-1/2 ounces. • Oils/discretionary calories: Aim for 8 teaspoons of oil; limit extra fats and sugars to 410 calories. Note: If physical activity is less than 30 minutes daily, the woman should consume 1,800 calories; the man, 2,400. If activity is more than 60 minutes, the woman should have 2,200 calories; the man, 3,000. Ideas to help you eat healthy, cut calories Draw an imaginary X on your plate. One-quarter each should be protein and whole grain sources; the other half should be fruits and vegetables. The more different colors of food on your plate, the better. Check the servings per container or serving size to estimate total calories on a product's nutritional label. Even a small bag or container can have four to six servings. Look at the percentages of daily values for saturated fats, trans fat and sodium. Compare products and select ones with the lowest percentages. Most people should limit sodium to 1,500 milligrams a day. Select foods with higher percentages of fiber. Three grams or more is considered an excellent fiber source; 35 grams are recommended per day. Good sources are legumes, beans, fruits and vegetables. Examine the food label ingredient list, which lists items in order of their prominence in the food. Avoid foods with enriched wheat flour or sugar as the first ingredients. We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more