Cutting unnecessary calories from your diet is easier than you think. Swapping your coffee cream for a skim milk, or buttering only one side of your bagel seem easy enough, but we were on the hunt for some other effective and easy ways to cut calories.

1. Don’t drink your calories. Consider avoiding juices and sodas (including diet soda). Stick with water whenever possible and if you’re a fan of flavoured water, enjoy sparkling water.

2. Cook & Eat At Home. Multiple studies have found that those that eat more often at home tend to eat less than when they dine out.

3. Limit alcohol. Alcohol is just empty calories and mixed drinks are oftentimes loaded with sugars. Cutting back on alcohol consumption is an easy way to be healthier.

4. Monitor Calories. Consider monitoring calories even for a few days. Writing down what you eat (or entering it into one of the many health/diet apps) can be an effective way to easily see what you consume. Oftentimes people underestimate or think they eat less than they actually do.

5. Limit dressings and sauces. Many sauces and dressing can be deceiving. Make sure to check labels and keep these extras to a minimum.

6. Consider Mediterranean. Cooking Light recommends the Mediterranean Diet for its incredible health benefits, such as extending lives, improving heart health, and more. It has even shown to help stave off binge eating, as consuming more nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods helps fill you up—and keep you full.