When you’re looking to make better choices with your diet (or save some money!), one of the easiest things you can do is prep a week’s worth of meals in advance, so you have healthy food ready to go.

But is it possible to meal prep salads and keep them fresh all week?

We asked Kylie Burke, a certified holistic health coach and owner of Radiant and Abundant, to help us to put together some tips for beginners, including how to meal prep salads for the week.

How Do You Keep Salads Fresh for the Week?

While meal prepping food for your week can seem daunting, it can make it much easier to stick to your meal plan for the week and to save money.

The best part: It’s possible to prep everything you need for a week of salads ahead of time when you follow our steps.

1. Wash and portion greens

If you’re meal prepping a week of salads, the most important first step you can take is to wash and dry your greens.

They should be fully dry before you place them in the fridge.

If you want your morning departure to be super speedy, consider portioning your greens into different containers, one for each day of the week.

When you’re choosing which greens you’re going to use for your salad, keep in mind how long you need them to last in the fridge.

“Kale and purple cabbage, because they have more substantial body, aren’t going to wilt as fast as baby spinach or other light-bodied greens” like iceberg lettuce, Burke says.

2. Add some crunch

While the freshness of your salad greens is an important aspect of meal prepping for a week’s worth of eating, it’s also important to consider your taste buds.

If you get bored eating the same thing all the time, you’re more likely to skip the salad and pick up some fast food for lunch instead.

One easy way to keep your salads fresh each day is to create a variety of textures, one of which is crunch.

We crave crunchy foods, and it’s important to give that to yourself through healthy toppings instead of an afternoon bag of chips.

Some great topping options to add crunch to your salad include:

• Toasted nuts
• Pepitas or pumpkin seeds
• Whole wheat croutons
• Tortilla strips
• Sunflower seeds
• Toasted coconut
• Chia seeds
• Crunchy veggies such as carrots, radishes, or snap peas

3. Don’t forget the protein

Adding an element of protein to your salad will help you to stay full longer, and it also adds another component to your meal which can be switched up from day to day.

If you do choose to add protein to your salad, you’re likely going to want to store this separately from your other ingredients to maintain freshness (more on that below).

Here some protein ideas to add to your salad:

• Chicken (Burke recommends buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding it for cheap and easy food prep)
• Steak
• Beans
• Tofu or tempeh
• Beans
• Nuts

4. Prep toppings

When it comes to toppings, the most important thing to remember is that you should work smarter, not harder.

“If you’re short on time, let the store do the work for you!” says Burke. “Easy meal prep is done with pre-prepped items like shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced radishes, or anything else that’s pre-chopped at your grocery store.”

Your toppings should be stored separately from your greens to ensure high-quality freshness — or you can use a layering technique to keep everything in one container (again, more on that below).

5. Experiment with salad dressings

While there are tons of ready-made, healthy salad dressings on the market, you can also make your own in a food processor with minimal effort.

Have a few dressings on hand to instantly change up the flavor profile of your salads.

Here are a few of Kylie’s favorites to add variety:

• Peanut dressing for a Thai kick
• Ranch for a Cobb salad
• Vinegar and olive oil for a Greek salad
• Miso dressing for Asian flair
• Sriracha for some kick

6. Use multiple containers

Once you’ve gotten all your various ingredients ready for the week, having the right containers on hand can make all the difference.

You’ll want a variety of sizes, and if possible, enough containers that you don’t have to wash them each night to re-pack for the next day.

For each day that you’re prepping a salad, you’ll want containers for these ingredients:

• A large container for greens. Make sure this container is big enough so you can combine all of your ingredients from other containers and eat right out of this one.
• A medium container for wet ingredients. This might include tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers.
• A small container for your dressing. Pour it on when you’re ready to eat, and not a moment before.

While you don’t have to keep your ingredients separate, this can help maintain the crispness of your greens and keep them fresh as your week continues.

It’s especially important to keep your dressing separate, though, as that can wilt greens in a few hours.

7. …Or deploy strategic layering

If you don’t have the time or the Tupperware to keep your greens separate from the other ingredients in your salads, strategic layering is helpful.

“Place the heavy items on the bottom so as not to crush your greens,” says Kylie. “This will prevent items from going bad as quickly.”

Grains, proteins, and cheeses go at the bottom, then work your way up to cooked veggies, raw veggies, and lastly your greens.

This keeps your greens fresher and will keep them from getting smashed or mushy.

Even with layering, though, you still need to be wary of wet ingredients such as chopped tomatoes, which can wilt your greens quickly.

8. Add something absorbent

One way to keep your greens looking fresh in the fridge during the week is to place a paper towel in the bottom of the container where you’re storing them.

This will help absorb any excess moisture and ensure your greens stay fresh. Just make sure to remove it before eating.

If you’re keeping wet ingredients in the same container for a salad to be eaten that day, you can also use a paper towel to separate the ingredients and protect your greens.

How to Keep From Getting Bored

Simple changes such as the toppings you put on your salad or the dressing you use can ensure that your salads stay fresh on your taste buds all week and keeps you satiated.

Here are a couple tips.

1. Prioritize variety when you’re shopping

Challenge yourself to avoid buying the same ingredients every week. When you’re shopping, consider the following:

• Look for a variety of bright colors to get different vitamins and antioxidants.
• Choose a flavor boost such as citrus, fresh herbs, or dried fruits.
• Consider adding pickled or fermented elements such as pickled beets or carrots, kimchi, or even sauerkraut.
• Make sure your toppings lend a variety of textures to your meal.

2. Skip the lettuce

Salad doesn’t always have to include lettuce. You can use lettuce at the beginning of the week and then replace it towards the end of the week with a heartier green such as kale.

That helps to avoid the wilted-lettuce Thursday salad.

3. Skip leafy greens entirely

Or if you’re up for trying some alternative salad types, consider having salad at the beginning of the week and then evolving into grain bowls towards the end of the week.

Grain bowls can be very veggie-centric — and easier to preserve in the fridge for a week at a time.

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Sobriety is a wonderful thing. That said, whether you’re just getting out of a detox center in Ohio or you’ve been living clean for years in Florida, you probably understand how scary relapse is. How tempting it can sometimes be.

There are a lot of different ways to fight back against this impulse: you’ll want to get professional help, as well as removing yourself from situations. Exercise can also be a powerful tool in the fight against relapse and to help you stay sober.

How Exercise Helps To…

Reduce Stress

Stress is one of the major triggers that can precipitate relapse for many people. Exercise counteracts this by releasing endorphins into your system.

These endorphins have short-term effects, meaning it’s a good habit to start exercising when you’re concerned about your stress. That said, it also has long-term effects, and putting together a regular workout plan can help you feel better consistently.

Improve Your Mental Health

Exercise has been shown to help reduce anxiety and depression. By keeping your head as clear as possible, you get rid of any distractions that could potentially get in the way of your recovery. The better you feel, the less likely you are to fall back on an addictive substance.

Find A Purpose

Especially during the early stages of recovery, it can be hard to find meaning. Often, people turn to substances to try to escape something, and that can lead to a lack of self-worth once you’re no longer defining yourself with that substance.

It’s even better if you manage to find a community. Talking to someone at the gym or on your regular run can help you meet people who are similarly committed to their health and happiness.

Do Different Kinds Of Exercise Have Different Benefits?

The research on the positive effects of aerobic is stronger than that on the positive effects of anaerobic exercise.

That said, when trying to maintain your sobriety, we recommend choosing one that you really enjoy doing. Along with the sense of accomplishment, you also want to find a physical activity that you can engage in regularly and feel accomplished with.

This feeling of accomplishment will be stronger if you enjoy what you’re doing and this will help you stay sober.

Does The Effectiveness Of Exercise Vary Based On The Substance You’re Addicted To?

Research has been done into how exercise impacts the likelihood of relapse for smokers, alcoholics, and polysubstance drug users. In all these cases, exercise has been linked to a decrease in relapse.

How Sobriety Helps You Exercise

If you or a loved one are currently suffering from addiction, regular exercise may seem impossible. Depending on the substance being used and the amount of time it was used for, it can take your body time to begin feeling more energized after withdrawal.

That said, over time, exercise helps you build back your strength. Instead of being focused on a substance, you’ll have the clarity that allows you to commit to an exercise regimen. As you build muscle, you’ll find exercise more enjoyable since it can give you a sense of achievement.

Even stranger? You may even start enjoying the workout! Relapse is often a scary idea for people recovering from addiction, but exercise can help you feel more confident in your ability to stay sober.

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“In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer.”
Albert Camus

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
Anne Bradstreet 

Up here in Sweden the winter is dark, cold and often comes with a mix of rain and snow.

And spring is still far away.

It is not easy to keep the energy and optimism up like in the bright and warm summer days.

So today I’d like to share 7 habits I use that make it a lot easier to stay positive even throughout this dark and often grey season.

1. Find one of your biggest energy sucks.

Ask yourself: What is the biggest energy suck in my life right now?

You may for example find that it is a person in your life that is very negative.

Or that the report that you have been meaning to finish for a month now is dragging you down.

Then you follow that up with asking:

What is one thing I can do about this?

Maybe you decide that you want stop hanging out with that person. Or at least spend less of the time you have in a week with him or her and more of that time with the people that give you the most energy.

Perhaps you can just set off 5 minutes today to get started again with finishing your report.

For some energy sucks there might not be a simple solution. Or a solution at all, at least at this time.

Then you may want to find one of the lesser leaks in your life that you can actually do something about.

Take a few minutes or half an hour out of your day to plug just one of these biggest leaks and you’ll have more energy to spend on what truly matters to you.

2. Be grateful for the small things and the things you may sometimes take for granted.

When I’m looking out the window over the dark and rainy landscape in the morning it is easy to forget about the things I actually have.

Things like:

• A roof over my head and a warm home.
• Clean water.
• Three steady meals every day.

I have found that zooming out on my perspective like this helps out a lot to snap out of any kind of victim thinking and negativity.

3. Vitamin D supplements.

For the past few winters I’ve been taking Vitamin D supplements each day and I’ve found them to give back quite a bit of the energy I tend to lose during a long winter.

A few people close to me are also taking them and are reporting similar positive effects in varying degrees.

4. Go outside for 3-5 minutes first thing in the morning.

This is my favorite new and daily habit in the past few months.

I first heard about it from the popular Huberman Lab Podcast by Andrew Huberman, a professor in neuroscience at Stanford University. And I’ve since learned that Tim Ferriss and several others have also adopted this habit recently from Huberman.

I’ve found that simply going out on our porch for 3-5 minutes in the morning first thing after the sun has come up – at around nine o’clock here in Sweden right now – helps me to truly wake up and feel much more alert and energetic during my day.

When I am out on the porch I just look out at the sky and the view for a few minutes. And as my eyes are exposed to the sunlight – even if it is a cloudy day – several processes are activated in my body that will help me to be more alert during the day but also help me to get better sleep (according to Huberman’s podcast).

I haven’t personally noticed much difference in my sleep but that one was already working pretty well for me.

5. A light-therapy lamp.

I’ve been using a light-therapy lamp for a couple of winters and it has had some pretty big effects (I have more energy and it makes it easier to keep the optimism up).

So far this winter I have not felt much need to use it as going outside for my morning light – as mentioned in the previous tip – has had such a big and positive effect.

But the winter is not over yet so I may start using it later on as an extra booster in the mornings.

6. Exercise.

An obvious but a very effective one.

Regular exercise  – I lift weights every other day nowadays – will give you more energy. It will help you to release inner tensions, anxiety and stress.

And so it will be easier to stay relaxed, positive and to think clearly with less overthinking and to act decisively.

7. Take action and move forward.

Few things create so much frustration, worries and anxiety as sitting on your hands and doing nothing.

So even though it might be a little extra tough to get started or to keep going with your dreams and goals during this season remind yourself that if you do you will replace those feelings and thoughts above with optimism and self-confidence.

And remember that you do not have to go forward in big or quick leaps.

The most important thing is simply that you move forward. Even if it is by just taking one small or slow step after another.

Because those steps will quickly add up over the weeks even if they may not look so impressive in themselves.

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It takes hard work to stay in amazing shape like Kourtney Kardashian, but the reality star has finally found the way of eating that works best for her body. In a new article on Poosh, Kourtney reveals the exact foods that keep her fit and feeling energized on a daily basis, from the healthy staples she snacks on to the cheat foods she can’t live without.

Read on to discover exactly what Kourtney eats on a daily basis to stay fit and healthy. And for more on how your favorite celebrities stay in amazing shape, check out Kate Hudson Shares Her Intense Butt and Leg Workout in New Video.

Kourtney, who now adheres to a primarily vegan diet, kicks things off in the morning with carb-rich meals. Her go-to breakfasts include avocado or banana smoothies with vegan protein powder; slices of gluten-free, vegan cinnamon toast; blueberry bagels with peanut butter and jelly; or açai bowls. When she’s having a cheat day, she’ll get vegan chicken and waffles from Crossroads, an L.A.-based vegan eatery.

For more insight into what stars eat when they want to shed some weight, check out Raven-Symoné Shares How She Lost 30 Pounds in 3 Months.

When she’s feeling peckish between meals, Kourtney typically opts for pickles and tangerines. If she’s feeling in the mood for something that feels a bit more indulgent, she enjoys a Peanut Butter Cup flavor Mindright Bar.

Related: Sign up for our newsletter for the latest healthy eating news.

For her midday meal, Kourtney enjoys vegan versions of her favorite comfort foods, like zoodles with olive oil, garlic, and lots of vegetables. The self-professed pickle lover will also indulge in a slice of sourdough bread with vegan butter and sliced pickles, with a tangerine on the side.

Related: The Most Underrated Summer Recipes You Need to Try

Going vegan hasn’t meant that Kourtney has had to cut out foods like sushi or tacos—she’s just found vegan ways to prepare them. For dinner, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star will eat tacos made from Beyond Meat ground “beef” or order crispy rice with avocado, an order of edamame, and an avocado roll from Nobu.

If you want to know how other celebrity moms get fit, check out Katie Lee Biegel Shares How She Got Back to Her Pre-Baby Weight, and for the latest celebrity health and fitness news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter!

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Between recording albums, making movies, filming TV shows, and making press appearances, there’s no denying that Rita Ora has a jam-packed schedule. However, even when the star’s traveling from coast to coast—or country to country—she manages to keep her fitness a priority.

In a recent ab-bearing Instagram post, Ora revealed the workout that’s keeping her toned when she’s on the go. Read on to discover which exercise routine Ora relies on to stay fit, and for more celebrity health and fitness news, check out Sherri Shepherd Reveals Her Abs in New Workout Video After 35-Pound Weight Loss.

On July 8, Ora posted a post-workout selfie to her Instagram Stories, revealing that she’d hit up Los Angeles-based Forma Pilates for a sweat session.

“A gallon of water and a little bit of @formapilatesla @lianalevi what could be better?” she captioned the pic. Just hours later, Ora—who’s recently been spending time in Australia while working as a judge on The Voice Australia— revealed that she was on the move again, posting a story from New York City.

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During her time in Australia, Ora regularly posted videos of her workout from Acero, a gym that’s become a favorite among celebrities down under.

In addition to sparring in the ring, Ora tackled weight-based workouts at the gym, from cable rows to suspended crunches.

Related: 100 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet

While Ora may be dedicated to her fitness routine, she admits that she exercises for her health and overall wellbeing, not to be a certain size.

“I didn’t start working out to get skinnier—I started working out to feel better. And I think it’s important for women to know that,” she told Shape. “Don’t be obsessed with being thin. You just have to be fit, healthy, and strong.”

Ora isn’t a disciplinarian about her diet. Instead, she eats healthy, whole foods that support her fitness goals. While she’s admitted to forgoing both bread and sugar, the star told Shape that her meal plan is otherwise relatively forgiving.

“With the plan I’m on, you can eat quite a bit as long as you exercise. In the morning, I have two boiled eggs, asparagus, and half a cup of muesli with almond milk. For lunch, I have chicken or fish with vegetables, and for dinner, I have six to eight ounces of fish with vegetables and half a potato. Plus snacks,” she explained.

For more on what your favorite stars eat to stay in shape, check out RHOBH Star Garcelle Beauvais Shares Her Exact Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner to Lose Weight.

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Kate Hudson has lost an impressive 25 pounds amid the pandemic by sticking to the WW (formerly Weight Watchers) plan. Now that she’s shed the weight she wanted to lose, the actor is focused on toning up, sharing her often grueling workouts with fans on Instagram. The star’s latest obsession? A water weight-based workout that tones her core, arms, and hips.

In a new video posted to her Instagram account, Hudson can be seen swinging a 20-pound water weight from Hydro Core around her head and waist.

“This gives ‘staying centered’ a whole new meaning for me 😜 First time taking this for a ride, definitely not the last 🌪,” Hudson captioned the video.

“I believe it’s crucial to incorporate rotational exercises to all athletic training programs. In other words, work in the transverse plane is a must,” said Hudson’s trainer, Brian Nguyen, of her new workout.

“First and foremost, it totally improves the neuromuscular connection between the core and the rest of the body. I mean, check out Kate’s movement in this tornado drill while she digs for speed: her core is fighting for more integrity (stability) while her mobile joints (hips and shoulders) seem to unlock more with every turn!” he added. “Moreover, working with rotational movement not only prepares us for the forces of real life but also increases our capacity for greater power and more explosiveness throughout one’s range of motion: true athleticism, that is.”

RELATED: Kate Hudson Reveals Her Intense Ab Workout for a Flat Stomach

Hudson hasn’t been shy about sharing her workout progress over the past year, posting photos of everything from yoga to weight training sessions to her Instagram.

“I grew up witnessing my parents take care of their bodies. People always ask me how I get motivated to stay in shape. The answer is, it’s what I know. It’s how I was raised. It’s engrained in my brain that honoring and working our body is a gift and so I don’t take it for granted. I loooove moving. I love when it’s challenging. I love being in charge of my results. And I looooove seeing my daughter have fun doing it with me. They watch everything we do! Gotta make some good moves for kids,” Hudson said of her workout motivation.

For more insight into how your favorite stars stay fit, check out This Is Chris Hemsworth’s Exact Meal and Exercise Plan to Get into ‘Thor’ Shape, and for the latest celebrity health and fitness news delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter!

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Working out can be a chore for some people—but Eva Longoria isn’t one of them. The former Desperate Housewives star has been making her exercise routine a whole lot more exciting with the addition of a single piece of equipment: a trampoline!

In a new video posted to her Instagram, Longoria reveals her trampoline workout, making the intense routine look easy and—dare we say it—fun.

In the clip, Longoria starts by doing a series of kicks, jumps, and knee raises on her mini JumpSport trampoline while wearing a pair of weighted gloves. She follows this by getting onto all fours on the trampoline and alternating leg extensions and lunges. Next up? A set of lower abdominal crunches and leg and hip exercises, which she tackles while lying on her back on the trampoline while wearing a set of ankle weights.

RELATED: Eva Longoria in Pink Swimsuit Celebrates Summer Early

To cap off her workout, Longoria completes a series of sit-to-stand moves, using her trampoline as a base.

Bouncing around does come with some notable health and fitness benefits. “The trampoline is low impact on joints,” says Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, M.D., an obesity medicine physician and educator specializing in the care of adults, adolescents, and children, who’s working with JumpSport Fitness to encourage the healthy habit of daily movement through their Maintain Your Weight campaign. “Using a fitness trampoline can help for those that may have excess weight or joint issues associated with the excess weight. Also, it is quite a fun activity to engage in!”

Longoria sure seems to think so!

As for how the actor manages to find time to tackle workouts between her busy career and parenting her son, Santiago, who turns three this month, Longoria told the Australian edition of Vogue, “You waste more time than you think. People say ‘I don’t have time to work out, I don’t have time to do this…When you just commit to it and you all of a sudden prioritize you realize, ‘Oh wait, I did have time.'”

“Especially as you get older, people want to know the secret to looking good and there is no secret. It’s diet and exercise,” she told the publication.

For more on how your favorite celebrities stay toned, check out Country Star Jana Kramer Reveals the Exact Exercise Routine That Keeps Her Fit, and for the latest celebrity health and fitness news delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter!

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With summer fast approaching, it is even more important to stay hydrated throughout the day. Experts advise that we should be drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. But research conducted by OnePoll and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that the average American only drinks five glasses of water daily.

Fourdesire has recently relaunched its popular app Plant Nanny², aiming to help us improve our water drinking habits and remain hydrated while having a fun-filled experience. Launched in 2019, Plant Nanny² was named the Best App by Google Play in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Italy and Spain the same year.

Your Own Personalized Water Intake Tracking Tool

Upon registration, you just need to input some personal information such as height, weight and activity levels. Plant Nanny² will then recommend the daily water intake and send alerts to remind you to drink water. By drinking, you also water the app’s plant. The more water you drink, the bigger the plant becomes. Once big enough, it can be planted in a greenhouse where you can grow even more exotic plants.

The objective is to drink the suggested volume of water every day. When you achieve that objective, the plant will look happy, which means that you are adequately hydrated. But if you somehow skip a drink, the plant will be sad and become depressed if not watered regularly.

The plants in the app just look adorable. You can now also subscribe to the new daily hydration plan, a premium version with bigger selection of super cute plants that allows customized dialogue pop-ups.

Fourdesire is offering all customers a seven-day trial to try out the premium version for free.

Plant Nanny² is available for download on Google Play and in the App Store. To learn more and download the Plant Nanny² app, please visit the following link:

https://plantnanny.app/

About Fourdesire

Fourdesire is a major digital design company based in Taiwan. Its goal is to bring together entertainment, design and technology. Fourdesire believes in the power of fun to solve problems in real life; the company’s playful apps allow users to address all kinds of practical concerns, such as physical health, mental well-being and financial literacy, in an engaging and interactive way.

Since its establishment in 2012, Fourdesire’s apps have a proven track record of success, with over 30 million downloads worldwide and recognition of their top-ranking apps by industry leaders. In 2014, the firm launched Walkr — Galaxy Adventure in Your Pocket and received the Best Game Award from the Apple App Store. This app focuses on making physical activities such as walking more enjoyable for users. In 2017, the app builder released Fortune City, a personal expense tracking app and another phenomenal success, named the Best App in Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Google Play Store, and the winner of the Red Dot Design Award in 2018. The company’s latest product is To-Do Adventure, launched in September 2020 — a task management app that transforms boring to-do lists into exciting adventures, helping users improve their productivity and time management skills.

Passionate about bringing more play into people’s everyday lives, Fourdesire continues to develop its range of innovative games and expand its international footprint.

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Halle Berry has long been open about the importance of sticking to a specific diet and exercise routine as a means of managing her type 1 diabetes. To stay consistent with her workouts, Berry sticks to exercises she loves—and she just revealed which fitness routine is her favorite way to stay strong and toned.

Read on to discover which workout Berry calls her favorite, and for more go-to celebrity exercise routines, check out Vanessa Hudgens Just Shared Her Intense Butt Workout.

In a series of black-and-white photos posted to her Instagram account, Berry revealed that boxing is her preferred exercise routine.

“I hear it’s #NationalFitnessDay 🥊 🥊 This is my favorite way to stay fit. What’s yours?” she captioned the series of pics.

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It’s not boxing alone that Berry relies on to get her heart pumping, however. In an April 2021 interview with W magazine, Berry revealed that she’s a major fan of martial arts workouts. “Jiu jitsu and judo have become my fast favorites,” she explained.

When she wants to improve her mental and physical wellbeing in one fell swoop, Berry turns to yoga.

“One of the most helpful stress-releasing practices for me is yoga. To me, it’s a physical form of meditation that allows me to move negative energy out of my body,” she told Women’s Health in 2020, noting that she tries to practice yoga at least three times a week. “It’s like the stress just lifts right out of me.”

And for more on your favorite stars’ fitness routines, Ariana Grande Calls This Workout Her “Happy Place” in New Pic.

Exercise is such a crucial part of Berry’s routine that she’s even launched her own workout series. During the pandemic, the actor teamed with wellness company rē•spin to create a series of free at-home workouts incorporating her favorite exercises.

“Workout with me, @peterleethomas, and all of our @respin trainers in new martial arts-inspired exercises, plyo and more. They are what keep me sane and I am excited to be bringing them to you,” Berry told her Instagram followers.

And for more stars committing to fitness, check out A-Rod Just Shared the Weight-Loss Plan That Helped Him Shed His “Dad Bod.”

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For many, going to a local coffee shop is an everyday occurrence. Hey, no judgment here! But that makes picking the healthiest coffee shop fare of the utmost importance—especially if you’re trying to shrink your gut.

To help you reach your goal weight sooner rather than later, we’ve put together this trusty healthy coffee shop guide. From Starbucks and Dunkin’ to your local neighborhood shop, it’s sure to keep you on track no matter where you find yourself sipping and snacking by avoiding these coffee shop habits that could be costing you. And while you’re making healthier choices, be sure your kitchen is stocked up with The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

An egg and cheese sandwich will usually come in at under 400 calories no matter where you go. Plus, the protein hit helps temper your appetite as the day wears on. Eggs have tons of other health benefits, too.

Wait! Before you make that a trenta (that’s Starbucks-speak for 31 ounces), consider this: A research team in Washington found that downing more than five cups of java a day can double visceral belly fat. The good news? Thanks to its high catechin content, green tea has the opposite effect. So if you’re heading to the coffee shop for round two or three of Colombian bold, consider placing an order for a spot of tea instead. The powerful elixir helped our 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse test panelists lose up to 10 pounds in one week!

Compared to many other snack bars, KIND  pretty low in sugar and thanks to their nut base, serve up a hefty dose of fiber and protein, as well as heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3s. The best part? Large coffee joints like Starbucks sell them in just about every store—and the trickle-down effect is pretty remarkable. Whether you’re grabbing a latte at a neighborhood shop or your corner 7-11, the odds are good you’ll be able to find one. Opt for one of the bars instead of your go-to pastry or bagel to amp up the nutritional quality of your snack or breakfast.

If you drink it every day, you may as well get the most health-boosting benefits out of your cup as you can. One of the best ways to do it: Place your order soon after they grind and brew the beans. Coffee is most Americans’ number one source of polyphenols—the weight-lowering micronutrients that make the Mediterranean diet so effective.

If you typically order a pre-sweetened or flavored coffee, slowly wean yourself off the sweet stuff by asking for fewer flavor pumps and adding fewer sugar packets to your cup. A regular 16-ounce iced coffee, for example, has about 5 calories and 0 grams of sugar, while the sweetened version has 80 and 20 grams of sugar—that’s the equivalent of five Domino’s packs! Asking for “light” syrup or “half the usual amount of syrup” could easily save you 40 calories and 10 grams of the sweet stuff! Eventually, you’ll be able to make the jump to plain, unsweetened drinks.

When regular brewed coffee is chilled and stored, two things happen: First, it begins to lose whatever nuance of taste it once possessed; second, it starts losing the polyphenols that give coffee its health benefits. The best iced coffee is cold brewed; it takes more time to make so it will be more expensive, but you’ll taste the difference. Most notably it will be less bitter, which means you can get away with adding less sugar. And less sugar = fewer calories.

One of the great health food imposters, bran muffins are simply excuses to get you to eat cupcakes for breakfast. Each can deliver about 440 calories, with nearly a quarter of them coming from fat. Pair it with a cappuccino and you’ll have blown through a quarter of the day’s calories before noon…

RELATED: 100+ healthy breakfast ideas that help you lose weight and stay slim.

They look innocent enough, but depending on which type you get—chocolate, almond, or good ol’ vanilla— this flakey, buttery crescent-shaped treat could cost you anywhere between 260 and 380 calories and half the day’s fat. Skip it and go for a slimmed-down alternative like a marshmallow bar or a cup of warm oatmeal—more on the oats later!

Coffee shops tend to smear more cream cheese on their bagels than you would at home, which turns a nutritionally-lacking but not diet-blowing 300-calorie breakfast into a 500-calorie monstrosity filled with 20 grams of fat. If you must get a bagel, ask for some cream cheese on the side and spread it on yourself nice and thin, or, better yet, skip the cream cheese altogether.

You already know that creamer is a no go. But when it comes to picking between whole, skim or something in between the choice is far less obvious. For decades, the USDA and numerous health authorities have told us that animal fat is a dietary demon that should only be eaten in moderation—if at all. Recently, however, researchers have begun to wonder if that suggestion should possibly be revised. One European Journal of Nutrition review of 16 studies concluded that consuming high-fat dairy products can actually ward off weight gain over time. Despite these findings, though, the USDA—and many nutrition experts—continue to recommend low-fat dairy over full-fat. The bottom line: It’s still hard to say what’s best for a flat belly, so we suggest mixing things up. If you reach for 1% or skim today, go for whole milk tomorrow—just scale back on the portion size to keep the overall calories about the same each day. You need a bit of fat to absorb some of the nutrients that are on your breakfast plate anyway.

One packet of sugar in the raw has five grams of the sweet stuff, and one packet of Domino’s refined variety has 4—not too horrible if you keep added sugars to a minimum the rest of the day. But let’s get real: most of us don’t do that. The white granular demon is hiding in everything from ketchup to bread, so cutting back wherever you can counts big time in the battle of the bulge. And though it might be tempting, don’t just switch to the artificial stuff. Findings suggest that it may amp up your hunger hormones. You’re best bet is to skip the sweetener altogether and cut the bitterness of your java with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa powder.

Glaze. It’s basically just a fancy name for a liquid sugar and fat mixture—the stuff is comprised of heavy cream, vanilla and sugar, after all. That said, any donut topped with the stuff can easily carry up to 480 calories and 27 grams of fat. If you’re craving something sweet, ask for a donut hole or two instead, and pair the minis with some fresh fruit or a small package of raw almonds. Yes, that’s right, we’re suggesting nuts for breakfast! Their healthy fats and protein content will help slow the absorption of the sugar and simple carbs in your donut holes, warding off those pre-lunch tummy rumbles.

Thanks to the ever-growing popularity of overnight oats and oatmeal, the slow-digesting whole grain is sold just about everywhere you can grab a cup of Joe. Choose a container of plain oatmeal (instead of the flavored varieties) and mix in some fresh fruit or nuts. Stay away from the sugar-spiked additions like dried fruit and brown sugar to keep calories and glucose levels in check.

The great buttery, flaky taste that makes a scone so appealing comes from gobs of butter, flour, and sugar. With up to 500 calories a pop, this pastry is better left behind the glass. If you can’t imagine forgoing a sweet treat altogether, find out the pastry you should order at every coffee shop.

Use this phrase whenever you order a “fancy” drink (like a cafe mocha or a Frapp) that you think may have even the slightest possibility of coming with the fat- and sugar-laden add-on. It will save you anywhere from 50 to 110 calories depending on what size you get.

Even if the rest of the menu is a sugar bomb waiting to detonate, most coffee shops sell bananas—mostly because they’re cheap, nonperishable and have a great shelf life. Big names like Dunkin’, Starbucks, and Pret A Manger all do, and many local spots have ’em for sale, as well. Don’t see them? If the coffee place makes smoothies, they may have some extra nanners in the back. Don’t be afraid to ask for one. A piece of fruit will always be better than any sweet treat that’s taunting your taste buds from behind the glass.

If you can’t bear to break up with your syrup-sweetened iced coffee or vanilla latte, at least scale back on the pumps; they add a ton of empty calories your body doesn’t need. For example, a regular 16-ounce iced coffee has about 5 calories, while the sweetened version has 80 and 20 grams of sugar—that’s the equivalent of five packs of sugar! Asking for “light” syrup or “half the usual amount of syrup” could easily save you 37 calories and 10 grams of the sweet stuff!

Not only do special sips like pumpkin spice and eggnog lattes pack excess calories and sugar, seasonal drink customers also tend to return to chains more often than those who skip the special beverages, according to a study of 35,000 customer receipts by market research firm, The NPD Group. They found that seasonal drink-sippers also tend to spend about 17 percent more during each visit, compared to non-buyers—and not because the special drinks cost more. Those who buy special drinks are also more likely to buy waist-expanding grub like pastries, bagels, and all of the other stuff we just told you not to eat. Not only does this hike up the check average, but it also tacks on additional calories, fat, and sugar, which is bad news for your flat belly goals and wallet alike.

You might be excited you’re able to actually hang inside your favorite coffee shops again, but don’t stick around too long nursing your beverage. Not only does hanging out increase the likelihood you’ll splurge for one of the cookies or sweets from behind the glass, it’s also a total waste of a caffeine jolt that could take your workout to the next level. According to a Journal of Sports Medicine study, hitting the gym after a few cups of coffee can boost your motivation and help you bang out more reps on the bench press. Similar results have been found in previous studies on endurance exercise, so sipping some coffee beforehand can help you get more from your workout and speed your weight loss—no matter how you like to break a sweat.

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