Scallops with Mustard Sauce Delicious and healthy versions of your favorite dishes

Small decisions made at the grocery store, in front of the fridge, and in a restaurant can make a big difference in your health.

“I’ve seen clients lose 20 pounds in one year with a single change like cutting out alcohol or cutting out desserts,” says Miami nutritionist Claudia González.

Nutrition experts say that simple substitutions in your diet can subtract thousands of calories and help prevent high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes.

Microwaving instead of frying plantains, for example, can eliminate 120 calories a piece plus cholesterol-raising fats. Switching from regular to light beer cuts a quarter of the calories.

But don’t equate substitution with deprivation, says Denver dietitian Malena Perdomo, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association for Latino nutrition issues. “People focus too much on what they can’t have when they should be asking, ‘Is this food good enough for me? Is it full of the nutrients I need?’ ” she says. “Making substitutions and cutting back favorite foods to once a week are the small steps that get you started living a healthy lifestyle.”

Start with these simple recommendations from the food experts.

•	Replace whole or 2 percent milk with 1 percent or skim.
•	Substitute salt with onions, basil, cilantro, pico de gallo, and peppers.
•	Buy whole-wheat pasta, bread, and tortillas instead of processed varieties. The fiber can keep cholesterol down and fight constipation.
•	Scale back your daily breakfast sweet (for example, pan dulce) and high-fat desserts to once a week. On the other days, eat foods like oatmeal and berries, low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese with raisins, or low-fat cheese on whole-wheat crackers.
•	Load up salads with spinach, which is rich in iron, vitamin E, and calcium; hard-boiled eggs; lean meats or fish; and other vegetables and fruits.
•	Cook beans with bouillon rather than ham hocks or other meat.