How often do you arrive at a restaurant starving and wind up stuffing yourself with bread or chips before the meal arrives? If you’re like most people, the answer is all the time.Next time you dine out, try this: Politely decline when your server comes to drop off the rolls.Why? You’ll save a ton of calories.QUIZ: What Beauty Nutrients Did You Eat Today? For example, one roll from your local Denny’s restaurant has 260 kcal. That’s over a whopping ten percent of your daily 2,000-calorie allotment!Or, if you serve rolls with dinner at home, think of it this way: 260 kcal a day times seven days is 1,820 kcal; times four weeks is 7,280 kcal.That’s over two pounds in one month!And don’t even get me started on the sugar in that little roll: 8 grams! Ideally, you should strive for less than 4 grams of sugar per serving. Not only can sugar wreak havoc on your moods, but it’s also pro-inflammatory.Inflammation in our bodies has been linked to a variety of diseases, including obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. (Not to mention of course, that excess sugar is not so good for our teeth and skin.)MORE: The Anti-Inflammatory Diet Works Wonders Plus, eating so many calories before the meal can lead to weight gain (if you do it often). That’s a risk factor for heart disease (the number one cause of illness and death in women), so cutting back on unnecessary calories matters.The American Heart Association recommends approximately 2,000 calories per day and lets you calculate your daily caloric needs here. Those are guidelines that we all should follow, but restaurants often sabotage our efforts.In fact, one in four entrees at popular restaurant chains has more than a third of your daily calorie needs in a single meal. Add 300-calorie rolls to that and you’re way over your body’s daily needs. (By the way, as we age, we need fewer calories, so that roll counts even more.)So, listen up: drop the roll. You can do your body good with just this simple act.COLUMN: The Best Bread for Your Health

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