少 + Verb (do less)

Doctor's orders

• Your doctor looks at your test results and gives you some advice.
• you你nǐshould应该yīng gāiless少shǎoeat吃chīsweet甜tián(modifier / structural particle)的de，many多duōto move运动yùn dòng。 — "You should eat less sugar and exercise more."

less少shǎo + Verb = do less

• less少shǎo + Verb = do less of it: less少shǎoeat吃chī, less少shǎodrink喝hē, less少shǎovariant of 说说shuō.
• less少shǎo goes directly before the verb, like an adverb.

in the evening晚上wǎn shangless少shǎodrink喝hēcoffee咖啡kā fēi。

Advice and quantity

• With an amount: to add less (of a spice etc)少放shǎo fànga little一点儿yì diǎnrsalt盐yán。 — "Put in a little less salt."
• you你nǐless少shǎovariant of 说说shuō(say) a few words两句liǎng jù(suggestion)吧ba！ — "Say less (stop talking)!" — a firm request.

less少shǎoput in放fànga little一点儿yì diǎnrsalt盐yán。

Before the verb

less少shǎo + Verb versus doesn't不bù + Verb

• less少shǎoeat吃chīmeat肉ròu = eat less meat (some is fine).
• doesn't不bùeat吃chīmeat肉ròu = don't eat meat at all.

he他tādoesn't不bùeat吃chīmeat肉ròu。

Recap

Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Verb phrases.