How to eat healthy when you eat out at restaurants:

How to eat healthy when you eat out at restaurants:

• Enjoy a salad with fat-free or low fat dressing before going out. It can curb your appetite and keep you from over-ordering.
• Go in with a plan. Look at menus online before you go, and decide where and what to eat. Many chain restaurants offer healthy menu options that follow Weight Watchers or other eating plans.
• Choose steamed, baked, or boiled vegetables, rather than those in sauces or with cheese.
• Order meat/seafood that is steamed, broiled, roasted, or baked rather than pan-fried or deep-fried.
• Ask for sauces, dressings, butter, and sour cream on the side so you can control how much you use. Or ask for your dish to be made without sauce or cheese.
• Avoid casseroles. They often have sugary or salty sauces and lots of high-fat cheese.
• Avoid or limit alcohol. Alcoholic beverages have no nutrients. And after you have one or two alcoholic drinks you may be more tempted to dive into the bread basket, order a plate of nachos, or sample something from the dessert cart.
• Choose beverages without added sugar. A 12-ounce glass of regular soda pop has about 10 teaspoons of sugar per serving. Water has zero.
• Order each item separately (a la carte), so you can get everything prepared how you want it, rather than ordering a combination plate with less flexibility.
• Don't eat mindlessly. Ask the waitperson to remove the bowl of chips/bread/peanuts after you've had a small portion.
• Don't order jumbo or super sizes.
• Order an appetizer portion instead of a meal-size portion. Many restaurants offer the same dishes in both sections of the menu.
• Wrap it up. Ask for half of your entree to be wrapped up to go when you order. Eat it for lunch the next day.
• Share an entree with a friend and order an extra side salad with the dressing on the side.