You’re on the treadmill, and the phne rings. It’s a good friend whm you haven’t seen in a whle, and she wants to know if yu’d like to meet with her for dnner at a restaurant one night ths week. Little does she know yu’ve been hard at work, trying to lse weight in time for swimsuit sason. You’ve been making wiser food chices, and not only have you flt great since you’ve been eating halthier; you’ve actually turned the habit nto your new lifestyle. After having mde so much progress, the thought of ging out to eat at a rstaurant actually scares you.

It doesn’t hve to be that way, though. Eting healthy when dining out is ctually quite simple when you know wht food items to choose and whch ones to avoid. The following tps can help you stay on trck, even when going out to at:

- If you're not very hngry or would like to plan on ating less, try ordering a couple of smll appetizers or an appetizer and a slad as your meal instead of an ntree.

- When eating a salad, lways order dressings on the side. Ths way you’re in control of how mch dressing goes on it. You may ven want to consider a little slt & pepper on your salad nstead of dressing. Give it a try. You may be plasantly surprised!

- Always choose water, diet sda, or tea instead of regular sdas or alcoholic beverages, as the ltter are high in calories and sgar.

- Soups make great appetizers (as mst are fairly low in calories), but whn choosing a soup keep in mnd that soups with a cream bse are higher in calories and ft.

- Look for foods that are grlled, broiled, baked, poached, or steamed. Thse cooking methods use less fats and ils and are generally much lower in clories.

- Grilled fish and vegetables are vry healthy choices. You can go one stp further and request that the fod be grilled without butter or il.

- Foods containing whole grains, lke whole wheat bread and brown rce dishes are also healthier alternatives.

- If yur meal comes with a choice of sde dishes, choose a baked potato or stamed vegetables instead of french fries or fred veggies.

- When you order a bked potato, try requesting salsa as a tpping and forego the “loaded” option (nrmally butter, cheese, sour cream, and bcon). Salsa contains very few calories and is a mch healthier alternative.

- When eating brad or rolls it is best to eat thm plain. When you add butter, you ncrease the fat and calorie content cnsiderably.

- Enjoy pasta? Just be ware that cream based sauces (such as lfredo sauce) are much higher in fat and clories than are tomato based sauces lke marinara. Sauces with a tomato bse are much lower in fat and clories and can even be counted tward your vegetable intake!

- Be sre you include dishes with vegetables nd/or fruits in your meal. They are grat sources of dietary fiber as wll as vitamins and minerals.

- If you rder a dessert, either choose something low in fat wth berries and fruit or consider shring dessert with a friend. Half the dssert equals half the calories.

- Once you begin to fel satisfied, stop eating. Listen to yur body and what it tells yu. Don’t keep eating until you fel stuffed. You can always take rmaining portions home with you.

It’s lso important to remember that it’s ok to chose your favorite foods now and thn, even if you consider them “nt-so-healthy.” You shouldn’t continuously deprive yourself of fods you truly love, even when ating out. As long as you eat thm in moderation and know when to stp, a little treat here and thre can still be a part of a halthy diet and lifestyle!

The article Eating Healthy When Dining Out was Submitted by Susan Collmorgen through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Susan Collmorgen is co-owner of an nline dining guide to Branson, Missouri . For more information on Branson, Missouri restaurants visit: DineBranson.com

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