| Did you know the average restaurant meal contains | | | | possible. If you love Ranch or Bleu Cheese, order it |
| more than 1,000 calories? Even breakfast fare such | | | | on the side, and try dipping your fork into the |
| as pancakes, waffles, and French toast, served in | | | | dressing before each bite. That will give you a nice |
| restaurant-sized portions can contain as many as 900 | | | | distribution of flavor and you might be surprised by |
| calories. And studies show that kids eat nearly twice | | | | how little dressing you have used once your salad |
| as many calories when eating a restaurant meal | | | | plate is clear. |
| compared with eating a meal cooked and served at | | | | When choosing your entree, opt for something that |
| home. | | | | has been grilled or broiled, not fried. You'll save fat |
| With all these extra calories, it's easy to sabotage | | | | grams and calories, and you'll also eat fewer of those |
| your diet. Plus, we all want to get our money's worth | | | | unhealthy trans fats. |
| and because we're often paying a lot more for food | | | | Ask your waiter or waitress to replace the starch |
| served at a restaurant, we may use the prices | | | | with a second order of vegetables. You'll save on |
| themselves as justification for cleaning the plate. | | | | calories and get another serving of the good stuff. |
| The truth is, you don't have to sacrifice flavor and | | | | Skip the cream. When ordering soup, opt for clear |
| nutrition when you are treating yourself to a night | | | | soups instead of cream soups. When ordering sauces, |
| out. Just follow these simple guidelines. | | | | choose the tomato-based sauce over the creamy |
| Be wary of your drinking glass. It's easy to consume | | | | one. You'll save even more calories if you ask for all |
| vast quantities of empty calories through a straw. A | | | | sauces to be served on the side. |
| large Coke at McDonalds has more than 300 calories. | | | | When the meal comes, split it. Make a mental line |
| And when we are sitting in a restaurant, we often | | | | down the center of your plate and stop eating once |
| find our drinks refilled over and over. The bar is no | | | | you've reached the halfway point, if not before. If |
| better: A pint of beer will give you about 150 calories. | | | | you have a hard time quitting when it's time, ask for |
| And a glass of dry wine will contribute 100 or so, | | | | a takeout container at the beginning of your meal |
| while a jumbo margarita can get up in the 400-calorie | | | | and remove half the meal from your plate before |
| range. You can save lots of calories (and a few | | | | you even begin eating. |
| dollars, too) by opting for unsweetened iced tea, a | | | | If you can't skip dessert altogether, choose fresh |
| diet soft drink, or simply water with lemon or lime | | | | fruit or another low calorie treat. Many restaurants |
| wedges. | | | | are offering at least one or two dessert choices that |
| Skip the appetizers. Some of these pre-meal splurges | | | | are lower in fat or calories. Give these a try. Or |
| contain more fat and calories than the entree. And | | | | simply order one dessert for the entire table and |
| many appetizers are deep fried and served with rich | | | | make a point to eat very, very slowly. Before you |
| and heavy sauces. An order of cheese fries with | | | | know it, the dessert will be gone and so will all that |
| Ranch dressing can exceed 3,000 calories, for | | | | temptation. And here's food for thought: Have you |
| example. Cut this part of the meal altogether. | | | | ever noticed that it's the first three bites of any big |
| Go for a salad. Replace those fatty appetizers with a | | | | indulgence that we truly enjoy: way more than we |
| pre-meal salad. Fill up on the good stuff before the | | | | enjoy subsequent bites? So take a few nibbles and |
| main meal begins and you will eat fewer calories by | | | | truly enjoy them. Then put down your spoon. Order |
| meal's end. And be careful not to ruin the healthy | | | | a cup of coffee (with some skim milk) if you still |
| salad. Skip the Caesar option because Caesar salads | | | | need a little something to cap your meal. |
| are often saturated with creamy dressing. If there's | | | | Many restaurants are offering more healthy choices |
| an option between spinach and iceberg, choose the | | | | than ever before, so it is becoming easier to stick to |
| former. Make sure that you ask for no cheese or | | | | a healthy diet and have an enjoyable dining |
| croutons (or remove them once the salad arrives at | | | | experience, as well. |
| your table.) Opt for a vinegar-based dressing if | | | | |