Even if you love to cook like I do, there’s nothing like an occasional meal outside the home for a special occasion. So how do you stick to your healthy diet when you’re dining out?

     It all begins with a little planning. Some restaurants offer menus online. This way, you can choose a meal ahead of time; this makes you more likely to choose something healthy, just in case you are pressured to decide quickly what you want while you’re at the restaurant or in case you arrive super hungry with your eyes bigger than your stomach, so to speak. Avoid arriving hungry by staying well-fed throughout the day between meals with small, high-protein snacks, so you don’t over-indulge when you eat out.

     So what should you choose? Avoid fried and battered foods, which are high in calories and fat. A lot of American restaurants will accommodate your individual needs, so you can ask to have your food prepared another way such as grilled, broiled, roasted or steamed. As a healthy side, you can ask for steamed vegetables or a salad instead of greasy French fries.

     So you’re at the restaurant and you’ve ordered yourself a delicious healthy meal of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables, for example. Your next challenge? The generous portions are two to three big as what you’re accustomed to. Go ahead and split it with someone or ask to have half of it already packed to-go so you can enjoy it later.

     You will be plenty satisfied with your lean protein-packed, low-fat, low-carbohydrate meal, but if everyone else is ordering dessert, you can ask for some fruit and a coffee drink to keep yourself occupied with an item of yours instead of staring at the others’ plates.

     For a regular, well-balanced diet, I recommend home cooking, but there will be times when you’ll have to or want to eat out. If you follow these tips above, you’ll be able to stick to your healthy diet and feel great during and after your dining-out experience.

Tina Turbin