Dining in a restaurant can pose some difficulties for those interested in eating healthfully. While many people making nutritious choices when eating at home, they often ignore healthy eating habits when eating out. It is no wonder, many dishes offered in restaurants are high in fat and calories and commonly used preparation methods can further increased the fat and calorie count. Still, it is possible to make nutritionally sound choices in almost all types of restaurants by following a few simple guidelines.

Choosing items that are poached, steamed, broiled, or roasted. Avoid creamed, pan fried, and sautéed dishes, as well as buttery, cheesy, and crispy ones.

Ask how foods are prepared. Many restaurants are willing to accommodate special requests in preparing foods. For example, ask that the meal is prepared without t salt or MSG, boiled or baked instead of fried, cooked in margarine or vegetable oil instead of butter, served with the dressing or sauces on the side. You can also requested the fat be trimmed from meats and the skin removed from poultry before cooking.

See if substitutions are possible. For example, you can get a baked potato instead of french fries? A green salad instead of coleslaw?

Start your meals with low-fat appetizers such as a green salad, a tomato or broth-based soup, shrimp cocktail, a raw vegetable platter, for an artichoke minus the butter sauce. Appetizers can help fill you up so that you do not feel the need to order a rich entrée. A slice of bread or a couple of bread sticks minus the butter are also good low-fat appetizers.

If you table is provided with a bowl of chips, fried noodles, or nuts, ask the waiter to take them away.

Consider ordering a few appetizers for dinner instead of the main course.

Stick to entrees that center on foods such as chicken breasts, fish, pasta, shellfish, or other low-fat foods. If you want to order a richer entrée, such as a T-bone steak, order an appetizer and share the entree with a dining companion.

Many ethnic restaurants such as Chinese or Italian offer cuisine's that tend to be healthier than others are.

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