Answer:

Why cook when there are 945,000 places to eat out in the U.S.? That’s the first sentence of the Dining Guide of the National Restaurant Association’s website. We have so many choices and with hectic schedules, a lot of people find themselves eating out more. This lifestyle though can make eating healthy and weight control much more of a challenge. It’s difficult to know exactly what and how many calories you’re eating.

But don’t let dining out sabotage your waistline. Think about theses tips the next time you’re at a restaurant.

The Waist Wideners – Make sure you pay attention to the descriptions on the menu. Some obvious words on menus that usually indicate that foods are high in calories, unhealthy fats or sodium are deep-fried, pan-fried, basted, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, sautéed, scalloped, battered, cheesy, béarnaise, Alfredo, au gratin or in cream sauce. If your not sure about the way a food is prepared just ask.

Instead, look for the words baked, grilled, broiled and steamed. If you’re not quite sure how it’s prepared, just ask.

Choose lower calorie condiments like mustard, vinegar, light mayo and fat free/low fat salad dressings.

Be on Portion Patrol - Don’t super size anything. These super-sized fast food meal options are loaded with calories. Instead order something small, like a basic burger or order yourself a children’s meal.

At a typical restaurant, a single serving provides enough for two meals. Take half home to save for another meal or divide the portion with someone else. You can also create your own meal from a few of appetizers and/or side dishes. Avoid buffets. I don’t think I need to tell you why.

Have It Your Way - Many menu items would be healthy if it weren't for the way they were prepared. Ask how dishes are made and see if they can they can do it your way: You're paying good money for that meal, so you're entitled to make some special requests or modifications. For example, ask for your vegetables and main dishes to be served without the sauces. Request mixed greens instead of fries with your sandwich. Ask for your salad dressing to be served on the side. If your food is fried or cooked in oil or butter, ask to have it broiled or steamed.

Don’t Drink Your Calories – Drink water with your meals and limit high calorie beverages. Soda calories can add up fast. One 32-oz regular cola adds on about 425 calories. Add a little lemon to your water or order unsweetened iced tea instead.

Do Your Homework - Be an informed diner before you go. Many fast food and chain restaurants have their nutrition information online. For example, Panera Bread has an easy to use nutrition calculator. You just choose your favorite sandwich and the nutrition breakdown is provided. You can even remove items from the sandwich such as cheese and it will recalculate the nutrition information for you.

Helpful Websites:

If you find the individual restaurant site confusing, there are other websites that have information in an easy to follow formats. Here are some sites I checked out:

www.dietfacts.com has a large list of restaurants to pick from but you need be familiar with the menu of your local restaurant. There were just too many choices.

I liked www.dwlz.com because of its extensive list of restaurants, it tells you when the listing was last updated and does some of the work for you by only posting the lower calorie menu items.

www.fatburger.com only has fast food restaurants. The format though is easy to follow. You can choose by restaurant or food category.

Nutrition Informational Services links you directly to each of the major restaurant sites.

www.fastfoodfacts.info shown below was interesting. You can choose by restaurant, category or specific item then pick your viewing options.

I would recommend checking out the site HealthyDiningFinder.com You can search by location, price range then service type (take out, delivery, catering). It pulls up the restaurants for your location and lists only the healthier food options that meet certain nutrition criteria, which are outlined on the site. Registered dietitians and master’s level health/nutrition professionals staff the site.

Remember the big picture - Think of eating out in the context of your whole diet. If it is a special occasion, or you know you want to order your favorite meal at a restaurant, make sure your earlier meals that day are extra healthy. Moderation is always key, but planning ahead can help you relax and enjoy your dining out experience while maintaining good nutrition and diet control.

Once restaurants (chains with 20 or more locations) are required to post nutritional data, choosing healthier foods should be a little easier. But for now, doing a little homework before you go is your best bet to control calories away from home. Contact a Registered Dietitian to help you determine how dining out can fit into your healthy eating plan.