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10 Tips For Eating Healthy At Restaurants

It’s not easy to get a healthy meal at most restaurants. Here’s advice on staying in control:

1. Ask for toppings – such as butter, salad dressing, and sauces – to be served on the side so you can control how much you use.
2. Skip the appetizers, cocktails, and bread.
3. Choose a restaurant that lets you special-order. Ask the chef to cook your food without oil or butter so that you know exactly what you’re eating.
4. Decide what you’ll order before you arrive. Choose foods that are baked, broiled, or grilled.
5. Be aware that even salad can be a high-calorie meal if it’s filled with tortilla strips, mixed with dressing, or covered with cheese. Pick a salad that fills you with vegetables instead.
6. Don’t add cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream.
7. Don’t swap the vegetables for fries. Avoid other unhealthy substitutes.
8. Stick with water to drink.
9. Be prepared for portion distortion. Plan ahead to share your meal with a friend. Or ask for a to-go box when you order and put half the meal in the box as soon as your food arrives.
10. If you want dessert, stick with fresh fruit, sherbet, gelatin, or angel food cake. Ask for a smaller portion if available. 

Source: American Heart Association