We’ve all been there. You begin a healthy eating crusade, and perhaps have stuck to it faithfully for a couple of weeks. Then the text from a friend comes inviting you to dinner at your favorite restaurant, where your favorite dish is definitely not the poster child for healthy food.

Luckily, you don’t have to choose between keeping your healthy habit and keeping a friend.  Reclaiming your waistline does not mean becoming a recluse. Take these tips with you and you really can have it all.

1- Plan ahead  

If it’s your favorite restaurant, you already know what’s on the menu for the most part, and even if you don’t have it memorized, you’ll know there’s a “light eating” or “heart healthy” section that can serve you well. In general, most restaurants have their menus online and some even have the nutritional info posted (chains mostly).  Search for the nutrition information of the restaurant you want to go to, and plan out your choices. Popular restaurants that have all their nutrition facts posted online include Starbucks, Panera Bread, Pizza Hut and Chipotle, just to name a few. 

You can save even more time by visiting sites like Nutritionix, which collect the menus and information from hundreds of restaurants from fast food to casual.

2 –  Let’s have a drink! 

Try ordering a warm drink first thing such as hot water with some fresh lemon slices.  You’ll be surprised how this warm calming drink can fill you up and soothe the craving/hunger beast.  Herbal tea is also a great option while coffee tends to throw off blood sugar levels and may lead to cravings and bad decisions later on.

3 – Be an assertive orderer 

You are the customer, and you do have the right to request modifications to your menu item of choice. Don’t be afraid – waiters are used to it, and frankly it’s their job to make you the customer happy. They may even make other suggestions on nutritional menu items you may have missed. 

You can and should also ask questions and know the terminology.  Grilled, steamed, broiled, boiled and baked are fine but beware of terms such as creamy, smothered, lightly breaded, deep fried.   Ask for sauces on the side and leave out the fries/rice/pasta/potatoes that usually come with the main and ask for extra veggies instead (most restaurants are happy to do this).                  

4 – Start with soup or salad 

This first course can help you make sure you don’t go off course. Both soup or salad can be filling and satisfying.  Order the dressing on the side and dip your fork lightly in the dressing before every forkful. Dressing poured over salad can add hundreds of calories, when all you need is just a taste using a lot less. 

Choose non-creamy soups.  Ask the server if dairy is added. That will let you know if they add cream or cheese or even butter (you can even tell your server that you are lactose intolerant to make sure they don’t add cream, butter or cheese). 

5 – Appetizers as the main course 

There’s a reason that the cost of some appetizers are less than the main course. Portions are smaller, and won’t overstuff you if they truly are appetizers. Grilled calamari, caprese salad, or shrimp cocktail are all great choices.  While you’re saving calories, you are also saving money.

6 – Watch the booze  

Alcohol can stimulate hunger so never drink on an empty stomach (really throws off blood sugar) and try to follow the 1:1 rule; follow a glass of wine (which is really meant to be savored slowly) with a full glass of water.  Even try to cut the wine with ½ club soda or Perrier in a wine Spritzer or mix vodka with soda water. Alcohol also adds calories that people rarely remember are there, so proceed with caution. 

7 – “I’d like a box, please.” 

The portion sizes in restaurants could feed a small village, so don’t feel like you need to become a member of the clean plate club in one sitting.  A good serving size is about the size of the palm of your hand. Take a look at what’s on your plate, and divide your portion accordingly.  Make a mental note to have the rest packed-up for home, or, better yet, ask the waiter for a to-go container and box it up right away.  The best part: It’s less for you to cook the next day, and the meal you swooned over can be enjoyed twice.

8 – There’s an app for that!

The smart phone world is still trying to stay on top of restaurant nutrition. There are a few good apps out there, but they need constant updating. Here are a few that are worth trying, just to get a sense of what your waistline is up against:

• Restaurant Menu Nutrition (free): Sign in and a scrolling list of restaurants is at your fingertips, with the opportunity to select favorites to keep handy
• HealthyOut (free): operates from a reverse standpoint where you select the category of food you’re looking for first, and restaurant suggestions are made accordingly. High marks from those who reviewed the app.
  
• Restaurants and Nutrition ($1.99): A small fee for an app that also includes BMI calculators, automatically updated menus (something most free apps don’t
  provide) and reviews that are favorable among users.

It all comes down to information and being prepared. Having a strategic plan will allow you to eat out at almost any restaurant, maintain great friendships and still stay on track nutritionally.