Dining Out....Without Blowing it.

This can be the biggest challenge you will face. It's one that I struggled with and still struggle with. Here are some tips and tricks that I've learned:

1. Do your homework. If you know ahead of time where you're going, go online and look at the menu and see what the healthier options are. That way you're not in a situation where the server is waiting on you to make up your mind and you make a spur of the moment bad decision.

2. Avoid buffets. No matter how much willpower you THINK you have, all of that goes out the window when you're loading up your plate. If you absolutely have to go to a buffet for some reason, try to just stick with the salad bar and maybe some grilled fish and grilled chicken. Even the vegetables at buffets are usually swimming in butter and/or oil. Gag. Instead of hitting the soft serve machine, opt for fruit and a little piece of pound cake.

3. Drink at least 1/2 liter of water before you leave the house. This will help you to not feel as hungry. Eat a snack about an hour or 2 before so you're not completely ravenous when you get to the restaurant.

4. Always get salad dressings on the side. You will use 50% less dressing and the dressing is the most caloric part of a salad usually. I dip my fork in the dressing before each bite and don't use nearly as much dressing that way.

5. Avoid anything with the words breaded, fried, creamy, buttered, scalloped or smothered. If something has mayonnaise on it, get it on the side and use about half of what they give you. Better yet, use mustard instead if possible.

6. Red sauce vs. White Sauce. If you're eating Italian, red sauces are always a much better option than white sauce. Have you ever re-heated alfredo sauce the next day when the butter has separated from the cream? Makes you realize what's in it. Yikes!

7. Don't be afraid to ask for substitutions or for the chef to prepare it differently. If something says breaded, ask if they can grill it instead. When ordering fish or any kind of seafood, ask for no butter to be used.

8. Eat slowly and take your time. If you inhale it, you won't have time to feel full before you've eaten the whole meal. I always try to not eat more than I would eat at home. So for a huge bowl of pasta, I would only eat about 1/3 of it and take the rest home.

9. If you're full and don't want to take the rest home, cover it up with a napkin or cover it with pepper so you won't be tempted to keep picking at it. I'm horrible about that. I'll say I'm full and just keep shoving food in my mouth because it's there.

10. Stick with your favorite places. If you know of restaurants that serve healthy meals that you love, there's nothing wrong with going back over and over again. Some of my favorites are Applebee's (love the 550 calorie menu), Crazy Bowls & Wraps,  Subway, Panera (love how they list the calorie count on the menu), and Fazoli's (I get a kid's meal for 300 calories).

11. Skip dessert. It's tempting, but you really don't need it. Go home and have a little scoop of frozen yogurt with fruit or something you can control. Restaurant desserts are ridiculously high in calories.


Fast food can be a tricky one, but it's something we all have to eat sometimes. Here are a few of my go-to fast food choices:
- Anything on the fresco menu at Taco Bell
- Santa Fe Salad from McDonalds (390 calories WITH dressing!)
- Chicken, cranberry apple salad from Burger King (about 500 calories with dressing)
-Jimmy John's - Turkey Tom with no mayo, sub Dijon mustard, add peppers and onions and no cheese (about 300 calories and full of flavor)
- Fazoli's Kids meal


Whew, now I'm hungry! ;)