Eating Out on a Diet

• You have just started a diet plan
• You find it difficult to eat out without bingeing
• You know that you will end up in a fast food restaurant
• You have raised cholesterol

10 Ways to lower the risk
There is no foolproof way to eat out in complete safety as far as your weight is concerned.

However, here are a few practical suggestions to help you eat out without doing too much damage to your waistline. You won't be able to follow all of them, but if you manage one or two it'll make a difference.

• Don't make sudden decisions to eat out
  Instead, plan ahead. This enables you to be extra careful with your other meals in the days leading up to your meal out. This doesn't mean you should starve yourself - just make sure you stick exactly to your diet plan.
• On the day in question, eat normally
  Don't be tempted to starve yourself just because you're going out later. (It's counter-productive!)
• Choose restaurants with low fat options when you eat out
  Fish restaurants are good choices, so are any restaurants with good salad bars.
• Avoid all fast food restaurants and 'eat-all-you-can' menus when you eat out
  They may be excellent value, but you'll end up wearing most of what you eat.
• Always order a starter when you eat out
  Choose soup or a fruit/salad-based dish. (Note: Ask for fat free dressing on all salads.)
• Help yourself to bread when you eat out
  Easy on the butter!
• Go easy on the alcohol when you eat out
  Partly because of it's calorie-content (which is quite high), partly because too much alcohol tends to make us throw caution to the wind. Result? Hello cheesecake!
• Ordering main dishes when you eat out
  Choose lean meat.
  Avoid sauces with oil, cheese or mayonnaise.
  Ask for vegetables without added butter or oil.
  Ask for baked/boiled potatoes, not fries.
  Ideally, ask for sauces and dressings 'on the side'.
• Order extra vegetables when you eat out
  Vegetables are low calorie. Indulge yourself especially when you eat out.
• Enjoy a lower fat dessert when you eat out
  Any fresh fruit. 
  Lemon meringue is OK.
  Jelly/Jell-O is fine.
  Plain ice-cream is OK.
  Say No to cream. Instead, ask for yogurt or a scoop of plain ice-cream.