Dining out, made easy

It's one thing to decide what to eat when you're in the comfort of your own kitchen, but quite another when you're out there in the world of temptation. Yikes! But if you look, you'll find healthy options at restaurants, fast food places, and coffee shops. You just have to know what to look for. The following are guidelines for healthy eating, even when dining out. We've included what menu items to choose, and how to adapt them as necessary to your new lifestyle.

Breakfast

• Omelet with lots of veggies and salsa. Skip the cheese.
  
• Poached or boiled eggs and whole-grain toast.
  
• Rye toast with sliced tomato. Have butter on the side.
  
• Baked beans, instead of breakfast meats.
  
• Fresh fruit salad alone or with cottage cheese.
  
• Plain yogurt with granola and fruit, or muesli with dried fruit.
• Oatmeal or porridge, sweetened with honey.
  
• Whole-wheat French toast topped with apple sauce, instead of syrup.

Lunch

• Salad with veggies, grilled chicken or salmon, nuts, goat cheese, or fruit.
• Vegetarian or chicken chili with whole-grain bun.
• Salmon, chicken, turkey, or egg salad on a whole-grain wrap or pita with lots of vegetables and goat cheese.
• Vegetable broth soups with chicken, barley, lentils, or just veggies.
  
• Red pepper, butternut squash, or carrot soup.

Dinner

• Grilled chicken or salmon with wild rice and steamed vegetables.
  
• Chicken, shrimp, or veggie stir-fry on steamed rice.
• Halibut steak and salad.
  
• Chicken or steak fajitas. Use light cheese and sour cream.
  
• Vegetarian pizza on a whole-wheat thin crust, with half the cheese.
  
• Chicken curry on steamed rice.
• One-quarter chicken dinner, baked potato, and veggies. (No skin, and skip the sauces.)
• Pasta with pesto sauce and shrimp.
  

Appetizers and Snacks

• Baked tortillas with salsa and guacamole.
• Hummus or roasted red pepper dip with pitas.
  
• Grilled calamari with tzatziki sauce or shrimp skewers.
  
• Nature bars with nuts and seeds.
• Homemade fruit desserts (which are lower in additives) or frozen yogurt.

Beverages

• Water with lemon, or cranberry juice and soda.
  
• Chai latte with rice milk (made with a tea bag, not syrup).
  
• Fruit smoothie or freshly squeezed juice.
  
• Herbal teas like mint, chamomile, rooibos, and chai green tea

As you can see, there are a lot of choices! So there's no reason to say no when you're invited to dine out with friends. You just need to be smart about what you order. Thinking about reaching your ideal weight can be powerful motivation to make healthy choices when you're eating out.