Tips to Eat Healthy While Dining Out

Dieting isn't about deprivation, and it also doesn't mean that you can't enjoy dining out. If you make informed choices when eating out, you can enjoy healthy eating in restaurants without blowing up your diet.The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. A diet high in these three factors will increase your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke and should be avoided.When dining out, the AHA encourages talking to your food server in order to find out how specific dishes are prepared. Slight alterations can be made to make your meal more heart healthy. Additionally, be aware of portion sizes. Most restaurant portions are more than you need for a healthy diet, so rither share your meal with a companion, put half in a to-go box before you begin to eat, or ask your food server for a smaller portion.When ordering, avoid these words: Fried, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, pan-fried, sauteed, and stuffed. Instead, look for foods that are steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, roasted or poached. If you're not certain how a dish is prepared, ask your server for information. Request that fat from meat be trimmed, and skin from poultry be removed.