If you’re watching your waistline, you don’t have to do it at home! Try these ten tips to make any restaurant experience waist-friendly.

Video Transcription

Female 1: Monitoring your weight does not mean you can enjoy an evening on the town. Keep watching for ten easy tips that will ensure your dining experience is a healthy one. Female 2: Most Americans eat out four to five times a week. If you are watching your weight that does not mean you cannot join them. A few simple tips make it easy to exercise or restrain. So, you can dine at a restaurant without a side of guilt. Let us start it with a simple tip. Before leaving home, ask your self this question, “Which will I enjoy most, an appetizer, a cocktail or desert?” After you make a selection, stick to your resolve. You should not have to sacrifice your favorite part of dining out but be smart. Indulge in what you really want and practice restraint elsewhere. These days’ restaurant portions are bigger than ever. The average restaurant meal is usually five times the FDA recommended size for a full meal. When you are eating out, remember that portion size is important. How much food you eat is almost as important as what you eat. A great way to watch your intake is to set aside a reasonable amount of food before you start eating. You can ask for a separate plate or to get a container to help you portion your food. Another means to control restaurant indulgence is to ask for toppings, dressings and sauces on the side. Doing this allows you to enjoy exotic flavors while still controlling how much you consume. Whenever you can, ask for extra vegetables to be added to your dish. Not only are veggies a healthy choice, they are also rich in fiber. So, they live you feeling full fast. Avoid all you can eat deals in buffet restaurants. Studies have shown that most of us eat up to 25% more when the price is al inclusive simply because we want to get more bang for our back. And watch your liquid calories. A restaurant size soda with one free refill will set you back 400 calories and then 8 oz. margarita has 540 calories. A better bet is to replace that soda with water and lemon instead of a highly caloric mix drink, try glass of wine instead which has about a 110 calories. When you are eating out, look for ways friendly words on the menu, steamed, baked, grilled, broiled, or poached are all likely to be healthier options. An insight or restaurant tip is to make friends with the salsa. This low calorie tasty treat is a great topper for potatoes, chicken, fish and even salads. Remember that restaurant dining is about customer service. Most chefs will be happy to cater to your dietary needs. Ask to speak to a chef or explain to your waiter that you would prefer a lighter preparation. Eating out does not have to mean missing out. By choosing wisely, you can find a meal to enjoy at any restaurant. Female 1: You want to learn more, check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.