How to Keep Restaurant Restraint and Go Home Guilt-Free

It isn't the entree, but the appetizers that should be put off when eating in restaurants. The weight-watching individuals may not realize it but before the entree is even ordered, restaurants supply customers with breads, chips, and other foods that are way fattening. How many times have you gone out to dinner and found yourself saying, "I'm not even hungry anymore," when the entree arrived, all because you had stuffed yourself on bread or some other appetizer? And how often did you go ahead and eat the entree anyway?

You can avoid temptation and save yourself from grief by doing one of two things. First, never go to a restaurant hungry. The same golden rule that applies to dinner or cocktail parties is most applicable when dining at any commercial establishment. If you are starving when you arrive, you know what will happen. The first thing brought to the table is the bread basket and you will dive right in. There is a natural inclination to pick. If ever there is a place where finger control is important, it is at a restaurant.

Second, simply tell your server that you would prefer not to have a bread basket on the table. If your dinner companions want bread, turn your bread plate over, ask them to keep the bread basket on the other side of the table, or ask the waiter to remove the basket after everyone has taken what they want. You may find, as I have, that others share your susceptibility to the temptations of the bread basket and are only too happy to have it gone.

The same goes for the little cookies or mints that some restaurants serve with coffee or dessert. Ask the waiter about it in advance. You needn't feel embarrassed or timid about such requests. More and more people are making these requests every day. Invariably, a good waiter always appreciates anything specific you can tell him about what you need to keep you pleased and satisfied.

When it comes to ordering beverages, mineral water is better than club soda from a nutritional perspective - have it with lemon or lime. Don't let the menus tempt you. Some people find that reading the menu sabotages them and makes them crave. You can just ignore the menu and ask the waiter for a simple prepared grilled chicken breast. Or ask the waiter for his recommendation on the best fish entree in the house. Or just keep your reading to the chicken and fish sections of the menu. Dining out should be fun and a rewarding experience. Don't deny yourself this joy because you are afraid to read the dessert section on a menu.

Predressed salads are a big source of hidden calories, since most restaurants tend to drown their healthy green salads in less-than-healthy oil-based dressings. To control the amount of dressing, request your salad with dressing on the side and choose a vinaigrette dressing.

When ordering your entree, steer clear of foods that are prepared with heavy sauces or gravies. Instead, look for dishes that have been prepared without butter, cream, and other fatty condiments.