Eating out at a restaurant and trying to lose weight are often in conflict with one another.  Many restaurants use excessive amounts of olive oil or butter when preparing dishes, and portions are often double what they should be.  However, it is still possible to eat healthy at a restaurant, and I have included numerous tips that should help when dining out. 

First of all, I know it might be hard, but say no to the breadbasket!  By snacking on bread before your meal arrives, you take in unnecessary calories.  You also probably stimulate your hunger even more, as the bread has very little fiber and offers no protein or nutritional value.  Instead, it is better to eat a small fiber or protein rich snack before going out so you are not tempted to nosh on bread.  Some suggestions might be a medium size apple, a part-skim mozzarella cheese stick, 6 ounces nonfat yogurt, or reduced fat cream cheese with celery sticks. 

The next piece of advice I have is to order a small salad appetizer or vegetable based soup as both of these options are filling and low in calories.  Make sure to ask for oil and vinegar on the side, as many of the dressings offered in restaurants are often high in fat.  The appetizer helps to fill you up before your meal so you are not tempted to overeat.  If you are ordering a salad, make sure it is void of starchy vegetables like green peas, corn, beans, and lentils because these add calories to what should be a relatively low calorie appetizer.