You’ve been watching your diet religiously for 3 weeks now. You’ve dropped some weight and are feeling great. But then, you get a call from your friends. You’re invited for a little fun this Friday night at your favorite restaurant.

You’ve been so good, you deserve some leeway right? Or will your fun ruin your hard work?

You should never have to leave a restaurant feeling as though you had to compromise your well-being. There are some healthy habits you can adopt right now that can make your dining experience enjoyable and guilt free.

Can you identify a healthy restaurant meal?

There are at least 6 components to a healthful meal, write these down and commit them to memory:

1. A moderate number of calories with appropriate portion sizes.
2. A good balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrate.
3. Reasonable amounts of healthy fats and an absence of unhealthy fats.
4. Lean protein.
5. Minimally processed ingredients.
6. Alcohol free drinks without added sugar or chemicals.

The first thing to watch out for is gigantic portion sizes that are meant to feed a family of five. You can enjoy a restaurant meal without compromising your diet simply by eating a half (or less) of what is served. Ask your waitress to bring you a ‘to-go’ box before your order comes out. When your food is served, divide out your portion size immediately and place the left over in your ‘to-go’ container.

When it comes to choosing foods from the menu, look for low fat foods that have a good balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Read the menu descriptions. You want to look for words like ‘lean’, ’sauteed’, grilled and avoid words like ‘fried’ or ‘breaded’.

When it comes to sides, think healthy complex carbohydrates. Instead of mashed potatoes or vegetables drowning in butter, choose a salad or steamed vegetables.

Finally, try to skip the dessert. If your sweet tooth gets the better of you, split your dessert.

Another option is to indulge in a dessert else where. You can find lower calorie sweets that won’t compromise your diet at they supermarket. Who knows, by the time you leave the restaurant you might not want dessert anyway.

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