Eating out

Just because you’re on a diet, doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the occasional meal out. Order carefully and you can still enjoy dinner at your favourite restaurant without having to loosen your belt… and without the guilt the morning after.

Follow these simple tips to keep the calorie count to a minimum:

• Be the first to order in a restaurant - we’re often swayed by others’ choices, so getting your order in before anyone else means you’re less likely to be tempted.
• If water doesn’t come automatically, ask for it as soon as you sit down.
• Don't be afraid to tell the waiter or waitress that you’d like your vegetables served without butter or your fish without sauce but make sure you do it when they take the order.
• Don’t fall into the trap of believing that vegetarian options are automatically lower in calories, they’re not. Avoid dishes containing lots of cheese or nuts.
• You don’t have to miss out on dessert – just choose wisely. Stick to fruit based puddings or sorbet. Or why not share a pud?
• Don’t allow the waiter to fill up your wine glass before it’s empty – if your glass is being constantly topped up, it’s difficult to keep a check on how much you’ve had to drink.
• Before you order, look around to see what other people are eating. If portion sizes look huge, go for two starters rather than a main course.