Posted Oct. 21, 2008 – We live in an extremely fast paced environment. We get up early, go to sleep late, and do a million things in between. Most people feel they need 36 hours in a day to accomplish everything. Preparing nutritious home cooked meals often gets placed on the back burner, hence the attraction to eating out at nice restaurants.

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Fine dining can be a gift or a curse. It can be fun and relaxing or it can be unhealthy and habit forming. It all depends on what, where, and how you eat. Try using these suggestions in order to enjoy the restaurants you love and simultaneously maintain a healthy diet:

1. Beware of the breadbasket. It comes early and can be refilled several times. Ask that it be brought with the meal and limit yourself to one serving.
2. Never go out while hungry. You’ll find yourself nibbling on everything that comes your way.
3. Get a doggie bag before the meal and put in a portion of the food when it is first served.
4. Foods that are grilled, baked, steamed or broiled provide healthy, flavorful alternatives. Ask how an entrée is prepared to ensure that your selection is not swimming in butter or other fattening sauce.
5. Trim all visible fat from meat.
6. For pasta selections, choose a marinara sauce instead of a white cream sauce.
7. Select white chicken or turkey meat rather than dark meat, and have the skin removed.
8. Split a meal with a friend.
9. Avoid foods that have been prepared in heavy cream.
10. Eat slowly! Put your fork down between bites. It takes the stomach about 20 minutes to realize that it is full.
11. Order your salad or potato with the dressing, butter, sour cream, gravy and other extras on the side.
12. Select fresh fruit, sorbet or frozen yogurt for dessert.
13. Watch the alcohol… it is loaded with calories and can lower your defenses against food, causing you to eat more.

It’s all about enjoying yourself within the guidelines. Don’t feel discouraged. You don’t have to change your whole diet; you just have to adjust it. You can eat healthy and still enjoy great foods. You can have your salad and eat your cake too!

This article appears courtesy of BlackDoctor.org, the World’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans.