Eating out has so many benefits. It’s so fun go out and visit with friends and family. AND it’s super convenient when you’re on the go and don’t have time to cook, or honestly you just don’t feel like cooking. But it’s not always easy to eat healthy at restaurants.

Did you know the average meal at a restaurant contains 1,205 calories? And that doesn’t even include bread, appetizers, drinks, or desserts! Let’s just say things can get out of control real quick. Been there. ✋ So as fun and convenient as restaurants are, they can be pretty terrible for our waistlines.

But since we are all going to continue going out to eat sometimes, we need to start making better choices. So use these 21 best tips on how to eat healthy at restaurants to start making good choices to help you keep those calories down. Just doing one or two of these tips when you go out can save you hundreds of calories!

1. ALWAYS ORDER WATER OR UNSWEET TEA

Most drinks like soda, sweet tea, and alcoholic beverages contain 200+ calories. And that’s per cup. I worked as a server in multiple restaurants for years, I’d say 95% of people don’t just stick with one. So what about diet soda you may ask? I heard there’s no calories so it’s healthier…

Nope! Studies show that drinking just one diet soda per day almost tripled a person’s risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease among so many other terrible issues. But what about weight loss, right? I won’t talk your ear off about diet soda, but if you want to learn more about how it actually does make you gain weight check out this article.

Just opt for water or unsweet tea to make sure you stay low calorie and put some good stuff in your body that will actually help you lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight. You can add a slice of lemon, lime, orange or bring your own stevia to liven it up a bit.

2. HOLD THE BUTTER AND OIL

Butter and oil aren’t very good for the body and add a bunch of unnecessary calories to our food. So be sure to ask the server to have the cooks hold the butter and oil on your vegetables. While olive oil is good for you and can help you maintain a healthy weight and even lose weight, most restaurants use vegetable or canola oil so it’s healthier to pass on them.

3. BE CAUTIOUS OF DRESSINGS

Most salad dressings contain about 75 calories per tablespoon. I remember back when I could care less about calories and staying healthy… I would drench my salad in ranch dressing. So there’s no point in having a salad when you are trying to be healthy if you mess it all up with your dressing choices.

Ask for a low calorie dressing option and have your server put it on the side so you can use it in moderation.

*TIP: Also be cautious of all condiments and use in moderation.

4. AVOID THE BREAD AND BUTTER

Who doesn’t love bread and butter? Texas Roadhouse has the best in my opinion. But we must address this beautiful starter… that is also FREE! Ugh… they make it so tempting, but we must be strong. Tell the greeter or server no bread from the get go.

Avoiding temptations early helps so much. One roll contains about 120 calories and there are about 125 calories in just 1.5 tablespoons of butter. Knowledge is power. Remember this when you go out next time!

5. PLAN AHEAD FOR WHAT YOU WANT TO ORDER

When you get to the restaurant, tell the greeter you don’t need a menu. This is a great way to eat healthy at restaurants by helping you to not be tempted by the other choices they offer. Know what you are going to order and make up your mind that it’s what you are going to get no matter what. We’ve got to be assertive with ourselves.

We can’t leave room for maybe, that’s a great way for our plans to go right out the window with even the faintest sniff of cheeseburgers and pasta.

6. PASS ON BUFFETS

The temptation to overeat at a buffet will be extreme. If you have other options, taken them. And if you must go for some reason, limit yourself to one plate. Go for steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes with minimal sauces.

7. PLAN TO TAKE LEFTOVERS HOME

Portion sizes are crazy at some restaurants. Did you know Americans eat 20-25% more than we did back in the 70’s. Check out this picture from a beach just about 50 years ago. Not one single person was overweight.

So plan on taking your leftovers home with you for tomorrow’s lunch to avoid overeating tonight. I heard this saying before and it was spot on. “Your momma told you to eat everything on your plate so you would be big and strong. Now look at you, just big.” It’s funny, but true. We’ve got to get this idea out of our head that we must finish all of our food.

8. BOX IT UP FIRST

Another way to avoid overeating is to ask the server to box up half of your meal before it even hits your table.

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