Dine Out Without Clogging Your Arteries

Keep calories and fat in check with these pointers.

An Unhealthy Ritual

Eating out has become a ritual in our busy lives. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly harder to dine at restaurants and maintain a healthy diet. Learn to navigate your favorite menus by keeping these simple pointers in mind.

From longer workdays to busy after school schedules, most people don't have the time to prepare a home cooked meal. Given today's "on-the-go" lifestyle it may come as no surprise that the typical American eats out about four times a week. The problem with dining out is that, with the ironic exception of fast-food restaurants, there's rarely any nutritional information available on menus. And most restaurant food isn't as healthful as what you'd prepare at home.

Nutrition researchers at the University of Memphis found that women who ate out 6 to 13 times a week consumed about 300 more calories, 19 more grams of fat, and 400 milligrams of sodium than women who are out five times a week on average. Furthermore, another survey found that those who dined out ate up to 25 percent fewer fruits and vegetables than those who ate at home.

Fortunately, a healthy diet doesn't mean you have to give up dining out for good. In fact, the advantage of eating out is that you can plan ahead in terms of what you'll order. By learning how to navigate restaurant menus, you can dine out while keeping calories and fat in check.

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