Five Tips on How to Order in Restaurants

It's always preferable to fix your own meals at home because you have control. But sometimes you are faced with situations that require you to eat in public. Like a business lunch. When you absolutely, positively have to have someone else do the cooking, or just want to enjoy a night out without breaking your meal plan, keep these handy rules in mind.

1. If it's a business lunch, offer to make the reservation. That way you can choose a restaurant you know offers lean body-friendly food. If someone else is doing the choosing, call ahead and ask to see a menu so you can plan ahead.
2. Never go hungry. To a restaurant, that is. If you have a small protein shake - or a half cup of fat-free cottage cheese and a slice of fruit - before you go, you will tale the edge off your hunger. This will make healthier ordering easier. If you're ravenous, even the pork rinds start to look good.
3. Skip the before-dinner drink. If there is a seating delay, they inevitably send you to the bar to wait. Bad move. Beer and cocktails are high-sugar, high-calorie beverages. What's even worse is that they stimulate appetite, making you feel hungrier than you actually are. So skip the cocktail, and while you are at it, send back the bread basket, too, which is nothing more than a cornucopia of bad carbs.
4. Order off the menu. Waiters and cooks are there to cater to you. Any good restaurant will tailor dishes to your reasonable request. Don't be afraid to make special requests to ensure that your meal is compatible with the lean body meal plan. be explicit when you order your food: no added butter or oil, and only broiled, grilled, or steamed. Avoid red meats, gravies, and sauces.
5. You can have dessert, just so long as you stick with a lean body-friendly dessert, such as frozen yogurt or sorbet. Always ask for fresh fruit on top. Coffee is fine, too, with a splash of milk.