Eating Out Without Giving Up

So I'm currently in San Diego on a three month long training program for my new day job with GEICO. They've given us a $25/day food allowance, and the most common way of using that money is to eat out at restaurants. I'm trying to balance that with spending some evenings in at the hotel and hitting up the grocery store instead of the Chili's in the parking lot or the California Pizza Kitchen down the street. I would actually do this most of the time except that my fellow trainees are in the same hotel and going out for dinner is our unwind time after long days of learning the ropes. I'm a sociable person, and I don't want to miss out on a good laugh (and we laugh a LOT), but there's an art to eating out and not giving up on this healthy lifestyle.

Here are some tips I found in my e-mail inbox from the Everyday Health Network:

• Don't be shy about asking the waiter for healthy menu options; restaurants often offer alternatives for health-conscious diners. As a customer, you have the right to make special requests — like asking for salad instead of fries, steamed or baked instead of fried, whole wheat over white, and sauce or dressing on the side.
• Start your meal with either a soup or a salad; the liquid in the soup or the extra fiber in the salad will help fill you up so you'll eat less of the main course.
• If your entree is big enough to serve two or even three people — as is usually the case in restaurants — ask for half to be wrapped up and save it for lunch or dinner the next day. You can also offer to split something with others at the table, which is especially helpful if you simply can't resist dessert.

And my favorite tip on the list:

• Drink water! You'll cut the cost of your meal AND the calories.

The next time you are out at a restaurant staring at the menu, and desperately trying to figure out what to eat that won't break the calorie bank for the day, think of these tips and get creative. Make the situation work for you!