Try to eat at home as much as you can. Home-cooked meals make it easier to control what and how much you eat and will save you a lot of money. But I realize that busy schedules, business meetings, and other circumstances (including happy ones, like a special anniversary or birthday meal, for instance) mean that most people will eat out at least once a week.

Note that contrary to popular belief, your local bistro or neighborhood cafe isn’t necessarily more healthful than a fast-food restaurant. In fact, sit-down meals can contain more fat, cholesterol, and salt than fastfood meals.

Most restaurant owners have no incentive to serve healthy food. Rather, they want to make sure their food tastes good and therefore sells well. That often translates into more salt, butter, oil, cream, and/or sugar than people cook with at home. And you already know the biggest problem with restaurant meals: the bloated portion sizes. Here are some suggestions for eating wisely away from home.

If you’re not sure, call ahead to inquire. Try to scale back on how much you eat during the rest of the day, but don’t skip a meal, because that will leave you ravenous and more likely to overeat. Have a small snack before you go out, or drink a large low-calorie beverage.

If you want an alcoholic beverage, sip it with your meal, not before. If you’re invited to a party, bring something healthy from home to share with others.

Watch out for high-fat words on menus and look for lower-fat words instead. Here are some examples:

Pizza Store

Low fat choices:

• Plain cheese pizza (ask for half the cheese or low-fat cheese)
• Onions, green peppers, mushrooms

High Fat Choices

• Meat toppings (sausage/pepperoni)
• Olives

Burger place (fast food)

Low fat choices:

• Grilled, broiled, or roasted chicken without sauce
• Broiled extra-lean burger

High fat choices:

• Regular hamburger, cheeseburger
• French fries
• Fried fish or chicken
• Mayonnaise-based sauces

Order salad dressing, gravy, sauces, or spreads on the side, and request less or no cheese, if appropriate. Ask if foods can be cooked in a different way, and feel free to ask for foods that aren’t on the menu. See if you can tweak your order so that you can compose your plate correctly; for instance, order a side salad or an extra side of vegetables and share an entree (or even a protein-based appetizer) with a dining partner.

If you can have it your way at Burger King, you can certainly have it your way at a higher-priced restaurant. Use a firm, friendly voice and looking the person in the eye. For example, if the waitstaff brings deep-fried fish, say, “This looks good, but I asked for my fish to be broiled. Would you have some broiled for me, please?”

Be the first person to order, which sets a positive example for the entire table. Keep foods off the table that you don’t want to eat; for example, request “no bread basket, please.” Ask that your plate be removed as soon as you finish.

If you follow these four simple tips, you should be able to easily maintain your diet while eating out. The most difficult thing about eating out is not finding the right places to eat so if you do discover some restaurants or eating joints which fit your liking or diet plan, try visiting them more often than other restaurants which are not able to cater to your needs. This will help you to make sure to maintain your diet even though you're not cooking your own food at home.