The truth is that with a little research and smart thinking you can enjoy most restaurants from fast food joints to four-star establishments and still maintain a balanced diet.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind as you continue to enjoy eating out:

1. Look for the light menu. Every restaurant won't have a light menu but a growing number of chain restaurants are promoting light alternatives. You may even find light menus up on the fast food board. You'll soon find that light doesn't always mean you'll be giving up flavor.

2. Take half your dinner home. Dinner is served in larger and larger portions all the time. Sometimes it's not your meal that's unhealthy but it's the portion size. To avoid overeating you can simply ask your waiter to serve half the meal and box up the other half for you to take home. You can eat the left overs for lunch the next day.

3. Go grilled. One way to eat smart is to opt for grilled instead of fried items. Fried foods have gobs of additional calories and fat. Grilled chicken or fish make great choices not to mention they're lean proteins as well.

4. Avoid drinking extra calories. If you're watching those calories, don't forget to count the calories that you drink. Drinking soda products or alcoholic beverages while you're out can add calories quite quickly. Choose water as an alternative and then you'll only need to worry about the calorie content of your meal.

5. Be salad smart. You can choose a salad as your main dish as a way to eat smart. You'll probably find a variety of salad choices on the menu beyond the house or side salad. Many of them contain a bigger vegetable variety or meat such as chicken.
Ask them to serve your salad dressing on the side rather than on the salad. Then the amount of dressing you put on the salad is up to you. When it comes to dressing, a little bit can go a long way. Here's a rule not to break: avoid the creamy dressings. That's the fatty stuff!

6. Appetizers can make the meal. If the restaurant serves tasty appetizers, you can order an appetizer as your main dish. If that's not enough food, you might want to order two appetizers. Many times two appetizers will still be less food than a main course selection.

7. Choose healthy sauce. Be aware of how the sauce is made in the dish of your choosing. Avoid cream based ones if possible as they are highly fattening.

8. Look to steamed veggies and fibrous fruits. You know that veggies are an important part of your diet at home, so you should continue to seek them out when you're making your making your selection at a restaurant. Steamed vegetables can be a great side dish, and fibrous fruits (if allowed in your meal plan) can likely be ordered in place of a dessert item.

Just because you're trying to lose weight, don't be afraid to go to a restaurant from time to time when out with friends or family, just follow your program and maintain an awareness of your eating habits including portions and you can't go wrong.