A better you in 2012: Tip #9

Healthy Foodie New Year's Tip #9: Have and follow a strategy when you eat out.
Here are a few ideas for making dining out a fun, rewarding experience that won't spoil your resolutions for a leaner, healthier new year.

Before You Go

Don’t arrive starving! Eat a little healthy fat -- like about six walnut halves -- before a meal. The healthy fat in walnuts triggers a chain reaction that slows the rate at which your stomach empties, so you’ll feel fuller faster. But the chain reaction takes 30 minutes, so plan for it.

The First 10 Minutes

• Raise a glass. Of water. To your lips. This can fill you up, so you don’t overeat.
• Ask for cut-up veggies instead of bread. Most quality restaurants (including inexpensive ones) provide this option.
• Dip in olive oil. If you can't get veggies and the restaurant brings you bread, dip it in olive oil. People who opt for this over butter eat less bread. And if the bread-basket includes choices, go for the browner, whole-grain stuff.
• Request the bottles. Order oil and vinegar on the side. Relying on the kitchen to dress your salad -- even with oil and vinegar -- can deliver as many as 450 extra calories. If you want a more elaborate dressing, ask for it on the side and use the tiniest bit possible.

The Last 10 Minutes

• Share. Get one dessert for every four or five people, and have just a few bites. If there are just two of you, take half of the dessert home, and freeze it for a special occasion.
• Savor your wine. Ending a meal with a glass of wine lets you avoid the cloying aftertaste of sweets . . . and helps you avoid calorie-bombs, too. Sometimes a foamy (decaf) cappucino can be satisfying, too. 
• Go European. Do what many Europeans do: Make salad the last thing you eat.

Eating-out Strategies, Part 2

Here's more from guest blogger Alexis Bonari about eating out without falling off the healthy-foodie wagon.
Part One (last week) discussed advanced preparation for a big night out -- such as having a healthy snack before you go and planning in advance what you intend to order. She also talked about how to ask lots of questions of your server about the dishes you're considering.

Part Two (below) focuses on liquid calories and portion sizes. Info about Alexis is at the end. Thanks, Alexis!

Go with H2O

Alcohols and sodas are easy mistakes to make when you’re focusing on your meal and not on your beverage. What you drink is an important part of your diet, so don’t forget to keep an eye on what goes into your glass. Alcoholic beverages can contain more calories than you’d guess, and they can keep you from focusing on your diet by lowering your inhibitions. Sodas are full of sugars and calories, so avoid them as often as you can. If you’re absolutely averse to drinking water, you should work to overcome it because it’s an important part of maintaining a healthy diet, but an interim option is unsweetened tea.

Be a Control Freak

Keep portion control in the back of your mind at all times. Many restaurants serve oversized portions that could easily feed you for two meals, so focus on eating just enough of your meal before asking for a takeout box. To do this, chew slowly and manage the size of your bites. It may also help to engage in conversation to extend the amount of time that passes between bites, allowing you to feel full before you overeat.

Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching various online degree programs. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.