How To Eat Out & Still Lose Weight

ITALIAN RESTAURANTS
From high-end ristorantes to casual cafes, Italian restaurants tend to offer plenty of healthy and delectable items. Here are several smart strategies:

*Order two appetizers as dinner. Choose either shrimp cocktail, grilled calamari (not fried) or even melon with prosciutto (the meat is high in fat, but restaurants usually use 1 ounce, which has only 80 calories) and pair it with a bowl of soup. Italian soups tend to be chock-full of vegetables and beans and rarely contain cream.

* Order a half-portion of pasta and a salad and use Bilt's "fork method" with the dressing: Dip your fork into the dressing, shake the fork, then spear the salad. You'll use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing vs. 1/4 cup, which saves almost 20 grams of fat.

* Think tomato red. Not only are tomato-based sauces and soups low in fat, but tomatoes contain lycopene - a compound which shows promise in fighting certain types of cancers. Pasta primavera (with vegetables) in a marinara sauce supplies lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

* Go easy on the cheese - use about 1 tablespoon - and remember that 1 cup of pasta and 1/2 cup of marinara sauce topped with a tablespoon of cheese supplies 300 calories and 6 grams of fat.

* Avoid pesto or eat it in moderation, since this oily basil paste contains significant fat and calories from pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

* Grilled fish prepared with garlic, lemon and olive oil is flavorful and heart healthy. However, grilled vegetables, while seemingly nutritious, tend to absorb lots of oil. Even though it's likely to be monounsaturated olive oil, you're better off with a salad.

* High-fiber berries or icy granita are great dessert bets. For heavier sweets, such as tiramisu, share or eat half. Remember, a rich shot of espresso or a cappuccino with skim milk make terrific finales.