Healthy eating tips work very well when you are at home and can control how you prepare food. But what happens when you decide to eat out? If you are serious about eating healthy to lose weight, you can still go out to a restaurant and enjoy a nice meal. You just need to be aware of what is going to be offered and decide to make good choices. Remember, eating healthy to lose weight is one choice at a time and eventually it will become a way of life for you. When eating out, here are some good healthy food alternative tips for you. Always drink water, diet soda, or tea instead of regular soda or beverages that contain sugar or alcohol. A good healthy eating tip is order a salad because it fills you up, is low in fat and is loaded with vitamins. Get your dressings or sauces on the side, because you have control over how much you add. Here is a little trick, dip your fork in your salad dressing just before you fork your salad. You still taste the dressing but it cuts down on the amount you use. Another healthy eating tip if you choose a soup is, stay away from cream based soups because they are higher in fat than other soups. A soup can be a great appetizer, because most are low in calories and fill you up pretty fast. When you order grilled fish or vegetables, ask that the food be grilled without butter or oil, or prepared with very little. Oil and butter will increase your fat intake and why eat exactly what you are trying to lose? When you order pasta dishes, stick to tomato based sauces instead of the cream based sauces. Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat and a great healthy food alternative. When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon. Salsa is very low in calories and provides a healthy food alternative with plenty of flavor and spice. When you are full, stop eating. It takes your brain about 20 minutes to register that your stomach is full. So slow down to taste and savor every bite. Remember you are eating healthy to lose weight so don't be afraid to take half of your meal home. The second portion of your meal can be another meal later. This way, you get two meals for the price of one. Here are a couple of other healthy eating tips. You can always order two appetizers or an appetizer and a salad as your meal. Always look for food on the menu that's baked, grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed. These types of cooking use less fat in the cooking process. As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes with fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber and have lots of vitamins and minerals. Choose foods made with whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice. If you crave dessert, look for something with low fat, such as berries or fruit. Always remember not to deprive yourself of the foods you truly love. All types of foods can fit into a well balanced diet. Eating healthy to lose weight is a great choice. Use these healthy eating tips next time you eat out and you can still enjoy weight loss success. Copyright © 2006 Fat-Burning-Secret.com All Rights Reserved. Gary Gresham is the author of Fat Burning Secrets Discover simple yet powerful changes that can have a major effect on your weight loss results with this free report at: Free Fat Burning Report