Eating Out Without Overeating

During the holiday season, dining out can be extremely challenging; especially if you are salt sensitive like myself.  Here are some of the traps and pitfalls you might want to be conscious of when planning to attend all those holiday dinners and parties within the next 6 weeks:

Over-sized portions can really do you in.  Most restaurants' idea of an individual portion is actually enough food for three adults!  So, be smart and eat most of the green stuff on the plate and only 1/3 of the protein and white stuff.  Take a doggie bag home.  You can have a hot lunch for two days.  This will allow you to eat well and cheap!
Restaurant food seems to be tastier than what most folks cook at home. So, why not do what me and my companion do (for those fabulous places that do cook better than I can!)...split 2 appetizers between you and order one entree and share it.  You'd be surprised how full you are walking away from the table and you've tried 3 dishes to boot!
Being starving-hungry when you arrive to a restaurant is like the kiss of death. You'll order far more than you really need, you'll devour the bread basket and in my case, go for what is on the 'no no' salt list and suffer for it later on in the evening.  Even if you have to grab a quick piece of fruit or a smudge of peanutbutter on a cracker or rice cake, or a handful of nuts in your pocket for the cab ride before you go out for the evening...do it!  You won't be starved by the time you arrive to the restaurant and you will most likely make better food choices.
Once in a while, I'll just order a nice salad and stave off the entree order until I'm finished with my salad.  At times, I'll just order a lite appetizer instead of a main course.
Last but not least....the overweight people who love 'safety in numbers'.  These are the folks that pick and poke at their food during the first two courses and tell everyone at the table about their diets.  Then, when the dessert menu arrives, they try to talk everyone else at the table into ordering 'desserts to share', so they can have their extra 900 calories in sugar and fat.  Beware of these eaters...there's a reason why they never lose weight and cajoling you into group participation at dessert time only makes them fatter and kills all the planning and hard work you've done up to this point.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Hey...GIVE ME A TIP FOR ONCE!  What works for you?  Please share with all of us your own healthy tips when dining out!

What works for you?