Personal Trainer Reveals the Best Meal Choices For Dining Out

One of the toughest parts of dieting is all of the great food we have here in the Bay Area. There is such a great mix of nationalities and cultures and with that comes a great variety of food. Choose any city and you are sure to find a great mix of Indian, Caribbean, Chinese, Thai, Ethiopian or American food - and let's not even get into the great fusion options. With the informative list below Hercules personal trainer Christian Aguirre helps guide us through the tempting and sometimes confusing menu choices.

American Foods: When we think about classic American cuisine items that come to mind are burgers, hot dogs, great barbeque, fried chicken. Also plenty of comfort foods like mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese. We also know there are a variety of salads on most American menus and these are great lower calorie options. As long as you avoid salads with ingredients described as crispy and crunchy, this usually means fried. Also pay attention to the amount of certain toppings such as cheeses, tortilla strips, wontons, nuts and dressing. Eliminate these items or ask for them on the side. A great feature on most menus at chain family style restaurants is the nutritional information or the lighter fair menu.

Mexican: Oh the cheese, crispy chips and guacamole are enough to make any dieter weak. Luckily there are some great options at most Mexican food restaurants. A great thing about this south of the border cuisine is that most meats are grilled and made fresh so you can ask for light or no oil. Order a single chicken or fish taco and choose whole pinto beans and a salad for your sides. Traditional tacos will have meat, onions and cilantro. Some come with two tortillas so take one off. Taco salads can also be a great choice as long as that towering crispy shell is left in the kitchen and never makes it to your plate. Opt for sliced avocado instead of guacamole and salsa fresca or pico de gallo instead of salsa especial. Any roasted or special salsa will often contain fats and oils that we don't need.

Japanese: This may be one of the easiest menus to navigate and a personal favorite. First off there is a bevy of healthy low fat or healthy fat sashimi. Feel free to dine on tuna, salmon or hamachi with seaweed salad or a green salad. Miso soup is also a lower calorie item though many varieties may have a high sodium content. Avoid crispy rolls and rolls with tempura. Ask your server if they offer brown rice or or low carb soy or cucumber wraps for your sushi. The grilled mackrel or saba shioyaki as it will appear on most menus is full of healthy fats and minerals but be sure to tell the chef to go easy on the oil and salt used to grill this dish.

Italian: Ah the tantalizing pasta dish can be very hard to resist. If you must have pasta remember your portion sizes, these restaurants are known for big family style dishes. Look for words like fresco (fresh), pomodoro (simple blend of tomatoes, onions, olive oil and basil) or primavera (this means spring but think fresh veggies). Italian restaurants usually have a few delicious fish or poultry choices as well.

There are many options and no excuses when eating out. It's okay to splurge every once in a while, personal trainer Christian Aguirre knows you deserve a treat here and there. But don't skip out on a new eatery or fun night with friends because of a diet. Be a smart diner with these tips.

Dining Out - A Weight Loss Perspective

For as much as I advocate cooking food at home from scratch I realize that it can become a boring chore. It is perfectly OK to dine out if you are on a weight loss program. You just need to know which restaurants to attend and what to eat.

The general rule is to go through the menu with your weigh loss goal in mind.

Here are some points to consider while dining out:

1. Chinese restaurants. Avoid white rice and deep fried food (including dough-wrapped food). The food to eat in Chinese restaurants are soups and mixed salads.

2. Avoid going to buffets unless you can control the portion size and eat lots of vegetable and fruit salads. Do not use excessive dressings in your salads - a little bit of lemon and olive oil is enough.

3. Visit vegetarian restaurants to be on the safe side. While lean chicken is good for you most of the restaurants add a lot of fat while cooking the chicken. By visiting vegetarian restaurants you will avoid the consumption of trans-fats. Choose raw salads, legumes and avoid the excessive salad dressing.

4. Greek restaurants. Eat salads with olives and olive oil, hummus is good too, try yogurt sauces. You can also order grilled chicken once in a while. Try to avoid dessert or share it.

5. Mexican restaurant. Avoid excessive consumption of chips - few are OK; do not order rice. Instead eat guacamole, whole beans, grilled chicken, salsa. Limit the consumption of flour-containing items.

6. Japanese restaurants. Avoid rice; eat miso soup, try sashimi instead of sushi, seaweed salads, drink green tea.

15 Smart Solutions For Healthy Dining Out

Eating one large sandwich at a fast food chain take pack on enough calories and sodium for an entire day. Luckily, restaurants and fast food chains are now offering more fruits and vegetable choices on their menus, making it easier to eat healthy while dining out. But their best sellers are still fat laden foods in large portions that you should try your best to avoid. These suggestions will help you select the most nutritious and low fat foods when dining away from home.

· Be cautious of any item with the words jumbo, giant, super or deluxe
· Stay away from any entrée with a "special" sauce
· Choose mashed or baked potatoes instead of french fries
· Ask for Mexican dishes with less guacamole, sour cream and cheese
· Ask for mustard or low fat dressing on wraps, subs and sandwiches
· Fill up on egg drop, miso, wonton, or hot & sour soup before your Chinese meal
· Order pasta with tomato based sauce instead of butter or cream based sauces
· Avoid Italian dishes with names like alfredo, carbonara, parmigiana, lasagna, and stuffed manicotti
· Choose steamed rice instead of fried rice
· Choose baked or grilled fish instead of battered or deep-fried fish
· Dress your salad with oil and vinegar instead of rich, creamy dressings
· Limit your intake of complimentary tortilla chips or bread sticks served before your meal
· Select thin-crust pizza with onions, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli and spinach
· Order chocolate milk instead of a chocolate milkshake
· Try to eat the same amount of food that you would at home