| Almost everyone enjoys eating a meal out once | | | | more likely to order to unhealthy food when it is |
| in a while. When you are on a diet, however, this | | | | offered alongside of a healthy alternative. Being |
| can often be a challenging task. If you know what | | | | aware of this psychological tendency can help you |
| to look for and, more importantly, what to avoid | | | | to avoid making this mistake. |
| on a menu, then dining out at a restaurant can | | | | Another restaurant trick is placing a wide range of |
| remain a pleasurable experience. | | | | vegetables in sight, giving the illusion of healthy |
| First, beware of menu pictures. These photos are | | | | choices. Sometimes, these vegetables can be bad |
| designed to stimulate the appetite, and the food | | | | choices, since they are covered in high-fat sauces, |
| itself almost never looks as good as it does in the | | | | cheese, carbohydrates, or even fried. Remember |
| picture. Try to focus on the food items listed | | | | that a vegetable is not always healthy. Focus on |
| rather than the glossy photos. | | | | how it is prepared. They should be steamed or |
| Next, make sure that you do not get swayed by | | | | sautéed but never fried or coated in something |
| the name of a menu item. These are also | | | | unhealthy. |
| designed to trigger cravings and positive | | | | One final tip to remember is that you should avoid |
| associations. For example, the World's Best | | | | sampling. This can be difficult when dining with a |
| Chocolate Cake sounds more difficult to pass up | | | | group, but sampler platters often contain the |
| than just chocolate cake. Stay focused on the | | | | unhealthiest options on the menu. Even though |
| menu descriptions rather than the item title in | | | | you are only picking at a few items, the number |
| order to make a smart, well-informed decision. | | | | of calories and fat can quickly add up. |
| One trap to avoid is the placement of unhealthy | | | | Keeping these traps in mind will help you to make |
| menu items next to healthy menu items. | | | | smart food choices when eating out. |
| Psychological studies have found that people are | | | | |