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DINING OUT TIPS FROM BOB

Staying Healthy on Fast Food, Chinese, Italian and Mexican

Losing weight doesn't mean dining out is a no-no. But you do have to exercise caution. Bob Harper leads the way with some tips for BiggestLoserClub.com:

Fast Food

It can be done. You can figure out a way to eat healthy at a fast food restaurant. These days every fast food place has salads, so here's what to do:

Order one or even two salads if you are hungry and your favorite burger or sandwich "without the bun" and make yourself a big salad with plenty of protein from your sandwich.

It makes a difference. You will feel full and you have avoided the fries and the buns. As far as the salad dressing, you get two tablespoons of whatever it is you want and toss the rest.

If salads aren't your thing, fine, go with your sandwich, without the bun and absolutely no mayo or special sauce of any kind. Hold off on the cheese and stay away from the fries and you could make it work. If it's fried, look away.

Grilled chicken is always on menus now. Stay away from the fish, because it's probably fried. I know you like the fries, I do too, but we are on a mission to lose weight and those fries are only going to get in the way of our progress.

Chinese

Chinese food is so good and SO FATTENING!! Here's the drill, it can be done.

Anything you want on the menu MUST be steamed! Whatever sauce comes with what you want, ask for it on the side and you get two tablespoons of it. You will get the taste you are looking for, but you have the control of how much sauce goes on it.

After you have put the two tablespoons on, have the waiter take it away to avoid any "dipping." You won't feel deprived, because it will taste like you want it but your food won't be drowning in it.

Remember, Chinese = steamed! Then your options are boundless on the menu. Stay away from the white rice and words like "stir-fried" or "egg roll" and by all means absolutely no FRIED RICE!!

Italian

This can be a little tricky because when you go to an Italian restaurant you are probably in the mood for pasta or pizza. Well you can't, sorry.

Go to the entrees and stick with all the protein, like fish, chicken or red meat. Request the veggies steamed and the sauce that would be put on the veggies or protein, you guessed it, "on the side".

Get that bread basket out of arm's reach and you can ultimately make it work at your favorite Italian place. Try getting a small side of their pasta sauce when you are there and put two tablespoons on your main meal. You will get that Italian taste that you want. It's a good little trick and it does work for fulfilling a craving.

Mexican

First tell the waiter to not bring those chips to your table! I love them and could eat every basket they bring to me... STAY AWAY.

Instead place an order for corn tortillas and dip them into your salsa. It is the same thing as the chips except not fried and it will satisfy that craving of wanting to dip.

Instead of refried beans ask for black beans, no sour cream, no guacamole, no flour tortillas, no crispy taco shells. Okay, now that we have gone through all the NOs, let's go to what you can order.

Fajitas are a great choice since the meat will be grilled and your veggies are included. Burritos without the flour tortilla of course. Tacos can also be ordered if you just get the insides of them.

Many times I will order three or four tacos, beef or chicken and combine the insides of all of them on a big salad and bam! There you go. A big taco salad without anything crunchy except the lettuce.

No salad dressing required in a Mexican restaurant, because you have all that good salsa... Ole'!

Copyright BiggestLoserClub.com, 2009