Lose the booze, sip water and take tiny bites

It's summer, the season for eating out. But that can present pitfalls for people concerned about their health and weight. You need not turn down an invitation to dine out - just learn how to steer your way through a menu. Do this and you're sure to stay on the straight and narrow.
One of the easiest ways to avoid a cartload of calories is to shun alcohol. It has more calories than any other food group except fats. So when everyone arrives at the eatery, ask for a glass of iced water, which is usually free - and surprisingly filling.
The old adage about drinking water before a meal is true, but you don't have to gulp it down by the litre. Simply sip your chilled water while everyone else quaffs alcohol. Not only will you have saved money and calories, but by the time you order you'll be less ravenous.
Most restaurants will automatically bring water to the table, otherwise just ask.
Read your menu carefully. Anything featuring cheese, cream, or nuts is likely to be loaded with calories, although cheese and nuts do have valuable nutrients.
Fried or sauteed food absorbs the fats it's cooked in, leaving poached, grilled, or baked dishes a better cooking method for those concentrating on health and less calories.
See if there's a raw option, such as a salad with fresh and crunchy ingredients that will have all their fibre intact and therefore be more filling and beneficial. If the salad comes with a dressing, ask the waiter if you can have it on the side, not all over the dish. This way you can add a small amount if the food needs the flavour, or leave it untouched and feel extra virtuous.
Don't be afraid to ask for some ingredients to be left out - after all, everyone has different preferences and waiters and chefs should be accustomed to catering for individual tastes.
If there's a pasta dish with a rich sauce, ask the waiter if you can have a low-calorie sauce instead. Pasta is nice and filling and innocuous - it's what gets added to it that's the problem.
Consider ordering two entrees instead of an entree and a main or a main and a dessert. That way your meal will last as long as everyone else's but you won't be loading yourself down with large quantities of heavy food.
Ask the waiter to bring your first entree when everyone else has theirs, then your second entree when they're on to mains. Be careful to specify that both are to be entree-sized portions so the second is not upsized to a main. If you choose entrees with differing tastes and treatments, you can have a wonderful time trying new ingredients and cooking styles while your companions overeat.
Taking tiny bites makes dishes last longer and ensures that you extract maximum pleasure from the food. Savour the flavours and take you time.
When it's dessert time, you needn't be completely left out. One way of having a sweet hit without blowing the calorie budget is to order a mochaccino after the meal.
The chocolate component will satisfy that craving while the coffee rounds off the evening in classic style.
TOP TIPS
* Drink water  instead of alcohol.
* Poached, grilled and baked are better cooking options than fried or sauteed.
* Ask for your dressing to be left on the side. Dressings often have oil or cream in them.
* Go for  tomato-based rather than cream-based  pasta sauces.
* Order two entrees instead of  an entree and a main.
* Choose fresh fruit or sorbet  if you want dessert.
* Have the baked potato option rather than the chips.
* Say no to the offer of bread while you are waiting for your meal.
* Try to eat slowly and stop when you are full.
* Select a curry that is dry and not based on coconut milk.