Do you calorie count when you dine out?

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Do you know your calorie intake when you eat out? It may surprise you. Not all restaurants have the nutritional data readily available for you to look at before making your choice. You probably guess which item may be lower in calories or fat than something else. Question is.are you right? According to a Washington State poll commissioned by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the American Heart Association, fewer than 10% of the participants could identify the lowest or highest calorie item at McDonald's. Let's take the quiz. What item do you think has the most calories? Here are your choices...A Big Mac, two sausage McGriddles, a large chocolate shake, or four hamburgers?

Well, the Big Mac was the top guess of the 500 people quizzed. But that answer is wrong. It's actually the large chocolate shake weighing in at 1,160 calories as compared to the Big Mac's 540 calories. By the way, you can find the nutrition information on any of McDonald's products at their website, McDonalds.com. There are leaner, healthier choices available.

When it comes to eating out, if the nutritional content is not right in front of you, it's really difficult to gauge what might be the healthier choice. What you can do is think in larger terms. What I mean is how the food is prepared and the obvious ingredients. For example, baked, broiled and grilled choices typically have much less fat than fried but I bet you didn't know that sometimes fat is added as the item, say fish, is being grilled. This helps keep it moist when you have lots of items cooking at the same time. So, if you're concerned, ask how it's prepared or request that no fat is added. Think about the sauce, if it's creamed based the calories and fat will zoom up quickly. Tomato, broth or mustard bases offer a lot of flavor without the fat. Hot sauces work as well. If you're watching sodium these items can contain substantial amounts. Ask for your sauce on the side. The control reverts back to you as to how much you use. I do this for my salads and any other item that has a sauce. Otherwise, your salad can be drenched with hundreds of dressing calories, same for the entrée. If I have the sauce on the side, I decide how much I want to use. You can too.

What about real world items like burritos and enchiladas? There are several things you can do. Have a small salad first to help fill you up. Remember to try a low fat dressing on the side. Or have a tomato or broth based soup as a starter. Then, here are two tricks that work. Look at the menu to see if half portions of your favorite item are offered. If not, then ask for your to-go container right up front. When the item arrives, put half of it immediately into the container. I do this regularly. Why? If you don't put half of the portion aside, you'll probably eat the whole thing and then be mad at yourself. Remember, most portion sizes are pretty obscene and can easily feed two or three people. The best part, you have a snack or meal for later.

Look at nutritional information if it is available. If not, think in larger terms, like choosing a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a fried one. Making healthy choices is what it's all about!