Restaurants often provide a wide variety of main dishes that may have hidden calories and fat because of the way they are prepared. Beware: restaurant portions tend to be two to three times the size of an average serving.As a result, you may be eating more calories, fat, and sodium than you think. Follow these tips for a healthy main dish:

• Ask for a smaller lunch portion of your meal.
• Take some of your meal home, and eat it later as a snack or for another meal.
• Eat a tossed salad before your main course. This will help fill you up so you are less likely to overeat when your main course comes.
• Choose grilled or steamed vegetables as a side dish instead of French fries.
• Choose tomato-based sauces on pasta, rather than white creamy sauces, which are higher in fat.
• Choose meals that contain grilled, steamed, broiled, or baked chicken, fish, or beef instead of dishes that are breaded and fried.

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