Eating out is a part of our lives. But you need to plan your meals and choose wisely. Many restaurants are trying to meet diners' health needs as more and more people want healthy food choices, with regard to calorie and fat intake as well as cholesterol and salt. Some restaurants thus, do offer foods lower in cholesterol, fat, and sodium, and higher in fibre. Some restaurants offer low calorie sweeteners in blue, yellow or pink packets. Many offer reduced-calorie salad dressings, low-fat or fat-free milk, and salt substitutes.

Many restaurants have menu items that are "heart healthy." There are some restaurants that let you order smaller portions at lower prices.

Work with your health care team to identify your own goals.

If you like eating out, find ways to follow your meal plan as much as possible. A restaurant with a variety of choices increases your chances of finding the foods you want. Know how to make changes in your meal plan in case the restaurant doesn't have just what you want.

Some basic guidelines on how to order:

• If you don't know what's in a dish or don't know the serving size, ask.
• Try to eat the same portion as you would at home.
• Order for dishes with no extra butter.
• If you are on a low-salt meal plan, ask that less salt be added to your food. Avoid pickles, salted items and having extra salt on your plate.
• Order foods that are not fried because they add fat.
• Try to combine a salad with a low-fat appetizer.
• Ask for low-calorie items, such as salad dressings, even if they're not on the menu.
• Vinegar and/or a squeeze of lemon is a better choice than high-fat dressings.
• Limit alcohol, which adds calories but no nutrition.
• Dine on time
• If you take diabetes pills or insulin shots, you can avoid problems by planning ahead as what to eat.
• Eat at your usual time.
• Avoid the times when the restaurant is busiest so you won't have to wait.
• Ask whether "special" dishes will take extra time.
• If your lunch or dinner is going to be later than usual, eat a fruit or starch serving from that meal at your usual mealtime.
• If the dinner will be very late, you can eat your bedtime snack at your usual dinnertime. Then, eat your full dinner at the later hour. You may need to adjust your insulin to do this.

Some restaurants are very helpful and give detailed ingredient lists for their dishes, otherwise you can ask to see a copy of the menu in advance so that you know which items would work well with your meal plan. You can make a low-calorie, low-cholesterol choice as suitable. If your sugar intake is critical, you may have to speak with the restaurant in advance, and request for a low-sugar preparation, and likewise. Some restaurants will even go as far as meet your special needs if you phone ahead. When you make the reservation, ask if your food can be prepared with vegetable oil, little salt, no extra sauce or butter, and broiled instead of fried. Restaurants, like any business, offer what their customers want and you can avail to their services to suit your meal plan.

The Fast-Food Menace:
What you order is the key. An average fast-food meal can run as high as 1000 calories or more, and raise your blood sugar above your target range. Fast-food meals are also generally high in fat content and salt, so it is certainly better to make wise choices and eat a healthy meal. Having fast food for one meal means being cautious enough to eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables on that day.