If you and your family love to eat at restaurants, you may think that this lifestyle is not good for a healthy diet. In many cases, you would be correct. It is, however, quite possible to stick to a healthy diet while occasionally enjoying a restaurant meal. It's all about making good food choices, which starts with learning about the nutrition you need to stay happy, physically healthy, mentally stable, and active.

It's a good idea to start by ignoring the drinks section of the menu. Although you may be tempted to enjoy a beer or mixed beverage with your dinner, these usually have many empty calories, which is not good for your body. Red wine is an exception to this rule, and may actually help prevent heart disease. Try to have only a single glass.

You should also skip the starters, unless you order a side salad. The appetizers at restaurants are usually high-fat foods that are not meant to fill you up and can in fact make you crave even more high fat foods. Examples of these are mozzarella sticks, potato skins, and wings. Instead, simply focus on your main course or, if you must indulge, share a single serving with the entire table of people.

You should carefully check the ingedients in the main dish you select Avoid anything with fatty meats or cream-based sauces, and don't order the onion rings, fries or baked potato. Rather order a side dish of vegetables, or ask for the main course alone.

Portion size is also important. Order off the lunch menu whenever you can, and ask for a doggie bag right away. Split your meal in half from the start so that you are not tempted to eat the entire thing, which is usually enough for two or three portions.

After the meal, skip dessert. If you're really tempted, share a dessert with the whole table, or split the portion in half. Bear in mind that the desserts served in restaurants may have more calories than the rest of the meal. On special occasions, you can cheat a little, but you should learn to resist temptation in order to stick to healthy eating.