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With our busy lifestyles, eating out is inevitable these days. The sad truth is that, it could also be the reason to all the extra kilos. Often we don’t know the preparation and calorie content, and may mistake unhealthy dishes as healthy dishes thus making the wrong choices with our meals at restaurants. Keen to know how to eat out healthily? There are even those who claim that women who wear dark colored lipstick when they dine out eat slower to avoid it from getting smudged. This means they feel fuller faster, and don’t overeat. “But, don’t pull out that dark lipstick just yet,” says Sarah Dimashkieh, expert dietitian at Diet Care.  She takes us through 5 tips that assure that we enjoy both sides of the bargain – savoring our meal and keeping our calories in check. Tip 1: Make seafood your number one choice. Seafood is your all-important super food. It is not only the healthier option, but it also keeps your heart healthy, improves your overall mood and aids in the anti-aging process. Always choose seafood that is grilled, broiled, baked, steamed, blackened, or poached and stay clear from fried seafood. “However, if you’re concerned about the mercury content in seafood, don’t worry too much as only larger seafood that are taller than 40 centimeters actually accumulates mercury in it,” Dimashkieh explains. Dimashkieh suggests choosing smaller seafood such as salmon, shrimp, sardine, trout and mackerel, and staying away from larger fish such as shark and swordfish if mercury content is your concern. Tip 2: Stop the Shake It’s a classic scene at the restaurant. You’re hungry so you assume you need a delicious beverage along with your meal and succumb to the temptation. Dimashkieh reveals that milkshakes, cocktails and even some coffee mixes are actually considered meals because of the high calories, carbs and fat content. “So in essence, you end up ordering two meals at a time without even knowing about it,” she reveals. Dimashkieh highly advices to stick with water as it is the only beverage that aids in the fat burning process. Milkshakes or other heavy beverages can be consumed on their own as a separate meal. Tip 3: Make sirloin your cut of choice Common misconception argues that it is impossible to try and be healthy at a steakhouse. “It’s all fattening so what I choose won’t even matter!” Dimashkieh begs to differ. “Remember these two key cuts – sirloin and filet mignon. Both are actually the leanest cuts on the menu,” she goes on to say. So what about your favorite rib eye coated in butter sauce? “The rib eye actually has one and a half times more fat than a sirloin! And what we also forget to count as calories is the sauce that comes with the steak. Avoid sauces made almost entirely from egg yolks and melted butter and instead go with a peppery-base made of beef stock and green peppercorn,” Dimashkieh says. Also, avoid the common mistake of trying to go healthier and ordering a juicy steak burger. “Steak burgers that we all love is actually made of leftover steak trimmings, which can carry fat levels in excess of 30 percent. So if you’re in the mood for steak, go for regular steak rather than the burger,” she suggests. Tip 4: Personalize your pizza. Usually when we personalize our pizzas, we end up asking for more high-calorie items on it instead of less. Dimashkieh explains the step-by-step process in personalizing your pizza so that it could actually be healthy for you. “Start with the crust – the thicker the crust, the worse it is for you. So opt for a thin crust pizza.” Then look at exactly what type of toppings you’d want and go for a variety of vegetables with different colors. “Also, don’t add extra cheese but instead opt for extra sauce. That way the pizza will be nice and crispy void of the unwanted calories and fat,” she reveals. Finally, when you get your pizza, don’t forget to dab the surface of the pizza with a paper napkin to soak up the excess oil. “Two slices are considered a full meal so ask for the rest to-go and have it another day. The same applies for all big portioned meals,” Dimashkieh on to say. Tip 5: If you crave Asian, then go for sushi   Asian food is generally healthy unless it’s Westernized. For example, Kuwaiti-based sushi restaurants generally offer options that have higher calories than the traditional sushi restaurants. Dimashkieh explains two key ways to order a healthy sushi. “Avoid sushi that has all sorts of fried toppings and layers in it. Most of it is deep fried and very unhealthy.”  Also, stay away from sushi with mayonnaise. “Go for items that are simpler with lesser layers,” she adds. Sushi is generally low in saturated fat, high in protein and rich with omega-3-rich fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel and a great overall choice for dining out.  Dimashkieh also recommends learning how to use the chopsticks. “If you haven’t learnt how to use chopsticks, then here’s a reason why you should: you’ll eat slower, since you can’t grasp as much food with them at one time, compared to your normal fork and knife,” she goes on to say. This way you’ll feel fuller, faster. NOTE: Sarah Dimashkieh is the Dietetics Manager at Kuwait’s leading nutritional service provider, Diet Care. With more than eight years of health and nutrition experience in the region, Sarah has helped mentor, guide and consult thousands of people in Kuwait who seek a more nutritious lifestyle From :Kuwait times.