By Carina Norris, registered nutritionist
Whether it's an office party or a celebration with friends, you don't have to ditch your healthy eating plan every time you eat out. Instead, become a menu master and learn to pick out the healthiest choices.
We look at six favourite cuisines and give tips on courses and drinks to show you how you can enjoy a good meal without breaking the calorie bank.
Traditional British
Traditional food can be nutritious with plenty of vegetables and slow-cooked stews. But opt for meat-heavy dishes with lots of pastry and buttery mash, and you'll end up overloading on calories and fat.
Order
- Traditional roast dinner: choose turkey or chicken, avoid the skin and switch roast spuds for boiled potatoes or baked wedges. Go easy on the stuffing and sauces.
- Grilled salmon or white fish with vegetables, salad, new potatoes or plain baked potato.
- Venison or pheasant casserole.
- Turkey, lean ham, beef or grilled fillet steak with salad.
- Roast goose.
- Roast or fried duck, particularly with sweet fruity glazes.
- Lamb shanks because they're high in fat.
- Fried fish.
- Giant-sized steaks.
- Chips, roast potatoes, potato dauphinoise and even mash because it generally has added butter and cream.
- Meat pies and pasties.
Steer clear of anything described on the menu as hearty, farmer's or traditional country fare - that's generally the code for a day's worth of calories on a single plate.
Chinese
Chinese cooking uses lots of fresh vegetables flash cooked in a wok so they retain their nutrients. However, some dishes can be oily with thick sweet sauces. Ask for only a little soy sauce to be added during cooking to keep salt levels down.
Order
- Steamed, stir-fried or grilled fish, prawn and chicken dishes.
- Stir-fried vegetable dishes, perhaps with bean curd (tofu).
- Steamed dim sum.
- Hot and sour dishes.
- Clear soups.
- Boiled rice and noodles.
- Deep fried or battered dishes, eg spring rolls, crispy noodles, prawn crackers and fried seaweed.
- Duck, poultry and chicken dishes that come with the skin on.
- Sticky ribs because they're high in sugar and fat.
- Pork balls and sweet and sour dishes with meat that's been battered and fried.
- Fried rice.
- Sweet and sour dishes.
Steer clear of dishes described as crispy or sizzling - they're likely to have been deep fried.
Indian
Indian food uses lots of vegetables, pulses and health-giving spices such as turmeric, cinnamon and cumin. However, it's easy to get carried away with heavy naan breads and buttery chicken.
Order
- Chicken, fish, prawn and vegetable curries with tomato-based sauces.
- Dhal, a lentil-based dish.
- Dishes cooked in a tandoor oven, such as tandoori and tikka dishes - but avoid those that include a high-fat sauce.
- Vegetable dishes.
- Chapatis.
- Raita, a yogurt and cucumber dip.
- Plain boiled rice.
- Fried starters such as bhajis, samosas and pakoras and poppadoms.
- Curries and main courses with creamy sauces, such as tikka massala and kormas.
- Naan bread; peshawari naan also has added sugar.
- Fried rice and pilau rice.
Traditional Indian dishes are cooked in ghee (clarified butter), so don't go overboard. Only order a few dishes at first and then get more if you need them.
Thai
Sweet, salty and spicy all at once, Thai food is full of flavour. Thai curry paste of ground chillies, garlic and spices with coconut milk is used as a calorific base for curries, so opt for lighter dishes.
Order
- Steamed dim sum.
- Steamed or stir-fried dishes.
- Grilled or steamed fish, poultry and fish.
- Boiled or steamed rice.
- Hot and sour soups.
- Steamed dumplings.
- Mussels or scallops in garlic and herb broth.
- Thai noodle salads.
- Thai curries and dishes cooked with coconut cream.
- Satay dishes with their high-fat peanut sauce.
- Any deep fried dishes such as whole fish, spring rolls, prawn toasts and crispy noodles.
- Coconut or fried rice.
If you must have a creamy curry, consider sharing one with a fellow diner, along with a second lighter dish.
Mexican
Mexican food includes plenty of spicy salsas, flat pancake fajitas and lots of fillings. Opt for plenty of vegetables and watch out for dishes smothered in sour cream and melted cheese.
Order
- Chicken fajitas or bean burritos.
- Black beans or pinto beans.
- Pasole, a hearty stew.
- Soft tortillas and soft tacos because they're baked, not fried.
- Grilled fish.
- Plenty of salsa and salad.
- Crunchy tortilla or taco shells because they're deep fried.
- Refried beans because they often include cheese and are high in fat.
- Chimichangas, chalupus, taquitos and burritos because they are all fried.
- Enchiladas because they are often loaded with cheese.
- Cheesy and creamy dips, eg guacamole and sour cream.
For a starter, order a soft tortilla and salsa rather than tortilla chips. Just tear up the tortilla and dip it.
Italian
Italian food at its best is rustic fare with flavoursome ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, fish and olive oil. But choose badly, and you could end up with a heavy pizza base laden with too many fatty toppings.
Order
- Thin and crispy pizzas topped with lean meat, fish, prawns, tuna and plenty of vegetables. Ask for only a little cheese.
- Pasta with tomato-based sauces.
- Grilled fish or chicken dishes.
- Traditional country stews.
- Vegetable based soups.
- Stuffed crust and deep pan pizzas.
- Pizza toppings that include pepperoni and other processed meats, meatballs or extra cheeses.
- Dishes with creamy pasta sauces like carbonara and lasagna.
- Garlic bread or focaccia.
- Risotto.
- Dishes that include the words 'fritto misto' - it will be battered and deep fried.
- Italian spicy sausages because they are high in fat.
- Dishes with pesto sauces because they can pack almost 100 calories in a tablespoon.
Restaurants often use huge plates and pile on the pasta because it's cheap. Your portion could be 450g - the recommended serving size on most store-bought packets is a third of this!
Starters and desserts
Be wise and skip the starter if you can. If not, keep it simple or munch on a plain roll while you are waiting for your main course to arrive. Pass on the butter and dipping oil if it’s offered.
Don't order a starter if you know you'd rather have a pudding. Opt for lighter fruity desserts and ask for custard and cream on the side. If you can't resist a decadent dessert, share it with a friend.
Order
- Salad starters, but ask for the dressing to be served separately.
- Grilled fish or prawns.
- Clear soups.
- Stuffed baked apple.
- Baked or poached fruit with yogurt or fromage frais.
- Sorbet or frozen yogurt ice cream.
- Any starter described as fried or crispy.
- Creamy pasta starters.
- Garlic bread.
- Crème brulee and pannacotta.
- Cheesecakes and trifles.
- Sticky toffee pudding.
- Chocolate fudge cake with hot chocolate sauce.
- Carrot cake because of the cream cheese icing.
The golden rule: if you want to keep control of the calories, choose wisely and settle for just a main course. Order first so you’re not swayed by other people's choices. Every extra course you have only equals more calories.
Drinks
We're all liable to drink too much at a big dinner and shared bottles of wine are the norm. Politely refuse if waiting staff try to top up your glass. Start with a soft drink and order tap water for the table.
Order
- Soda water with a splash of cordial or fruit juice.
- A glass of red or white wine, but watch the size of the glasses - many used in restaurants can be 250ml or even more.
- A glass of lager or pilsner.
- Your drinks 'on the rocks' - as the ice melts, it dilutes the alcohol.
- Spirits with a low-cal mixer to dilute the alcohol.
- Premium beers and vintage ciders because they have a high alcohol content.
- Creamy liqueurs.
- Cocktails because they are individually mixed, so judging the alcohol content can be difficult.
- Irish coffee (or any liqueur coffee) for the cream and sugar.
Alternate your alcoholic drinks with a glass of water or a low-cal non-alcoholic drink.
In general, the food on offer in cafes and takeaways is likely to be higher in saturated fat than the food you eat at home.
Don’t be afraid to ask about the ingredients and cooking methods. If they are proud of the food they offer, they will be more than happy to advise you.
If you have a soup, choose a vegetable based soup and avoid creamy versions such as mushroom or chicken.
Choose a baked potato (no butter) with baked beans, tuna (without mayonnaise) or cottage cheese. Watch out for too much cheddar cheese, coleslaw and rich meat sauces.
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If you insist on having fries, either have a small portion or share with a friend. Instead of a high fat milk shake, have a fruit juice or sparkling water.
At The Indian Restaurant
Choose a Chapati or plain naan bread. Avoid breads made with fat such as Peshwari, Paratha and Puris. Ghee the Indian cooking fat is similar to butter in its saturated fat.
Have drier dishes such as Tandoori, Kara and Bhuna. Avoid creamy dishes such as Korma, Masala and Dhansak.
Watch out for the ghee used in Dupiaza, Madras and Vindaloo. Have boiled rice instead of Pilau, Biriani or fried rice.
Other places to eat
In Chinese food have won ton soup instead of pancake rolls. Choose stir fried dishes. Go for plain rice or noodles and avoid fried rice, prawn crackers or sesame prawn roll.
You will also find information on Italian and Mexican restaurants as well as how to prioritise foods at home.
The Action Desk team have copies of the wallchart, so if you would like to receive one, give us a call.
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