We all like to eat out. Whether it is to get away from home for some time, to give your spouse a break or just to try something different that tickles your taste buds. While we relish what we eat outside, when you are trying to lose or maintain your weight at a healthy level, choosing unhealthy foods can throw our resolutions off balance.

Here are a few tips on healthy choices while eating out:

• Request for whole wheat tandoor rotis or dry (sukha) whole wheat chapathis rather than naan (plain or butter), kulchas, deep fried puris or white rice.

• Drink a glass of water and have a bowl of soup or rasam before starting your meal; this will make you feel full, so you do not eat too much. Make sure you order for smaller portion sizes keeping in mind your appetite.

• Have your salad next. Most meals are served with cut slices of cucumber, carrot and onion in addition to the salad as part of your thali. South Indian thali meals usually have Kosambari as a cool salad which consists of split green grams, coriander leaves, coconut gratings, green chilies, lemon juice and cucumber. Ask for an extra katori of salad instead of an oily curry when the food arrives. Most of the times restaurants will comply.

• Tear off small pieces of roti and have with your dal or curries. Remember to chew slowly. While stir fries may not be oily, if you see that a curry is too oily, pick out the vegetables and keep them aside. Squeeze lime juice over your food to enhance the taste and cut out fat.

• Ask for grilled, tandoor or tikka chicken, paneer and fish instead of deep fried preparations.

• Keep the flavoured, fried or curd rice until the end. You may be full by that time and can skip that part of the meal.

• Sweets are usually a part of an Indian thali meal. Ask the waiter not to serve it, so you can also avoid the temptation. Indian sweets are loaded with sugar and ghee. (Calories in some Indian sweets-[per piece] Jalebi 150 kcal , Rasmalai 180 kcal, Cham cham 175 kcal per piece, Kheer 270 kcal per serving)

• Save the curd or buttermilk for the end, this helps cool your tongue and makes your meal feel complete. Do not add spoonfuls of white sugar into your curd, a bit of salt will do.

• If you order biryani, check for the portion size before ordering, as it might be more for one meal. Biryani is usually known to be heavy on fats, as it contains a lot of oil/ghee, meat, and the vegetables added to it also are fried at times. Chew your food slowly. The meat or vegetables in Biryani will make you feel full.

• Steamed idlis with a cup of sambhar seems to be the healthiest option. Ask that your dosas not be made with oil and extra butter or ghee. Upma and kesari bath (sheera/ sweet sooji halwa) from restaurants are rich in oil and ghee, choose a restaurant that makes them with less oil or one that will comply to your request to use less oil in your serving. Go easy on the vadas and puris as these are deep fried and rarely drained of excess oil before serving. Choose sambhar or coriander/ pudina/ garlic chutney rather than coconut or groundnut chutney.

• If you are having pasta, choose one that has tomato based sauce with vegetables. Some restaurants have live pasta counters where you can personalize your dish. Ask that they use whole wheat pasta and olive oil while preparing. Order a healthy side salad and do not add any high fat dressing, cheese or croutons. If Balsamic vinegar or an olive oil based dressing is available, drizzle a bit over your salad.

• While having continental food ask for lean cuts of chicken, fish or vegetables to be prepared in a healthy way using minimal oil. You can also ask them to replace French fries with baked potato wedges. Again ordering a healthy clear soup and salad with low fat dressing would be a good option.

• While those all-you-can-eat places are a food lover's delight it would be good to stay away if you are trying to lose weight. More diets die there than at any other type of restaurant.

• Buffets can be tricky. Don't aim to pile your plate with everything that you see. The varied options inspire us to put far more on our plates than we need to. Keep a check on your portion sizes, as you tend to over-eat at such places.

• Look at the options first and then take a moment to think of what you would really like to eat. Choose a quarter plate and try loading up on salads, soups and other low calorie options first. If you already know all the dishes that are available, you can make smart decisions from the start rather than piling up the deep fried chicken before seeing the baked fish and ending up eating full servings of both.

• Once you take your food, choose a table away from the buffet area. Chances are being away from the buffet you will not be tempted to go for too many helpings.

• Before leaving home to eat out, look at the restaurant's website and note the options on the menu. This gives you an idea of the foods available so that you can make healthy choices.

• Don't leave home with a hungry stomach. An hour before you leave, have a fruit or low calorie snack. This will keep you from binging later.