by Susan Kristoff

Created on: November 07, 2009

Unlike other diet plans, Weight Watchers allows you to eat the foods that you want, including eating out. However, determining Points values for restaurant foods can be challenging. You don't always know how foods are prepared and how much is really in your portion. Here are some strategies to help you make choices that will keep you on track yet let you enjoy a night eating out.

Plan Ahead

The Weight Watcher Restaurant Guide provides menus for many fast food and chain restaurants across the United States. In addition, many larger restaurant chains post nutritional information for their menu items on their web sites. If you know where you're going to be eating, take a few minutes to browse the menu online or in the Restaurant Guide and choose a few selections that have lower Points values and note them down. Then you can make an informed decision when you get to the restaurant. If you don't get the chance to review menus before you go out, take a look at the nutritional information or the Restaurant Guide when you get home so you can accurately calculate the Points information.

Estimate Portion Size

When you're served food at a restaurant, estimate the portion size before you start eating. To make this easier, ask for sauces or dressings to be served on the side. If you have a salad, try to estimate how many Points are in it by looking at the non-vegetable items, such as croutons, cheese, and other toppings. For meat servings, four ounces is about the size of the palm of your hand, and lean meats such as boneless chicken breasts have about one Point per ounce. To make your calculations easier, choose grilled or broiled meats that do not have any toppings. If you have bread or rolls, make a mental note of the size of the roll or slice. A teaspoon of butter is one Point, and is about the size of your fingertip above your first knuckle. One cup of pasta or rice is about the size of a tennis ball.

Write it Down

If you're not sure you'll remember what you've eaten, bring your Tracker and write down your selections. Estimate the portion sizes and then make the calculations after you get home. Alternatively, take a picture of your plate with your cell phone camera before you start eating, and you can look at it later. By writing down or recording the food you eat, you'll make better choices as you put the food in your mouth.

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