Dear American friends in Boston and New York

Portion sizes are indeed larger in the US. Drinks especially, such as sodas, are enormous, as are the amounts of ice they will put in said glasses. DO NOT feel as though you must clean your plate. When indulging in seafood dishes, just use common sense. Most places will offer various cooking methods- fried, grilled, broiled, pan seared, etc. Grilled and broiled will be your best bets.

There isn't anywhere you need to avoid, just be aware the amount you are eating. Also, you are going to two cities that are very walkable. You should be able to burn some of those excess goodies off! I live between Boston and NYC (in Connecticut) and am certain you'll have a blast!

Pretty much any restaurant is going to have lighter healthier fare. the big thing that I do when eating out is paying attention to the sauces. We love to slather things with mayonnaise and high calorie sauces. The portion size is much bigger here. I think the easiest thing to do is to realize that at many restaurants you are served at least two servings of everything, so if you can just think about it that way it makes a huge difference.

Fenway Park is amazing but there is a lot of tempting food everywhere so try to eat a healthy lunch or dinner *before* you head to the park so you're less likely to go grabbing for the Fenway Franks and fries.

You'll walk a lot in Boston. It's a very walkable city.

Seafood in Boston is a wonderful thing. Stick to seafood restaurants vs. just ordering seafood dishes off some pub menu. (Not that pub food tastes bad here, but it's typically not prepared as healthily as in a seafood restaurant.) I like Legal Seafoods.

Have a great time!

PS: Routing for the Yankees is bad for your health. Always route for the Sox!

Portion sizes are indeed larger in the US. Drinks especially, such as sodas, are enormous, as are the amounts of ice they will put in said glasses. DO NOT feel as though you must clean your plate. When indulging in seafood dishes, just use common sense. Most places will offer various cooking methods- fried, grilled, broiled, pan seared, etc. Grilled and broiled will be your best bets.

There isn't anywhere you need to avoid, just be aware the amount you are eating. Also, you are going to two cities that are very walkable. You should be able to burn some of those excess goodies off! I live between Boston and NYC (in Connecticut) and am certain you'll have a blast!

I live in NY. Agree with what above poster said about enormous portion sizes. Don't get sucked into thinking you have to finish it all. Doggie bag half of it is what I would do or split an entree perhaps.

While in Boston, be sure to go to the top of the Prudential building to look out over the city. It's a cool view. Enjoy!

I've not long got back to the UK after a couple of weeks in MA. Went to Boston for the day and it was fantastic,though walking through Quincy Market was a challenge in itself !

Try the swordfish, it's very good.

Fenway Park is amazing but there is a lot of tempting food everywhere so try to eat a healthy lunch or dinner *before* you head to the park so you're less likely to go grabbing for the Fenway Franks and fries.

You'll walk a lot in Boston. It's a very walkable city.

Seafood in Boston is a wonderful thing. Stick to seafood restaurants vs. just ordering seafood dishes off some pub menu. (Not that pub food tastes bad here, but it's typically not prepared as healthily as in a seafood restaurant.) I like Legal Seafoods.

Have a great time!

PS: Routing for the Yankees is bad for your health. Always route for the Sox!

This. Legal Seafoods is one of my favorites, and the location on the waterfront has a great view (there are several locations throughout the city). Not really in line with your mission, but cannoli at Modern Pastry is fantastic, and they filled on order, not pre-filled like other pastry shops. Worth the splurge.

IN NYC all restaurants and fast food places are required to post the calories of all their menu items. This will help you make decisions.

You and your Mr. could split whatever you order (Philadelphia Cheesesteak...yummmm) and ask for an extra clean plate. We do that all the time. Restaurants here are used to that.

I live in New York City. Compared to other places in the US, people who live in Manhattan are relatively slender, so it's possible to stay on track here whereas it might be harder in some other American cities.. Here are a my tips for NYC:

- Try to eat at "local" spots rather than "tourist" restaurants. The local restaurants are used to catering to Manhattan's models, actors, and professionals so they often serve portion sizes that are half of what is served in tourist restaurants. Tourist restaurants typically cater to the average American diet and focus on "good value" over "good quality."

- If you're staying at a hotel, tell your concierge that you are "a foodie" or would like a "farm to table" spot. Depending on your budget, those types of restaurants often have fantastic veggie dishes and less fried food. For example Blue Hill in the village is fabulous.
http://www.bluehillfarm.com/food/blue-hill-new-york/menu

- Don't feel like you have to finish what's on your plate. If you look around at the NY women in a restaurant, you'll see they rarely clean their plate.

- Order an appetizer as your main course so that you have two apps instead of an app and a main. Very common to do that here.

- if you want to try one of the famous NY delis, share an entry. For example, the sandwiches at Stage Deli or Carnegie or Katz are just ridiculous. I've never once eaten my own order there. I've always shared.

- Don't feel bad about being picky, asking lots of questions about the menu, demanding dressing or sauce on the side, etc. American service protocol is that the customer is always right. I've been to France many times and in France it's practically sacrilege to ask them to change the menu in any way. That's not the case here. Think of that scene in "When Harry Met Sally" where Sally redesigns the whole dish. It's totally acceptable to be high maintenance like that in NYC.

- Walk as much as you can. Almost everywhere in Manhattan is safe to walk during the day or night. Watch the pickpockets near Times Square, Empire State Building and Ground Zero, but you should feel comfortable walking everywhere. Most of the city is designed in a grid so it's really hard to get lost.

It's going to be hot, so drink lots of water. Water is silly expensive on the street so keep the empty bottle and fill it in your hotel before you leave. NYC tap water is very good quality. Feel free to ask for tap water in restaurants. They'll always try to upsell you to sparkling or bottled - but most New Yorkers know to ask for tap water.

Hope this helps!

New York is such a great city.(stating the obvious i know) so many amazing food options i wouldnt worry too much about the diet.