out to eat?

Longhorn Steakhouse... their under 500 menu is delicious!!
Bravo! (Italian) also has some good choices.

Both are nice places to go if you want to go out for dinner and skip the fast food.

I don't know anything about NJ but grilled fish/seafood are always a good bet. Keep the sides if you want but if it's potato or something else that's heavy, ask for vegetables or salad. A small steak or baked chicken (without a heavy or creamy sauce) are fine too.

Ruby Tuesdays and Cheesecake Factory both have lots of healthy/lower calorie choices. Cheesecake Factory has the Skinnylicious menu.

Cheddars has lots of good fish and a great light menu. I don't know how widespread it is (but it is a chain)

I agree with those who say you should be able to find better options in most places :-) I've learned a lot about this over the past several months in fact. I was tired of feeling like I had to practically starve for breakfast & lunch in order to go out to dinner and have a "regular" (700-1,000 or so calorie) meal with friends.

Mexican - I usually get spinach enchiladas from the a la carte menu with red sauce (not queso) and totally avoid the chips/salsa or just have a FEW

Sushi - I will opt for sashimi or a plainer roll...nothing fried, no cream cheese, no mayo-based sauce, etc. Sure those types of sushi are delicious and I do eat them occasionally, but for example the other night we unexpectedly went out for sushi w/ friends but I'd already had pizza and a cookie that day, so I got a roll that was JUST tuna & avocado with the sushi rice...and edamame (no salt)

Chinese - I go for the meats that are not fried or something veggie. Sauce on the side when possible. Eat a small portion of rice (typically about 10% of what is served)

If I get a burger or chicken sandwich (like Chick-Fil-A for example) I don't order fries at all. I usually don't get any type of side, though. That's usually because I am too cheap to get fruit, veggies, or a side salad...to me that stuff is crazy overpriced in fast food restaurants, and my fridge at home is packed with it anyway, I'd rather just eat something else later that day.

Places like Chipotle (where I plan to have dinner tonight) I get a burrito bowl and choose 1-2 options between salsa, cheese, and sour cream.

If I go to a buffet, which is extremely rare, I'll fill up ONE of the big plates with salad on half, small serving of fish/meat, and then a couple TBSP of whatever else I'd like to try. Then a tiny dessert plate with 1 sweet thing, if it looks too good to resist. No trips back to the buffet after that.

Seriously though, I say all of this but there are times that I break these "rules" and eat whatever I'd like. Just not all of the time :-)

Ruby Tuesdays, Applebee's and Longhorn Steakhouse all have pretty good lo cal choices. Many chains have nutritional information you can access online. When I am plannig to go out I will usually look up the menu online and decide what I am going to get before I go.

I'm in NJ too...

Applebee's - great under 550 calories menu
Cheesecake factory - huge under 500 calories menu (or 550, or 600... I forgot)
Chili has a 250 calories steak with broccoli (not impressed by the rest of their low calorie menu though... it used to be better)

Ruby Tuesdays and Cheesecake Factory both have lots of healthy/lower calorie choices. Cheesecake Factory has the Skinnylicious menu.

just looked at the cf menu, not bad. had no idea they had that

and seltzer thank you also, I am going for sushi tonight. i love sushi

Yay...I hope you enjoyed!!

Is there anything healthy to get at a Mexican restaurant? I've already been told NO CHIPS that's going to be hard enough but I go there often for lunch.

Many resteraunts offer nutrional value informaiton on their websites now and I have been known to pre-pick what I am going to order before we go out, if I know where we are going. I do this a lot if I am going to go out for lunch during work.

When I was pregnant I had gestational diabetes, both times. I went to the bookstore and found some neat, small-sized books that have LOADS of nutrional information from several popular restaurants, on their menu items, and on things you might find in the grocery store. I didn't have a smart phone back then, or an MFP account, but needed help learning about the carb counts of items. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/CalorieKing-Calorie-Carbohydrate-Counter-2014/dp/1930448589/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392132728&sr=1-3&keywords=nutrition+pocket+guide

And somedays, there is something I REALLY want to eat and say screw it, I am ordering it and will do some jumping jacks later or take a long walk.

You can ask the server if the chef can prepare something a certain way. Just because it is a menu item, doesn't mean they are not bombarded with requests from low calorie dieters often. If you are shy about ordering like that, you could create a deficit somewhere else in your weeks to allow a "cheat" meal. Don't go to a restaurant without knowing what you want beforehand, nor go to a buffet.

I can usually find something healthy at just about every restaurant!
If you have a question about a restaurant in particularly you can add me as a friend and then message me!

Here's a few of my favorites:
1. Wendy's - Absolutely LOVE their chili, very nutritious as well!
2. McDonad's - Not too many healthy options here but love the McWraps, with no sauce!
3. Cracker Barrel - TONS of healthy options here! Veggie soup, pecan crusted fish, baked catfish, grilled chicken, and then a ton of healthy sides here a well like green beans, corn, turnip greens, fruit, carrots, etc.
4. DQ - Love this place for dessert, excellent fruit smoothies with only 170 calories!
5. Texas Roadhouse - They have excellent shrimp and even the steak kabobs!
6. Orange Leaf - My absolute favorite place if I want something sweet, it's pretty much almost ALL healthy!
7. Panera Bread - Excellent soups like broccoli and cheese! Love the chicken noodle on a hot day.
8. Taco Bell - They have an amazing chicken fresco taco that is all healthy and only 180 calories I believe! So you could have three of those and make it a meal!
9. Arby's - They have a turkey sandwich which is wonderful and healthy!
10. Burger King - They have a new veggie burger which taste just like beef to me at only 320 calories!

yep all this plus applebees has good choices, any Mexican place, subway, .... pretty much anywhere you go has some choices and food you can eat. you just have to go on their sites before you go and check out the menu and make a plan on what choices will be available for you to eat or tweak. I can find anything low cal pretty much anywhere. You name it and I will tell you what I like.

Is there anything healthy to get at a Mexican restaurant? I've already been told NO CHIPS that's going to be hard enough but I go there often for lunch.

I don't think chips are evil, I just am not that crazy about them myself and there are so many other delicious things in a Mexican restaurant I'd rather use my calories on ;-) If you were anything like I used to be, you would (in the past) go to a Mexican restaurant and just sit there chatting and dunking the chips into salsa and eat a pretty good amount before the entrées even arrived...yeah? I think when a lot of people say "NO CHIPS" about eating Mexican food this is what they mean - eating the chips and salsa mindlessly which can drastically up your calorie intake for that meal. JMO!

Haha! you got that right! I would almost fill up on them I ate so many! love love love