None of these are earth-shattering insights, but if you internalize them, it can help with your weight-loss, healthy eating goals.

• Ask for a lunch-sized portion for dinner.

• Eat an appetizer for your meal.

• Ask for a to-go container when they bring your food. Box half of it immediately. Better yet, ask your server to do it before s/he brings your food to you.

• Order food grilled, steamed, boiled, baked, poached, roasted or broiled instead of sautéed or fried. (Unlike in LazyLand, restaurants sauté in butter or oil … or both!)

• Ask for your food to be cooked “dry” which is restaurantese for no added oil or butter. Ask for lemon or extra spices. Chefs hate this — it goes against all their training — so if you have to, say you have health issues.

• Refuse the bread basket.

• If you must have the bread, just have one and ask them not to plate the rice or the potatoes that comes with your entrée.

• Don’t be shy about special requests.

• If nothing looks figure-friendly, order a salad with dressing and cheese on the side. Can’t go wrong there!

• Just for fun, pay attention the next time you go out with the girls versus the next time you go out with a guy. There was a recent study that said women eating together consumed about 800 calories each, but a woman eating with a man only ate about 550 calories.

At a pizza place …

• Order thin-crust pizza. Pester your local pizza place until they make a thin whole wheat crust.

• Stay away from pepperoni, sausage and bacon. Go for vegetarian, grilled chicken, Canadian bacon or ham.

• Ask for half the cheese and twice the sauce

• Blot the oil with a paper napkin

Have you seen the Fast Food Calorie Calculators and Fast Food Advice?

Do you have any advice to eat healthy at restaurants? What are your strategies when you travel? (That always seems to be my challenge.)