Two years ago, the authors of "Eat This, Not That" published a list of the 20 Worst Foods in America. Since then, half of those unhealthy dishes have either changed their nutritional content drastically or have been taken off the menu altogether, reports Men's Health (via Today).

Could this be the start of a trend where restaurants offer menus filled with good-for-you meals?

Well, that might be stretching it, but it does look like many restaurants are taking lists like the one mentioned above seriously. For example, gone is Ruby Tuesday's Colossal Burger, as well as Baskin-Robins Chocolate Oreo Shake. With books like "Eat This, Not That" on the market, more and more Americans are educating themselves about the food available at restaurants, and when we know that a meal packs a day's worth of calories, fat and sodium, most of us are not as likely to order it.

Health.com recently published an article titled "America's Healthiest Restaurants: Our List of the Best Casual Dining Spots," and boy, did it get some people talking. And it's no surprise -- some of the restaurants on the list have also been on recent "Least Healthy" lists. So what gives?

The article makes it clear that each of these restaurants offers healthy options -- you can go to Bob Evans and order grilled chicken tenders for your kids, or hit Uno Chicago Grill and chow down on antibiotic-free chicken and brown rice. However, if you decide to go with one of the less healthy options, you've pretty much blown your calorie allotment for that day and the next.

I think the moral of the story is that, if you make the effort, you can find a healthy choice at just about any restaurant. Looking for some tips and tricks for going out to eat without bailing on your diet? We've got you covered!

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Does being on a diet mean never eating out? Cooking your own meals is one really good way to keep track of what's going into your food -- and your belly. But let's be realistic here -- who wants to cook every night of the week? I'm guessing all of us eat out from time to time.

Eating out doesn't have to spell diet disaster though -- Prevention Magazine recently put together a list of the best foods to nosh on when you're out on the town:

• If you're at an Asian restaurant ... order a shrimp stir-fry
• If you're at an Indian restaurant ... order Chicken Tikka
• If you're at a Seafood restaurant ... order grilled fish with lemon
• If you're at an Italian restaurant ... order pasta alla marinara

Click here for more awesome restaurant rules ... and let us know if you have any of your own.

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According to General Mills, sales are up significantly on some popular brands, including baking goods, yogurt, soups, cereal and snack products. Some experts think this is a strong indicator that people are eating out less and opting to enjoy their meals at home instead.

Why do you think this is? If you ask me, there are a couple of factors at play:

• A drop in the economy coupled with rising fuel costs leaves less money in the bank for luxuries like eating out, OR
  
• Perhaps people are wising up and realizing that picking up their meals from a fast food restaurant is doing them no favours health-wise.

I have nothing against the occasional meal out with family or friends, but let's be honest -- cooking your meals at home is the only way to ensure that you're getting the healthiest, most nutritious meals possible. Your thoughts?

(via Diet Blog)

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Healthy fast food? Could there really be such a thing? A West Hollywood restaurant in California called O!burger seems to think so, and they're not talking cold sub sandwiches either. Burgers, fries, and shakes make up a good part of their menu, along with veggie burgers, yogurt smoothies, and salads.

Their main claim to fame (and health) is that they're 100% organic and striving to be eco-friendly in every way they can. They do have a healthy sounding veggie burger made of spinach and corn, but no mention of fat grams or calories. Is being organic enough to make such a broad claim like "healthy?" Unfortunately I don't live in the area and can't go try it for myself but if you do then give it a shot and let us know what you think!

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Love to eat out but hate the damage it does to your diet? Try these easy tips and tricks for having all the fun and none of the flab:

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Want an easy way to cut a good chunk of calories from your meal when you eat out? Here it is: skip the bread basket. Dinner rolls can have between 100 and 270 calories, and that's not including the butter. Have two or even three of these before your get your entree? You've got a whole meal's worth of calories before dinner. Yikes!

So it should go without saying that if you're trying to cut calories, you should nix the bread. It's easy -- just ask your server not to bring it. Can't live without some pre-meal carbs? Ask for half the bread basket, or better yet, just one or two rolls. And ask that he or she bring you only whole wheat dinner rolls.

Want some tips on how to have your bread (basket) and eat it too? Check out this post from Noshtopia.

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Imagine heading out to dinner with your partner or family, only to be asked to step on a scale and then turned away because you're BMI is over 30. That's what eating out in Mississippi might be like if Representative W.T. Mayhall, Jr. gets his bill passed. The bill would require that people who are obese, as defined by the state, be banned from being served in restaurants. It would also require that restaurant owners keep records of customers BMIs.

According to Junkfood Science, Mayhall authored the bill in all seriousness, although he doesn't believe it will pass. Claiming the "need for government action" in response to the obesity crisis, Mayhall apparently believes that shame and embarrassment will help people take better care of their health.

I think this falls squarely in the "they can't be serious" category. What do you think?

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It may seem like no surprise, but a recent study suggests that a full-service restaurant may be a better choice for dinner than fast food.

In fact, what they found was that people who live in neighborhoods near fast food restaurants tend to carry more extra weight than those who live near full-service restaurants. That's not to say that you can't overeat at a full-service restaurant, because we all know that with super-sized portions, it's not hard to do. But the research suggests that it's how we eat -- sitting down, focusing on our food, taking our time vs. eating on the run, in the car, in a hurry -- is an important factor in maintaining weight, at least when we go out to eat.

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Eating out can put a serious dent on both your wallet and your waistline. But what if I told you there was a way to save money and calories? There is -- take half of your meal to go. You'll halve the calories in the dish, and you'll have something yummy for tomorrow too.

Don't believe that half the food will fill you up? It can't hurt to try, right? Here's what to do: Eat half your meal, package the rest up, take it with you to the office or your home, and wait for 20 minutes before gauging whether you're still hungry or not. If you are, eat some more -- but it's likely that you won't be once you give your stomach the chance to start digesting what you've eaten.

Also? Practice safe ordering. Try to choose an item that's high in protein, vegetables and fibre, and lower in fat and refined starches.

I think that, in most cases, it's almost always healthier to eat in than eat out. You have control over what goes into your meal and can control your portion sizes. New York recently required that restaurants share nutritional information with their customers, and a similar bill in California was recently ignored by their governor. Why is nutritional information such a big deal? Because in some cases, what you're eating is really, really bad in terms of calories, fat, and sodium.

Men's Health recently went behind the scenes to find out why nutritional information is such a well-kept secret. In some cases, what they discovered was stunning. For instance, did you know that an order of Aussie Cheese Fries at Outback Steak House has a whopping 2,900 calories?

It makes for interesting reading. I don't think there's anything wrong with eating out now and then, or even indulging in some cheesy fries, but I do think that savvy consumers should be concerned when a restaurant won't open up about what's in their food. If you have to hide it, it makes me wonder why. What do you think?

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Although it is possible to be perfectly healthy and still eat out all the time, it's not an easy thing to do. Studies have found a strong connection between people who eat healthier diets and people who eat at home the majority of the time. As a society we've really gotten away from the regular "from scratch" home cooked meal -- sadly they've become a complete luxury in many cases! But eating at home can help you avoid many of the temptations of dining out (I can't even count how many times I've gone out swearing to have soup and salad and ended up with a burger and fries instead!) and can save you money too.

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When you travel, do you plan your meals for the trip? Many of us just take what is available, since the stress of meetings, presentations and training can make the effort to find healthy food quite treacherous.

But dealing with all that stress and keeping a level head is so much easier if you indeed seek out the best and most healthy foods while outside your home comfort zone.

Want to be best prepared for those questions after your presentation? A high-fat breakfast full of calories and chemicals probably won't get you there. But, some whole-wheat toast, low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit sure will.

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Certain celebrities -- I'm thinking along the lines of Jessica Alba, Uma Thurman and Reese Witherspoon -- seem to look good all the time. So we have to wonder -- just how do they do it? Glee Magazine wonders the same thing and has these celebrity-inspired tips for looking slim and healthy all the time:

• Avoid loose, baggy clothes. It's too easy to hide weight gain under baggy clothes. Wearing tight outfits, no matter how much they make you cringe, will motivate you to lose the flab.
• Watch what you eat when you eat out. Mere salad dressing can add 600 calories to your meal. And imagine you're a celeb being trailed by the paparazzi when you eat -- take small, slow bites instead of shoveling it in.
• Water. Why is it that when you see a celeb working out they always have a bottle of water? Because they know how important water is -- not only does it help you stay hydrated while your working out, but it helps ward off hunger.
  

What's your favourite weight-loss tip?

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You may think you know what you're doing when it comes to eating healthy while eating out at restaurants, but do you really? Do steamed veggies and egg white omelets sounds like healthy fare? Because they aren't usually, at least not as much as you might think.

Truth is restaurant food usually tastes as good as it does because chefs and cooks have any number of tricks up their sleeves to add fat. Fat makes food taste great, sadly, and so they put it in and on everything. Besides steamed veggies (which are often coated in oil before and after steaming) and egg-white omelets (which are cooked in loads of oil in the skillet), other high-fat restaurant shockers include seemingly plain toasted bread and buns, grilled meats, and even sushi.

To get the healthiest fare you have to both educate yourself and make a point to communicate with your servers and tell them exactly what you do, or don't, want (i.e. no butter or oil added at any step of the cooking process).

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