Diet Tip #9: Order In Without Pigging Out

First dial for food, then—while you wait for delivery—toss together a supereasy salad to up your meal's overall healthfulness. Mix store-bought, prewashed greens, preshredded carrots and red cabbage, a chopped tomato, and low-fat or no-fat dressing (or just a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar). Then you can feel even more virtuous ordering any of the following:

• Whole-wheat pizza. Ask for half the cheese and a vegetable topping. Serve yourself one or two slices, and immediately wrap the rest and put it in the freezer, effectively curtailing any temptation to overeat.

• When you order sushi, avoid loading up on sweet sushi rice. Limit yourself to one maki roll, and make the rest of your order sashimi or tuna tataki. (And note that studies have shown that people who eat a lot of fish, as the Japanese do, tend to weigh less than those who don't include fish in their diets.) Look for sashimi, tuna tataki, and cucumber rolls.

• When you order Chinese food, make it steamed, not deep-fried. Request extra steamed vegetables and sauce on the side. Skip the rice completely, and instead get either egg drop or hot and sour soup. (And, generally speaking, don't order Chinese more than once a week.)

• When you order Thai, avoid noodles and coconut milk. Lower-calorie choices include tom yum soup, summer rolls, satay, green papaya or beef salad, or steamed entrées with chicken, tofu, beef, or vegetables.

(courtesy of allure.com)