One of the best advantages of the Low GI Diet is that it is very eating out friendly. Unlike many diets that can be complicated to figure out when you are eating out the Low GI Diet is quite adaptable to dining out once you have familiarized yourself with foods that are low on the glycemic index and which ones are high and should therefore be avoided. Below are some tips that will help guide you in menu selections the next time you dine out.

The first goal when perusing any menu at any restaurant is to make sure that your selections will keep the glycemic index low. That means that you want to avoid, or only eat sparing amounts of foods that are high glycemic index. This includes just about any kind of potato. Whether it's mashed or baked you should either avoid it altogether or eat only a small amount. Other foods that are high GI and should be limited or avoided include highly refined carbohydrates such as most breads. It's also important to think about your drink selection. Ideally, it's best to opt for water, perhaps with a slice of lemon. Caffeinated beverages as well as sugary drinks such as soda are not good selections. And, of course, you should forego or go light on the desserts.

Instead opt for choices such as vegetables. Today many restaurants offer vegetable based main dishes which make excellent selections. Alternately, instead of ordering a starchy side dish such as rice or potatoes, considering replacing it with an extra vegetable. If you feel you really must top off your meal with something sweet consider healthy alternatives such as fruit desserts and avoid those that are high in sugar, fat and highly refined flour.

There is also a second goal of the Low GI Diet; however, and that is to watch your saturated fat content. This can easily find its way into your meal if you do not keep a watchful eye. To do this you will need to avoid foods or eat only small amounts of foods that are friend or even roasted. Avoid high fat foods such as butter and mayonnaise as well as sauces that are butter based and cheese. Try to select only lean cuts of meats.

At first glance it might would seem that some restaurants lend themselves to making it difficult to follow the Low GI Diet. While you might need to give it a bit more creative thought it is possible to follow the diet at any restaurant. For example, many people might think it would be difficult to stick with the diet plan when dining out at an Italian restaurant. This isn't true. Instead of a lot of bread, opt for salads with a balsamic vinegar dressing. Avoid cream based sauces and choose tomato based sauces instead. Tomatoes are very low on the glycemic index so this makes dishes with a tomato base a good choice. Look for lean grilled meat selections as well as fish choices. Finally, don't feel as though you have to avoid pasta altogether. Simply choose low GI pastas such as linguine, macaroni and fettuccine.

Chinese food is often considered to be difficult to allow into the frame of the Low GI diet because of the requirement to avoid rice. Once again; however, with a few substitutions you can enjoy a nice meal out at a Chinese restaurant and still stick with the diet. Instead of eating rice choose noodle based dishes, like chow mein, as long as they are not fried. Steamed and stir-fried dishes along with lean proteins can help to round out the meal.