According to a recent Kiplinger survey the average American eats out more than 4 times a week. Preparing and eating more meals at home might be a better choice. But that may be easier said than done! The good news is that eating out needn't add more inches to your waistline. It is possible to keep your caloric intake under control with a little advance planning.

First of all, lower calorie restaurant food is more readily available. In response to criticism for having mostly high calorie foods, most fast food chains are now offering some healthier lower calorie choices. Fortunately, many family restaurants are beginning to follow this lead.

However, low calorie choices are still limited. And you will likely have days when low cal is just not going to cut it. There are a number of tips to keep in mind when choosing other selections.

Portion size remains one of the biggest problems with most restaurant food in the United States. Many restaurant meals average a staggering 1,000 calories. And that doesn't include appetizers or dessert!

Some restaurants offer smaller or half-size entrees. But many restaurants do not. This dilemma actually gives you a great opportunity to cut calories drastically. One of the easiest choices you might make is to share an entree with someone else.

If sharing isn't possible, ask for a leftover food container as soon as you receive your meal. Choose to save aside and bring home one-third to one-half before you start to eat. Now the decision to not overeat is ten times easier because the extra food is not staring you in the face. And you will have a quick, delicious meal for a day or two later.

Here are more tips to keep in mind:

1. Collect restaurant menus. Or go online to review the list of choices at your favorite restaurant's website before going out to eat. By doing this you have more time to evaluate what is available. This will make it much easier to make a better choice.

2. Consider ordering take out to eat at home. You will still have the advantage of minimal time and fuss. And you have the option to add healthy low calorie fruits and vegetables to fill up on that are so often lacking in fast food meals.

3. Don't hesitate to ask for modifications. For example, restaurant meals are often made with heavy sauces. Ask for vegetables and main dishes to be served without sauce or sauce on the side.

4. Seek out and be aware of the restaurants that offer lower calorie options that appeal to you. Ask your friends, neighbors, and co-workers for names of restaurants you might try.

5. Avoid buffet meals. It has been well documented that the more choices we are given, the more food we'll eat.

6. Look for main dishes that have been baked, broiled, roasted, poached, or steamed rather than fried.

7. Start your meal with a soup or salad (remember to order salad dressing on the side). Research studies reveal that people tend to eat fewer total calories for a meal when they fill up first on low calorie foods with high water content.

8. Limit yourself to one piece of bread or ask the server to not bring out the breadbasket at all. When eating in a Mexican restaurant, skip the chips.

9. Choose beverages carefully. Your best bet is to go with water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or diet soda.

If you are having a meal out to celebrate a special occasion you might allow yourself to ease up on your calorie limits (but stop short of pigging out!) Compensate for restaurant meals that exceed your calorie allowance by choosing to eat a LITTLE LESS earlier in the day.

Never go without eating at all because you may very well eat every thing in sight when you get a chance! A better idea would be to go for a walk, bike ride, dance, or whatever you find appealing to work off some of the extra calories after the meal or the next day.

Keep these tips in mind and then put them into action when eating out. You'll find you can enjoy guilt-free meals!