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Healthy Eating While Dining With Others

"What other people eat is contagious," says Karen Ansel, a Laurel Hollow, N.Y., nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. When we eat out with people who are healthy, she says there is a trickle-down effect. "You don't want to be the one ordering the bacon double cheeseburger after your entire staff ordered salads," she says. "But sometimes you are with co-workers whose menu choices feel like they give you license to order a double cheeseburger."

Ms. Ansel suggests strategies for staying true to your diet when eating out for work.

1. Plan ahead. "Decide what you want to order in advance so that you don't just chime in with what everyone else is having," she says. If you go to the same restaurant often, scan a copy of the menu in advance and have two or three healthy choices ready. "If you are armed with those options, you are less likely to make impulse choices," Ms. Ansel says.

"If your office frequents chain restaurants for take-out, such as Chipotle, check the menu online. They all list calories, fat, and other nutritional information so you can have a few smart staples," she says.

2. The go-to option. "If you are out and are unfamiliar with the menu, always order the grilled chicken or fish. You can't go wrong with that order. And ask for a salad or vegetable on the side."

3. Find a diet role model. Choose to eat with someone whose eating habits you admire, like the co-worker who loves sushi instead of the co-worker who eats steak and potatoes twice a week.

4. Schedule lunches with new clients. "Studies show that people tend to be much more reserved in what we eat and how much we eat when we go out with strangers. We tend to be much more self-conscious."

5. Limit yourself during communal meals. "Ordering family-style is a big diet booby-trap because the more that is available to us, the more we tend to eat. Institute a rule with yourself that you will only have one helping."

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