When you’re watching what you’re eating for health or weight loss reasons, it can be hard to know exactly what’s best to eat when you’re going out for dinner, or even what you eat day to day.

I always try to choose the best most natural thing to eat, and sometimes have the occasional blow out and just eat what I want (ice cream, mars bar etc). But then I’m at a weight where I don’t need to lose weight. I’m maintaining my weight with mainly healthy eating and activity.

I tend to earn my food, so if I know I’m exercising a lot I’ll slow myself treats or to eat more. There’s got to be a balance though.

We went out for lunch today, and happened across a nice Italian restaurant. The menu was full of the usual: bread, pasta, pizza… But I opted for things on the menu which didn’t involve any of them.

For a starter I had calamari…

And for a main I had a chicken and prune salad …

Safe choices, tasty, and mostly natural. I had water to drink and really enjoyed it all.

I could have had pizza, or pasta, but I went for a tasty salad instead. I did that the last Italian I was in and it was good too.

You can make good choices too. Fresh, natural foods where possible.