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Ever since my cook-at-home challenge last month, I haven't been eating out much, which is good--I'm eating healthier! But, I still love restaurants (don't we all?) and next time I find myself giving a server my order, here's what I'm going to do...

We all know that there's usually a lot of oil that goes into restaurant cooking (here's why, explained by celeb chef Devin Alexander), but did you know that you can actually cut the calories of your meal in half--just by asking?

I recently chatted with Robin Stotter, director of culinary research and development for the restaurant chain P.F. Chang's. Robin told me about something that P.F. Chang's does for customers who are watching their weight, and it's pretty cool.

Here's what you do: Next time you're at P.F. Chang's (they have 187 restaurants across the country, so there's bound to be one near you), just ask your server to swap out the oil that your meal is cooked in and exchange it with vegetable or chicken stock. It's a practice called "stock velveted," and you'll save somewhere in the range of 250-500 calories by making this healthy choice.

And guess what? You might not even miss the fat. Stock-velveted entrees may be light on fat, but they're not light on flavor, Robin assures me. And here's another healthy eating tip: "Ask for light sauce," he adds. "There is natural sugars in food and it's often enough to carry it through." (I think this is brilliant--I mean, we ask for "light syrup" at the cafe, why not ask for light sauce at the restaurant?)

While this is something unique to P.F. Chang's, go ahead and ask for the same special treatment next time you're out at your favorite restaurant and ordering something where it makes sense to ask (stir fry dishes, sauteed dishes, etc.). Heck, it doesn't hurt to ask!

Want more slim by summer tips? Click here.

What kinds of healthy-eating strategies do you use when you eat out?

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