Eating healthy doesn't mean stop eating out at your favorite ethnic restaurant or buffet. You just have to pick the items you do eat very carefully.

From the neighborhood pizzeria to your favorite Italian eatery, you'll find plenty of things on the menus that fit with your healthy eating goals and won't make you feel guilty.

Here are some tips:

• Buffet Fill your plate with vegetables. If you must have meat, choose grilled, broiled or flame-cooked chicken, fish. Avoid anything that is breaded, batter-dipped or fried.

• Chinese Steamed rice is the best bet, not fried rice. Steamed dumplings are better for you than fried. And the menu also includes vegetarian entrees.

• Italian Request breadsticks rather than bread; oil and vinegar on the side for your salad; pasta with red sauce rather creamy white or buttery Alfredo; choose chicken dishes over meat and sausage; enjoy a cappuccino for dessert.

• Japanese "tempura" means fried, and something you can avoid. Dictionary.com defines "tempura" as "a Japanese dish of vegetables and shrimp, or other seafood, dipped in batter and fried in deep fat." That doesn't sound like healthy eating.

•  Mexican First, eat a delicious and healthy bowl of black bean soup so you don't want as much of the main course. When the waiter brings chips, ask for salsa, not sour cream or cheese dips. When it's time for the main course, assuming you haven't filled up on the soup, dishes made with plain, soft tortillas are better for your waistline than fried, such as burritos, soft tacos and enchiladas

• Pizza Pick a plain cheese pizza or a pizza with vegetable toppings only. You'll save more than 100 calories, cut your fat nearly in half, and take about 200 milligrams off your sodium.

• Salad bars Build your salad out of vegetables and beans, not potato, macaroni and tuna salads.

Source: Aetna InteliHealth