Maintaining a healthy diabetes diet away from home requires planning ahead and making smart choices. It can be a challenge, but dining out doesn't have to be overwhelming. Many of the dietary rules people with type 2 diabetes need to follow ? limiting salt, sugar, and fat intake ? are beneficial for anyone.

The key to enjoying a meal at a restaurant is to have a plan going in, according to Dietlinde Wolter-Nitta, RD, CDE, of the Clinical Diabetes Center of Montefiore Hospital in New York City. That means knowing what's on the menu, what to avoid, and how to control the way food is prepared and served.

Here are some ideas to make your night out more fun and less work.

Tip 1: Do Your Homework

Wolter-Nitta suggests looking at the menu before trying a restaurant. "It's hard to make smart diet decisions when you're hungry," she said. "So if you decide beforehand, you can make yourself stick to it."

For people with diabetes, when they eat can be as important to maintaining their blood sugar level as what and how much they consume. It's a good idea to make a restaurant reservation whenever possible, and avoid peak times when the wait for a table is longer.

If you're concerned about slow service, speak to the waiter and ask if certain meals take longer to prepare than others.

Tip 2: Portion Control

One of the biggest challenges to eating sensibly is the temptation to finish everything on your plate. There are tricks you can use to control that urge.

"Decide to take a doggie bag home before you start eating," suggests Wolter-Nitta. "Put half of the food away before you dig in. With diabetes, you have to watch out for sugar, sodium, and fat, and this will cut those in half."

Another way to reduce portion size is to split a meal with a dinner companion. "Order an appetizer each and split an entrée," she said. "That's a great way to lower calories."

Tip 3: Know What to Eat and What to Avoid

The first thing you usually have to watch out for in a restaurant is the bread basket. "They put it out on the table and it's so hard to say no," said Wolter-Nitta. "You have to ask yourself whether you're at the restaurant to eat bread or your meal."

Sauces and salad dressings can be loaded with salt and fat. "Sauces such as butter sauces, béchamel, au gratin, and hollandaise should definitely be on the do-not-eat list," she said. If you must have salad dressing, try dipping your fork in it rather than pouring it on.

Certain cuisines are trickier than others. For instance, "Chinese restaurants add corn starch and sugar to most foods," she said. "Stick to white rice and vegetables and avoid the soy sauce."

When it comes to food preparation, ask if a dish can be baked, grilled, or broiled rather than fried. When you do eat fried food, remove the fat- and calorie-laden bread coating.

It's not just what you eat: Sugary drinks affect your weight and glucose levels, and they have been directly linked to type 2 diabetes.

Tip 4: Indulge ? a Little

"Eating dessert isn't forbidden," said Wolter-Nitta. "It's just a matter of doing it the right way." One suggestion: "Instead of going for the chocolate cake, go for a piece of fruit or something sugar-free."

A meal at a fast-food restaurant can easily exceed your daily recommended allowance for calories, fat, and salt. If you're going to treat yourself to a grab-and-go bite, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) reminds you to check the nutritional information before ordering, avoid "super-sized" or "deluxe" meals, and ask for healthy substitutions when you can.

Whatever you're treating yourself to, moderation is key.

Here are some more suggestions from the ADA when ordering out: ·

Be Creative. Just because dishes are labeled "appetizers," "entrees," and "desserts" doesn't mean you can't mix things up. The ADA suggests a fruit cup as a starter, or a salad and appetizer as a main course. ·

Order Ahead. Call the restaurant and ask if your food can be prepared to meet your dietary needs. By giving the kitchen advance notice, they might be able to better accommodate you. ·

Think About What You Drink. If you're going to treat yourself to an alcoholic beverage, remember that mixers can pack a lot of calories and sugar.

Watching what you eat and drink all the time "takes a lot of discipline," as Wolter-Nitta points out. "But it pays dividends for your health."

So, the stats are pretty unappetizing, but that doesn't mean you have to swear off burgers for good. When it comes to chowing down on this barbecue favorite, it's always better to go homemade, where you have complete control over the ingredients going in to your meal.

Follow these tips for a better-for-you burger:

•Go organic. To avoid additives and hormones, shop your local farmer's market for locally-sourced, organic meat products.

• Opt for lean turkey meat over beef. "Beef burgers add up fast in the fat department - especially saturated fat, which is important to keep track of for cardiovascular health and your waistline," says Keren Gilbert, MS, RD, founder and president of Decision Nutrition. "Lean turkey meat has half the saturated fat of beef; make sure the label says at least 93 percent lean."

• Increase moisture. "Lean turkey burgers tend to be dry since the fat content is low," says Gilbert. "To up the moisture of your burger, I suggest adding onions, shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, or spinach." These veggies also up the fiber content, helping you to feel more satiated, Gilbert adds.

• Add a healthy binding agent. Breadcrumbs are the most popular ingredient for binding ground meat, but Gilbert suggests swapping them for fiber-rich oats. Another option: Chia seeds, which are a great binder that also ups the nutritional profile of your burger. She recommends using 1/2 cup of either ingredient to 1 pound of turkey.

• Season smart. Up the flavor of your patty with calorie-free flavorings. Gilbert suggests hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, or paprika.

• Condiment swap. "Even a lean, healthy burger can take a turn for the worse when topped with bacon, cheese, or creamy sauces," says Gilbert. She suggests passing on the caloric add-ons in favor of salsa, mustard, or veggie toppings like peppers and onions.