Breakfast places are pretty easy to eat well. You can go very basic: scrambled eggs, dry whole wheat toast, side of fruit. Oatmeal is always a winner (without tons of brown sugar). Egg white omletes (tell them no pancake batter at iHop, seriously they put pancake batter in the omelets to make them fluffier at iHop) filled with vegetables, topped with salsa.

I went to iHop twice over the Christmas holidays with family and I got a pancake meal off the last page of the menu that was pretty good. Some kind of harvest fruit and nut pancakes served with sliced bananas and 2 scrambled egg beaters. I asked for a little cup of the blueberry topping that goes on their decadent pancakes and sugar free syrup (and gave the scrambled eggs to someone else).

About 1.5 pancakes filled me up and it tasted GREAT. I put the sugar free syrup on a separate plate and just dipped my pancakes lightly into the syrup. I used about half the serving of blueberry topping (it came in a little ramekin) which was a nice little treat. I bet I got out of there for under 500 calories - big for me for a regular meal, but not HUGE for a restaurant meal. Plus, I was full for HOURS.

My boyfriend and myself maybe go to a restaurant once or twice a month. I don't actually have any issues with eating out.

We primarily go to Thai or Vietnamese restaurants which don't tend to fry their foods so much.

We also go for Indian and i will generally go with tomato or spinach based curries...my boyfriend is partial to the paneer (cheese) dishes which can be hard to say no to lol. As can naan bread so I usually allow myself one piece. Mmmm...garlic naan...mmmmm

There is a nice local Italian place nearby as well which we have been know to frequent :) However it's not a "pizza joint" sure - you CAN get pizza's there but the main stars are more the osso bucco, the casseroles, the canneloni, the gnocchi, the braised rabbits, chicken, seared steaks, grilled fish dishes...salads...

I don't find it hard to choose well in an Italian restaurant lol.

I do enjoy going out for breakfast as well and general eggs on toast and ask for them poached. Scrambled eggs from cafes and restaurants are generally made with cream. If I am feeling really indulgent I'll go for eggs benedict lol. I love eggs!

As for waitpeople...I appreciate friendly, prompt service but in Australia we don't tend to tip. It's not mandatory or even particularly expected. I would only tip if it were exceptional service, truly outstanding food and a very pleasant experience.

We went to IHOP yesterday for breakfast and I had the Harvest Grain combo in their "healthier" listings and it was really good! I do WW and I figured it to be about 12 points. I don't usually eat 12 points for breakfast, but I just had a tiny lunch and a normal dinner to balance it out.

If I'm going out to a restaurant I always look up on the internet the nutrition facts and find the best thing for me to eat. Some of the things I thought were good for me aren't so good after you see that.

How about taking the lemon from the water and splashing the salad with that, and asking for a bit of bals. vinegar? Would that help?

I went on a family visit a few months ago, stayed over a few days, and I was the only person who had salads for breakfast. I really found that having a salad or a green smoothie is such a wonderful change to what society thinks a "breakfast" should be. In fact I had so much energy that when everyone else was ready to eat again, I was still full from my filling breakfast. One day they had donuts for breakfast. I had a big spinach salad that filled me up for hours and hours. They, on the other hand, were hungry soon after their 3 or 4 donuts feast. lol Hungry, tired, and grumpy I might add as well the sugar high had worn off by then.

Besides you can always eat fruit, isn't that something that "acceptable" as a breakfast item? lol

To me a salad and water is paradise. :carrot:

I don't eat eggs, pancakes, meat, dairy, cheese lol...and now I'm merging more and more into my raw food lifestyle so imagine how well I would fit in at an IHOP lol...:o