Kansas City is legendary for their BBQ so we went to Jack Stack on our last night. This turned out to be a bit of a challenge because my almost 14-year daughter Elyse has been a vegetarian for almost two years. Known for prime meats, they didn’t have any vegetarian entrees so Elyse chose from appetizers and side dishes – mostly potatoes. I guess we wouldn’t have expected meals for carnivores at a vegetarian restaurant, would we?

Food Lovers’ Restaurant Tip: The lesson here is that no matter what your dietary preference is, you can make any menu item your main meal. Sometimes an appetizer or side salad is all you need. Most restaurants will also allow you to make side dish substitutions so you can create the meal you really want.

Once in awhile, even a wonderful dessert can make the perfect meal. I know it’s not the healthiest choice but face it, since your weight is determined by calories in versus calories out, having dessert for dinner when you really, really want it beats having dinner AND dessert! Just don’t make it a habit.