Eating healthy – like developing rickets or tumbling headfirst down a flight of stairs – is no fun. But as the adult obesity rate in the United States inches past 34 percent, according to the Center for Disease Control, and at-home cooking continues to become almost a quaint ritual from the days of yore, learning how to eat out without taking home a side of coronary artery disease has become a valuable skill set.

In 2009, there were 21,306 eating and drinking establishments in the state of Ohio, where patrons spent nearly $16 billion, according to the National Restaurant Association. That’s a lot of loot. Accordingly, the Buckeye state has the 15th-highest adult obesity rate in the nation at 29.2 percent.

A typical restaurant meal has at least 60 percent more calories than the average meal made at home, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm. Americans purchased about 200 meals per person from restaurants throughout most of the past decade, the study revealed.

So how does one continue to enjoy the best grub Ohio has to offer without becoming a butter-sweating, grease-licking tub of lard?

“It’s not that difficult,” said Anne Williams, a nutritionist with Franklin County’s Women, Infants and Children program. “It’s really all about educating yourself and taking a little extra time when determining what you’re going to eat.”

Generally, a good first step is to determine just how many calories you need on a daily basis, Williams said. Do your homework. When calculating appropriate caloric intake, take into account your lifestyle and activity level, and plan your meals for the day – if you have a big breakfast, have a lighter lunch, for example. Many dieting and general health websites, such as www.mayoclinic.com, have calorie calculators that help you find an appropriate number, considering variables such as age and activity level.

Before heading out, Williams said, identify healthier menu choices using the restaurant’s website, or a site such as www.healthydiningfinder.com. Most restaurants now provide nutritional information online, but for those that don’t, this website has accurate nutritional information, and notes menu items it deems “healthy” for dozens of Columbus-area eateries. Trying to go gluten-free? The folks over at Gluten Intolerance Group of Central Ohio (www.glutenfreegang.com) will point you in the right direction. Dozens of other sites that focus on and foster specific dietary peculiarities are also just a click away.

Although it might seem easy to hop online and pick an entrée from a pre-determined list of healthy choices, most restaurants try unwittingly to throw you off course at every turn. Bread basket? Toss on an additional 100 calories per piece, and up to 50 more for a liberal pat of butter. Ten pieces of buttered bread at a restaurant can add up to a whole day’s allotment of calories. Skip the bread, but if you must imbibe, pass the butter and opt for a more reasonable dose of olive oil or balsamic vinegar.

The traditional green salad is perhaps the last bastion of healthy eating on a typical American dinner plate, but add salad-topper favorites such as ranch dressing (150 calories per two tablespoons), croutons (50 calories for a typical restaurant serving), bacon bits (40 calories per serving) and shredded cheese (up to 150 calories per quarter cup), a 500-calorie salad is certainly within reach.

The best way to combat obesity-by-salad is to ditch the extra toppings and order the dressing – preferably an oil-based sauce – on the side. Dip your fork into the dressing before stabbing each bite of greens; the flavor of the dressing will still come through, but without drenching the greens in globs of fat, Williams said.

Perhaps the most damning variable contributing to America’s growing waste line is portion size. Many hamburgers, steaks, bagels and pasta entrees are at least two times bigger than the government’s definition of a serving, according to nutritionists with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington D.C.-based consumer group. In fact, many researchers have linked portion-size increases with the explicit rise in obesity rates; as portions began to grow in the mid-to-late 1970s, so have our guts.

While many restaurants are hesitant to minimize their portions across the board, many have also added smaller items to their menus to entice health-conscious patrons.

If you still crave an item that is best served via forklift, don’t fret, Williams said. Just ask your server for a to-go box at the onset of the meal, and stash away half of the plate into the box upon receipt. Not only will you be less likely to dig into the box after finishing your more reasonable portion, you’ll also have an extra meal in your fridge the next day that’s already paid for.