When you're out and about, do your healthy eating habits fly out the window? Despite your good intentions, does your location dictate your diet?

No matter how nutrition conscious we are at home, for many of us, a baseball game automatically means eating a foot-long and nachos. Waiting for a flight at the airport, we pack in a giant cinnamon roll. And the main feature at the movies is a jumbo tub of buttered popcorn.

With an increasing number of places and events now banning the public from bringing in food and drinks, we're often forced to rely on the fare at hand. Admittedly, there aren't a lot of great food options when you're on the go, but you do have choices. And, some of them are much healthier than others.

"When you go to any of these places, think calories, fat and sodium, and go for the foods that have the least amounts. And if it has fiber, that's all the better," says Linda Copp, registered dietitian and instructor of nutrition at San Diego State University. "The key is quantity and frequency. You can have that hot dog or a bag of peanuts. You just have to (pay attention to) portion control and reduce the size."

Dietitions and nutrition experts offer some tips for eating healthfully wherever you are.

STADIUM SPORTING EVENTS/CONCERTS

Anything that's grilled instead of fried. This includes grilled chicken sandwiches, turkey burgers, veggie burgers and fajitas. Leave off the mayo, cheese and ketchup. Mustard is fine.

Sandwich wraps. "Wraps are typically better for you than regular sandwiches. They usually have less bread and contain grilled or fresh deli meat with less mayo and cheese," says Julie Barrett, registered dietitian at Scripps Memorial Hospital.

Tacos. Go for the grilled fish tacos (Rubio's HealthMex) or grilled chicken soft tacos. Take it easy on the cheese, but feel free to pile on the salsa.

Corn on the cob (nix the butter), baked potatoes (a tiny bit of butter but pass on the sour cream), sushi and fresh fruit smoothies are nutritious nibbles available at many stadiums.

Try a Sno Cone or cotton candy if you must have something sweet. Both are just sugar plus ice or air. There's zero fat and less calories than in many other decadent alternatives.

A hot dog isn't too bad: 290 calories and 110 of those are the bun (so, don't eat all of bun). Use mustard, no ketchup or relish. Footlongs are different story. They double the calorie count to 580 calories.

Soft pretzels. These big doughy snacks offer lots of carbs and calories (about 420), but no fat. Pass on the salt, but go crazy with the mustard. Share one with a friend or two.

Peanuts in the shell offer protein and monounsaturated fat, without extra fat from oil-roasting. But there's lots of calories, 840 for an 8-ounce bag. So, share with your fellow fans.

If you want a beer, go for the light ones.

AMUSEMENT/THEME PARKS

Soups and salads, in addition to fire-roasted chicken and grilled salmon, are some healthy options at Legoland's Upper Deck Sports Cafe and Garden Restaurant.

Grilled chicken sandwich. "A grilled hamburger is OK, but a grilled chicken sandwich is a better option," says Copp, explaining that the beef typically used in hamburgers in these settings is of a lesser grade and contains more fat.

Fresh salads plus roasted and grilled meat, chicken and fish are nutritious foods available at some of the parks' sit-down restaurants, including the Shipwreck Reef Cafe at SeaWorld.

Fajitas like those offered at the zoo can be a healthy option if you request no sauce (high in fat and sodium) and no added oil or butter for the theatrical sizzle finish.

"Ask them to grill your fajita dry and then just add salsa to it," Copp says.

All-beef hot dogs (Hebrew National brand), a healthier alternative to the traditional fatty wieners, are offered at many amusement parks and other venues.

Fresh fruit smoothies and low-fat frozen yogurt are good cold dessert options offered at several parks.

Thin-crust wood-fired pizza is a healthy possibility. Get one with lots of vegetables and no sausage or pepperoni and have just one piece. Maybe two, if they're small. If you're really feeling righteous, blot up the excess grease with a napkin before you dig in.

AIRPORTS

Ready-made sandwiches and salads with a few adjustments can be a relatively healthy meal. Go for the turkey subs. Throw out the mayo and use the mustard. And, strip off the top bun and eat it open-faced.

Some airport sit-down restaurants offer grilled entrees and sandwiches that are healthier than the fried versions.

A well-chosen energy bar isn't a bad option. Choose one that contains less than 200 calories, has three or more grams of fiber and at least 5 grams of protein. Skip the calorie-laden chocolate-covered ones.

Apples and bananas are offered at many airport snack bars.

Fruit juice or smoothies are available at most.

Nearly every airport has a Starbucks or comparable coffee stand at which you can get iced coffee with fat-free milk and flavorings.

"Stay away from a lot of the coffee blended drinks. You're looking at between 400 and 800 calories for one drink and it's loaded with fat and sugar," Copp says.

Frozen yogurt, particularly the fat-free versions, are a healthy choice. But, stay away from the yogurt parfaits offered at some of the food stands, Copp says.

"They typically are made with whole-milk yogurt and lots of granola which is laden with fat and calories, and very little fresh fruit. It looks healthy, but it's 300 to 500 calories and loaded with fat," she says.

MOVIE THEATERS

There's not a lot of health options at the movies so focus on the flick, not the food. Dietitians agreed that your best strategy is to eat a healthy meal before or after your movie date.

Minimal popcorn. If you have to have movie popcorn, get the child-size or the smallest one available without butter. Stay away from anything bigger than this, cautions Copp.

If a movie isn't a movie without a big box of candy, go for the licorice or Gummi Bears. While these have loads of sugar and are no calorie bargain, they're nearly fat-free and are a better choice than fat-loaded Reese's Pieces or M&Ms.

Filling up on fluids is an option. Bottled water, juices and diet sodas are the better choices.

SHOPPING MALLS

Today's food courts offer lots of healthy eating options if you take the time to look through the various menus.

Sushi is offered at many malls. Stay away from the tempura.

Grilled fish or chicken is often available in sandwiches or in tacos.

Salads are always a nutritious option. Go easy on the dressing. Or, better yet, don't pour the dressing on and instead use the old dieter's trick of dipping your fork into the dressing and then picking up the food with your fork.

"You get the taste of the dressing, but only a fraction of the amount than if you had poured it on the salad," Copp says.

Turkey or chicken sub sandwiches. Hold the mayo, butter and cheese. Get it on a whole grain bun if possible.

Rubio's HealthMex selections offer the fresh Mexican flavor with less fat and calories. The HealthMex Mahi Mahi taco or HealthMex chicken salad offer chargrilled meat and fish with a fat-free dressing.

Frozen yogurt. Order the low-fat or fat-free versions minus any toppings or syrups.

ON THE ROAD

(Gas station stores, mini marts)

— String cheese

— Energy bars. Look for those under 200 calories, with some fiber and protein. Pass on the chocolate-covered ones.

— Fresh fruit. Apples, oranges or bananas are often in the refrigerated case.

— Frozen fruit juice bars.

— Low-fat whole-wheat crackers.

— Juices, bottled water and teas.

— Small bag of unsalted almonds.

— Hard pretzels. Not too many or too big since they're high in sodium.

— Turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread, minus the mayo and cheese.

REPRINTED FROM THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE.

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