With a gallon of gas nearing $4, is there room in the budget for a pricey pomegranate smoothie or an organically grown heirloom tomato salad?

Here are some tips to help keep restaurant dining off the endangered list while keeping an eye on bodily and monetary figures.

Michael Davidson / Special (ENLARGE)

Sharing a portion of seared jumbo scallops at Five Seasons Brewing will benefit your wallet and your waistline.

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Divide and conquer

Even though weight-control experts have warned against them, there's an upside to the overly large portions some restaurants offer. Make it a practice to divide a large portion in half before you start eating.

You'll halve the calories and the cost of your meal. Registered dietitian Alice Hennemen, Extension Educator for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, says, "Think 'planned-overs' rather than 'leftovers.' "

If you remove half the food immediately so it's out of sight, you won't be tempted to eat the whole serving, and the takeout container will keep the food fresher longer.

All-around savings

When it comes to restaurant portion size, you can be penny-wise and pound-wise. When you have a choice, order smaller servings of foods such as burgers, soups and so on.

They're lower in calories and cost. Susan Lindley of Atlanta says, "We love restaurants. But, when my husband, George, and I dine out, we always split a few great-sounding appetizers and order our own side salads to save money and calories."

Happily, many restaurants have increased the number of appetizers offered because that's what customers are demanding. Five Seasons Brewing in Alpharetta and Sandy Springs offers more than 20 small plates and salads and most (feel free to split) entrees are under $20. At newly opened Spice Market in Midtown's Colony Square, servers encourage family-style sharing of the Indonesian-inspired street foods. So rather than appearing cheap, you're actually being chic.

Lunch for less

Many restaurants offer some of the same delicious dishes for lunch as for dinner, only in smaller portions and for less money.

Want to eat at that fancy restaurant? Check its noontime menu and enjoy a leisurely lunch, sometimes at half the price. You'll also be meeting the healthy-eating mission to consume most of your calories during the day when you're the most active.

Think ... half a dessert

Splitting dessert has always been mission critical for weight control. You and your dining companion can dig into the $5-a-serving brioche bread pudding with chocolate, raisins, pecans and bourbon sauce at Five Seasons Brewing for half the price and half the calories. Make sharing a habit with all desserts.

Take a walk

Rather than choosing the valet parking for shortest route from car door to restaurant table, why not intentionally find a parking spot that's a bit farther away but free?

Park the car yourself instead of using a valet to save a few dollars and burn some extra calories coming and going from the restaurant.

Carolyn O'Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of "The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!" E-mail her at carolyn@carolynoneil.com