There are lots of reasons why you'd skip the kitchen and stop at a local restaurant for a bite to eat, but no matter how great the reason is you still need to remember that you need to stay healthy and eat right. Eating out doesn't have to mean choosing unhealthy, fatty foods with tons of preservatives and questionable ingredients. Think about the place, portion and pregnancy when you decide to eat out.
Finding the Best Place
You want to choose a restaurant that is well-known and well-kept. Major restaurants often follow stringent cleaning guidelines and must pass rigorous inspections to maintain the contract with the franchise. This means you are getting food that is more likely to be prepared according to safety regulations than you could at a small mom and pop restaurant you've never heard of before.
With that said, there are lots of mom and pop restaurants that follow all health codes that prepare and store food in a healthy manner, but if you've never been there before you may want to skip it for a few weeks until baby is born.
Finding the Best Portions
There are often light menus available from major restaurants. While you aren't necessarily watching your weight you are watching your portion intake and health. Healthy options tend to be lower in fat and sodium, in some cases, and the portions are perfect for maintaining that small meal/eat often lifestyle that's perfect during pregnancy.
Considering Your Pregnancy
During pregnancy there are foods you need to avoid whether eating at home or eating out. These foods include soft or unpasteurized cheeses, lunch meats and under cooked meats. Salad bars are also questionable as they can be a breeding ground for germs that cause food poisoning.
Eating out during pregnancy is completely healthy and acceptable, but you need to keep your pregnancy in sight when making the final choice of where to sit for a meal.