If you’re like me and your new year’s resolution was to be healthier, here are some tips on how to eat healthfully when you’re out of the house. When in your own kitchen, you and your parents decide what you can snack on and how your food is made. When you eat outside of your home, it’s harder to be in control of what you eat because you do not decide which options are available or how they are prepared. Here are some ways to take back control and make sure you are still eating healthfully when you are away from home:

• Ask to get mayo and salad dressings on the side. Mayo and other dressings can be high in fat. You do not have to give them up completely, but try smaller quantities and you will see that a little can go a long way.
• Instead of white bread, ask for wheat or whole grain bread. Grainy bread has more nutrients and is healthier than white bread.
• Try to limit how much red meat (like hamburgers) you eat. Switch it out for chicken or turkey, which has less saturated fat.
• Minimize your soda consumption. A lot of times people substitute soda for water, but make sure you do not fall into that habit! You need to drink at least 6-8 glasses a day, but you might need even more if you are highly active.

Remember, these are general recommendations. Everyone is allowed a splurge every once in a while!

Click here to Ask Allie a specific question or post a comment.

Could your nails use a little TLC? Here are 4 easy steps to make your hands applause-worthy.

1. File Time
These days, squares with slightly rounded edges are the way to go. Use a nail file to shape your fingernails but NEVER file them using a back-and-forth or sawing motion - this will weaken them. File in one direction to help keep your nails their strongest.

2. Soak 'Em
Fill your bathroom sink or a bucket or bowl with a couple of inches of warm water. Add some baby oil, bath beads or even olive oil and soak your hands for 5-10 minutes.

3. Be Pushy
Dab a little bit of moisturizer or (if your mom has some, cuticle cream) around the edges of your nails, then, using an orange stick or the blunt end of a metal file, push your cuticles back. Though it may be tempting, NEVER cut them with those clippers - they'll just grow back thicker and more unruly. Only use those "cuticle clippers" to nip hangnails in the bud.

4. To Polish or Buff? That is the question.
Many beauty experts think that dark colored nail polish should be reserved for the over 16 set. Whatever your personal (or maternal) preference, know that this season, pale metallic shades and barely there nudes are all the rage. (Pssst. No need to break your piggy bank on polish…CoverGirl's Snowflake Frost rocks and is only $3 and there are many other brands like, N.Y.C., Jane and Mark that have great shades for an even better price.