A menu is a list of possibilities, not a test. You can eat out and still leave feeling like yourself. The skill is reading for cooking method, plants, and a protein you recognize, then adjusting without making the table tense.
Look for words like grilled, baked, roasted, broth, salad, beans, and vegetables. Look also for the sides. Many plates become steady when you swap a second starch for greens or ask for the sauce on the side so you can use what you want. You are allowed to ask. Kitchens hear this every day.
Build the same trio you use at home if you can: protein, plants, and a starch you enjoy. Grilled fish with potatoes and a salad is that trio. A bean stew with bread is that trio. A bowl of noodles with tofu and vegetables is that trio. You do not need the plainest item. You need a complete one.
Shared plates help. Order a vegetable dish for the table and a protein you like, and let people serve themselves. This is often more relaxed than hunting for a single perfect entree. If you are celebrating, eat the dish you came for and add a plant beside it. Restriction in public is rarely the point of the evening.
Sauces, cheese, and fried foods are part of food culture. Frequency is the lever, not a ban. If most of your week is built from home plates, a rich meal out is easy to absorb. If every meal is a surprise, the body feels it. The menu skill is for the meals you do not cook.
Allergies and medical diets are different from preference. Name them clearly to the server. For everyday steadiness, a few questions and a complete plate are enough.