Eating out can be a disaster if you're trying to make heart-healthy choices. Restaurants up the appeal and taste of their dishes by adding extra fat so it's hard to know how to make the best decisions. Here are some tips from Eat Better America:

• Preview the menu, if possible, and make a healthy choice in advance. The key here is sticking to your choice -- no backing out last minute for the Alfredo-covered steak
• Order first. That way, you won't be tempted by what your fellow diners are getting
• Ask questions on how it's prepared, how big the portion is and what's in it.
  
• Watch what you drink too. Drinks can add a ton of extra calories. Don't assume because it's in liquid form it doesn't count
• Have a salad to start -- it will help fill you up so you don't gorge on the main course
• Order the dish with the most vegetables, and of course choose the veggies or salad over the fries as a side
• Get the fish. Unless it's battered and deep fried, it's probably your best bet.
  
• Order steam, poached or baked over fried or sauteed.
• Take your time and enjoy what you're eating.

For more great tips, check out the full article.

It is one thing to prepare heart healthy foods at home, but eating out and trying to maintain a heart healthy diet can be a challenge. Many restaurants do not offer a wide variety of palatable foods for diners wishing to eat in moderation. With this thought in mind, I recently did some research to determine if I could eat healthily in most states or cities around the nation. I hit upon a few websites that offer suggestions for local eating establishments and a few that offer tips for how to eat out.

The site that hosts various restaurants varied from city to city. The Denver area lists three restaurants offering heart healthy menus, while the Branson, Missouri area offers just one, Blimpie Subs and Salads. I was somewhat disappointed with the restaurant suggestions since many of the cities are so large and the restaurant listings so few. It appears that it is actually easier to use the websites offering healthy eating tips.

How do you eat out? Are you careful about where and what you eat when at a restaurant? Or do you indulge and simply enjoy what the menu has to offer?