Daily Fit Tip: Go online before you dine

Eating out can be a dangerous proposition for those trying to maintain healthy eating habits. It's just so hard to tell how restaurant chefs prepare their menu items. Ordering a piece of fish may seem like a safe choice but what if it's been doused in butter, cooked in oil, and sprinkled with salt? Not so healthy anymore, right? Right.

Before heading out for your next out-to-eat experience, find out just what's in store by giving this tool at try. I just gave it whirl by typing in my city, state, and zip code and a desired price range. Up popped three dining locations with links to nutritional information for various dishes. Not everything I found met my healthy criteria, but that's the point -- to determine what's good and what's not so good for us.

This online option -- healthydiningfinder.com -- does operate according to some nutritional criteria. Everything you find when you visit must fit these guidelines:

Entrées (or full meals) must include at least one of the following:

• fruits and/or vegetables
• lean protein, i.e., skinless white meat poultry, fish/seafood (including salmon), tofu, etc., with no more than two red meat dishes per restaurant
• 100% whole grains

Menu items must meet the following three criteria:

• Entrées (or full meals):
  750 calories or less
  25 grams of fat or less
  8 grams of saturated fat or less
  
  
• Appetizers, side dishes, and desserts
  250 calories or less
  8 grams of fat or less
  3 grams of saturated fat or less

Your turn -- give it a try and tell us what you think.