One problem is that most restaurants want you to like the food, so you'll come back. The easiest and cheapest ways to make restaurant food taste good is to add a lot of fat and salt.

If your food is being made-to-order, you can ask for less added fat and salt. However, I'm not convinced the kitchen staff always comply with these requests. This tends to work best at small restaurants where you eat frequently.

Another strategy to entice you is to serve huge portions, so you feel like you're getting your money's worth. This isn't limited to fast food places and steak houses. Have you noticed the trough-sized pasta dishes at some Italian restaurant chains or the platters of food most Mexican restaurants serve? You could eat the leftovers for days.

A bit of good news though... many restaurant and fast food chains have developed entrees specifically for individuals who want to eat healthy while eating out. A list of restaurant and fast food chains that have on-line menus and nutrition information appears on the left of this page.

Examples of healthy restaurant meals include, Chili's Guiltless Grill, Ruby Tuesday's Smart Eating, and Applebee's Weight Watchers meals. Outback Steakhouse's web site provides ordering suggestions, such as asking for cocktail sauce instead of drawn butter for the shrimp appetizer.

Yes, even fast food chains are trying to provide healthier options. In some cases, I think it's mostly public relations... remember those unappetizing salad cups at McDonald's a few years back? But things are definitely getting better.

Subway has whole-wheat bread, Taco Bell offers fresh salsa instead of cheese sauce and sour cream, and almost every fast food chain has a broiled chicken sandwich (order without cheese or mayo).

Portion control is a huge issue with fast food. If you want a burger have a burger, but make it a single burger with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickle. Don't make it a double or triple burger, with cheese, bacon and special sauce (it's no secret, it's mostly mayonnaise or oil). Cardiac surgeons affectionately refer to these as double and triple bypass burgers. Skip the fries or order the smallest size they sell.

Let's face it, at some places there aren't a lot of good choices and to be honest you wouldn't be there if you weren't looking for a treat. If you're in a Krispy Kreme or a Baskin Robbins, portion control is your best bet. One donut is better than four and a single scoop of ice cream is way better than a triple scoop sundae.

If you're watching your weight, skip the alcoholic beverages when you eat out. If you do drink when you go out, order by the glass instead of bottle or pitcher. If it's there and you've paid for, you'll want to finish it off.

I'm usually so full when I eat out that I'm not tempted by desert. If you are, look for something small and low fat. Or better yet, share a dessert with a female companion and she'll probably eat most of it (grin). Most cakes and pies pack a lot of fats and calories and are best reserved for special occasions.

Many of us live in areas with an abundance of ethnic restaurants. In theory ethnic restaurants should be a good choice, because most cultures eat less meat and more grains and vegetables than Americans. Unfortunately, many ethnic restaurants feel they need to use a lot of meat, cheese and oil and serve large portions to satisfy American tastes.

Here's some tips for making good choices at ethnic restaurants:

Chinese
Soup, fish, chicken, vegetables and rice are good choices. Skip the fried stuff like egg rolls, sweet & sour pork, and fried rice.

Japanese
Soup, sushi, chicken and fish are good choices. Avoid tempuras and other fried dishes.

French
Choose salads and grilled, broiled or roasted meats. Avoid croissants and cream sauces.

Greek
Salad, rice, pita bread, fish, and chicken are good choices. Watch out for phyllo dough (contains a lot of fat) and fatty meats.

Indian
Choose baked bread instead of fried. Look for bean (lentil) and vegetable based dishes. Avoid fried appetizers.

Italian
Soup, salads, pasta in tomato sauce, and fish dishes are good choices. Alfredo sauces and dishes with lots of cheese should be avoided. If the portion is huge, take half home. Limit the amount of bread and butter you consume. Order wine by the glass instead of by the bottle or carafe.

Pizza
Thin crust will save you lot of calories. Add vegetable toppings like mushrooms, peppers and onions. Limit fatty meat toppings like pepperoni, sausage, and bacon. Don't go for the 2 for 1 specials unless you have enough people to eat it.

Mexican
Soups, salads, fish, chicken, whole beans, soft tortillas and salsa are good choices. Fried foods, chorizo, cheese, refried beans, fried taco shells or chips, and sour cream should be limited.

It's a challenge to eat healthy when you eat out a lot.

However, with a little knowledge and self-control, you can make good choices.