This Valentine’s Day you may be dining healthfully without even knowing it.

The Culinary Institute of America has partnered with the Harvard School of Public Health to make dining out delicious and healthful, in a sneaky kind of way. At the World of Healthy Flavors conference, scientists meet food service operators, restaurateurs and chefs to share best practices and the winner is us — the diners of America.

Have a question of general interest? E-mail Chris Rosenbloom Fit to Eat columns Get out of rut: Try new fruits and vegetables  Three questions: Organic produce, iron and iodine, and tryptophan  Setting the record straight on some food myths         More Fit to Eat • Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., is a member of the nutrition faculty in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State University Related: • Carolyn O'Neil: Think of add-ons as accessories  Good links: • Evening Edge • AJC Food & Drink • AJC Health Channel • Diet and Nutrition headlines, resources • Atlanta Restaurant reviews and search • Low fat/ heart healthy recipes • Search recipes

This partnership is all about creating dishes that diners will crave and that feature taste and enjoyment as the entree, with nutrition and health as the sides. You won’t find these items marked with little hearts or segregated to a corner of the menu. Healthful dishes are sharing top billing with the higher-calorie, not-so-heart-healthful items. Visit the Web site of your favorite restaurant to find nutrition information on all your favorite dishes.

Good-for-you choices

• Starbucks: Try the Perfect Oatmeal with dried fruit or nut medley, a Fruit Stella or a multigrain roll with almond butter for a delicious breakfast or snack.

• Dunkin Donuts: That’s right, Dunkin Donuts offers an oven-toasted flatbread sandwich. I tried the Egg White Veggie Flatbread recently when my flight was delayed and enjoyed every bite.

• Outback Steakhouse: Best known for thick steaks and fried appetizers, take another look at this restaurant. Order from the gluten-free menu if you need to avoid wheat. The regular menu looks good, too, featuring smaller filets (7 ounces). But don’t worry; you can still get a 12-ounce steak if that is your choice, even though as a dietitian I suggest asking for a doggie bag and taking half of it home for another meal. Chicken or Shrimp on the Barbie treats you to healthy protein with plenty of fresh, seasonal vegetables.

• Panera Bread: Try the whole-grain baguettes or stone-milled rye to give you quality carbohydrates. Pair with half a Fuji Apple With Chicken Salad and a cup of low-fat soup for a tasty meal loaded with fiber and whole grains.

• Applebee’s: Cajun Lime Tilapia, Grilled Chile Lime Chicken and Steak and Portobellos don’t sound like diet foods, but all fit into Weight Watchers’ point system. You wouldn’t know it from the taste.

• Pizza Hut: Try the Natural, with marinated tomato slices or veggies. Two slices provide one serving (16 grams) of whole grains (it is recommended that we get at least three servings — 48 grams — of whole grains a day) and the vegetable toppings cut the saturated fat found in meat toppings.