Side dishes are a powerful culprit of calories and fat. Instead of ordering french fries with a sandwich, order vegetables. Choose a side salad or soup and make sure that the dressing for the salad is not already poured on the salad when it arrives at your table. You can also decide to have a salad as your main dish and not have a sandwich at all.

Broth-based soups tend to be lower in calories than are creamy soups or seafood chowder. You might want to order soup and/or a salad instead of choosing a more fattening entrée. If you decide to order the entrée, ask the waitperson if it is possible to order a half portion instead of a whole portion.