Believe it or not, salad is not always your best bet when it comes to dining out. Fast food restaurants and chain eateries often offer up side salads that reach into the thousand calorie range - and that's before you add dressing and croutons. If you are at a restaurant and the salad still looks like your best bet, ask your waiter to bring out the dressing on the side. This ensures that you will not be forced into consuming an unnecessarily generous amount of dressing. Better yet, opt for fat-free dressings.