STEP 1 Skip the soup 跳过汤品

Skip the French onion soup and the seafood bisque in favor of almost any other appetizer; they're usually the most fattening starters on the menu.

Try the moules marinieres, which are mussels in white wine, garlic, and shallot sauce.

STEP 2 Avoid these words 不要点带有这些字眼的食物

Avoid any food accompanied by the word mousse, pate, terrine, hollandaise, meuniere, beurre blanc, bechamel, or bearnaise. All indicate a high fat content.

Go for dishes described as "Provencal," which means they are served with a sauce of tomatoes, onions, and olives.

STEP 3 Focus on fish 重点放在吃鱼

For a safe bet, order grilled fish. Bouillabaisse, a fish stew, is also a good choice.

STEP 4 Ponder the duck 选鸭肉要慎重

Life is too short to never have delicious duck a l'orange, but since it weighs in at nearly 1,000 calories, save this dish for special occasions.

STEP 5 Weigh the meats 选肉类要多衡量

If you have a yen for meat, steak au poivre is less caloric than beef bourguignon.

STEP 6 Say cheese 关于奶酪

If you are offered cheese after dinner, stick mostly with the hard varieties and avoid ripe vacherin, which is so creamy – i.e. fattening – it's served with a spoon!

STEP 7 Savor dessert 品尝甜点

Skip the profiteroles and tarte tatin, or apple tart, in favor of some sorbet. If you want a richer dessert, creme caramel is slightly less caloric than creme brulee.

A comparison of restaurants in France and America revealed that the French eateries' portions were 25 percent smaller than their U.S. counterparts.