Don't let the cream and butter sauces keep you from your local French bistro. We'll help you enjoy a guilt-free meal. br br Step 1: Skip the soup br 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. br br Tip br Try the moules marinieres, which are mussels in white wine, garlic, and shallot sauce. br br Step 2: Avoid these words br Avoid any food accompanied by the word mousse, pate, terrine, hollandaise, meuniere, beurre blanc, bechamel, or bearnaise. All indicate a high fat content. br br Tip br Go for dishes described as "Provencal," which means they are served with a sauce of tomatoes, onions, and olives. br br Step 3: Focus on fish br For a safe bet, order grilled fish. Bouillabaisse, a fish stew, is also a good choice. br br Step 4: Ponder the duck br 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. br br Step 5: Weigh the meats br If you have a yen for meat, steak au poivre is less caloric than beef bourguignon. br br Step 6: Say cheese br 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! br br Step 7: Savor dessert br 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. br br Did You Know? br A comparison of restaurants in France and America revealed that the French eateries' portions were 25 percent smaller than their U.S. counterparts.