When eating out, we tend to think we’re “being good” by ordering an entrée salad instead of a big, juicy burger. But many of those salads have an undeserved health halo, packing in more calories and saturated fat than the poster food for an unhealthy dinner: The Big Mac.

Still even with bacon bits, tortilla chips and calorie-laden dressings abounding on the salad column of the menu, it’s not a free pass to give into the temptation of a burger (and a side of fries). Salads, with their increased volume and satisfying crunch, have a higher satiety factor than many other foods, meaning that they tend to fill us up quicker and control appetite throughout the day, says Toby Smithson, R.D., community dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “It’s fine to choose a salad, just watch what you’re putting in it,” she says. Her tips include:

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