Your next meal out could probably feed a family of four. A survey in the journal Obesity found 76% of the chefs surveyed claimed they served "regular" portions. Yet when the servings were actually weighed and measured, the plated portions were 200-400% larger than the servings recommended by the USDA! 400%!

But who doesn't appreciate generous restaurant portions? Your waistline (and your heart), that's who.

Brian Wansink, PhD, is an expert in the psychology of why we overeat. His infamous experiment proves we eat with our eyes and not our stomachs. His team arranged for a bowl of soup to be constantly refilled from the bottom without telling the participants. Inevitably each person continued eating the equivalent of several portions.

Moral of the story? Since the bowl didn't get empty their brain didn't register fullness and they kept eating.

And as if eating a whole family serving at once weren't enough, consumers are woefully under educated on the calories they're shoveling in:

* Outback Aussie Cheese Fries appetizer weighs in at a whopping 2,900 calories!

* Denny's French Toast Slam breakfast tips the scales at nearly 1,200 calores!

* PF Chang's Orange Peel Beef with a side of fried rice totals an incredible 3,100 calories!

* Ruby Tuesday healthy sounding Chicken & Broccoli Pasta will cost you over 1,680 calories!

* Carl's Junior's Monster Thickburger, Fries & Shake racks up an amazing 2,710 calories!

Think you'll fare better at a "healthier" restaurant? Not necessarily. According to the Journal of Consumer Research, diners requested up to 131% more calories in sides, drinks and desserts at Subway (remember Jared) than at McDonald's -- even though the Subway main choice actually had more calories to start.

What's a savvy consumer to do? Enjoy your dinner and be calorie smart with these tips:

* Check the restaurant's website for nutritional info for calories, carbs and/or sodium before you go.

* Call ahead and ask if they allow substitutions so you can order grilled veggies instead of the curly fries.

* Balance calories by ordering an appetizer to share plus a salad with mineral water as your meal.

* Automatically save half the calories by splitting the meal in half for lunch the next day

* When ordering grilled fish or veggies, ask that no butter or oil be used to save 100 calories.

Over 30% of Americans choose dinner at the last minute, which may result in crummy nutritional picks according to recent studies.

Don't be a statistic. Visualize your portion. You're in charge. Choose smart.