I eat them right away Norman. But sometimes I can no longer finish the main course because I'm already full lol.

I eat the salad before the main course arrives. If I have soup, I eat it with the main course. Although usually if I have soup, that is the main course.

I eat them as they come, preferably before the meal, like an antipasto. Often, I will eat part of a salad and save the rest for after the meal if there is room or as a palate cleanser.

I always eat my salad as soon as they bring it.

In terms of etiquette, I can't say that I have a definitive answer, although it seems logical that you would eat each course of the meal as it arrives at your table. After all, why sit there awkwardly with your soup or salad for 10-15 minutes and just stare at it while you wait for the next course? In terms of healthy eating habits, I have a different answer. First some background info. Remember: pound for pound, ounce for ounce, your body needs far more water than it does any other nutrient. Specifically, the average person needs about 6-8 cups (i.e., 1.5 - 2 L) of water, only 300 g of carbohydrate, only about 60-80 g of protein, and about 30-60 g of fat. Of course, these figures are debated by nutritionists and diet gurus, who subscribe to different philosophies of what constitutes "proper/healthy" eating. These figures will also vary on an individual level depending on how active you are, your body weight, age (e.g., a teenager is growing, so he/she needs more), and other factors (e.g., a breast-feeding mother needs more). But the bottom line is that you need only a few tablespoons of fat, about 4-5 tablespoons of protein, just over a cup of carbs, and, of course, 6-8 cups of water over the course of a whole day. Think of it from this perspective, too: without water, you'll die within several days. But you can survive without food for weeks as long as you're hydrated and you conserve energy. Also, think of it from a physiological perspective: when you gain weight, your fat cells grow. What are they filling up with? Water. Just like a camel, your body can then draw upon the water stored in those fat cells in times of low food availability. Therefore, water is not just the elixir of life...it's our lifeblood. Back to the soup/salad question now. I'd recommend that you sip on water and finish a whole glass a good 10 minutes before eating anything because it's water that your body needs to such a great extent. This will go a long way to satisfying your body's most vital needs and relaxing you (i.e., getting you out of that high-stress, "Give me FOOD!" mode). Then, eat the soup or salad, which are high in water (assuming the soup isn't too creamy, or the salad isn't doused in a high-fat dressing with bacon bits). Assuming the soup or salad is low-cal, it will start filling you up with more water. Then, by the time your higher-cal protein/starch/fat-rich course arrives, your brain will already be well on its way to receiving the hormonal signal that your stomach is "full", thus being satisfied with a moderate portion of that course - which, more often than not, contains more than enough carbs, protein, and fat to meet your body's needs. Then, if you still have room for dessert, go for one that actually does good rather than harm to your body: a portion of fruit, or maybe some low-sugar/low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. If you do have a fatty/sugary dessert, just have a small portion; after all, it's about finishing your meal on a sweet/savoury note - not sending your body on a sugar-crashing roller-coaster ride. Then, about 2 hours after your meal, sip on another glass of water and go to bed without binging/snacking mindlessly on chips, cookies, or other energy-robbing, waist-expanding foods. Your question is a very good one, I think, because it gets to the heart of why so many people today are obese, inactive, and, ultimately, unhealthy: they reach for high-calorie snacks and fast-food meals, thanks to thousands of hours of advertisements that convince them, either consciously or unconsciously, that such foods are a "great" way to "satisfy" your hunger, etc. We're also far too rushed and stressed in our lives, so its abominably convenient for us to pull into a fast-food restaurant and drown our troubles in hamburgers, fries, tacos, sundaes, chocolates, and other ultra-high cal but terribly unhealthy foods. Eating a properly sequenced meal, with water, salad/soup, and a moderate, balanced portion of protein, carbs (hopefully vegetables too, not just starch!), and just a bit of fat has become a foreign experience for so many people today. It's time to reclaim that experience and start demanding better for ourselves.

It all depends on how big of a meal i order

The soup is going to get cold. Also I am hungry usually when I go out to eat, so I am going to at least eat something when it is put in front of me. Salads are usually not very filling, so it is good with me to eat it first. It's that bread basket that's going to fill you up.