I had a similar habit when I regularly ate at a cafeteria:
I usually ate the salad first (and at all), because I have a strong habit of leaving the best for last (and, perhaps unfortunately, of cleaning my plate). This had the secondary effect that there was only half a plate available for calorie-dense foods, and I probably ate fewer calories overall because of it.
It helps, though, that I actually enjoy eating vegetables as long as they're well prepared.
I have a strategy for getting myself to eat vegetables. I've been using it for about six months now, and it works well:
Side effect: people who see my plate think I'm a very healthy eater. But sometimes they ask my "why is your salad steaming?"
I also posted this on my blog