A summer body is no easy feat to achieve, so if you’ve achieved one, the last thing you want to do is ruin it by eating out. Health and fitness professionals say that the best way to stay trim and stick to your diet is to only eat meals at home, because you can trust the health and quality of your own cooking. However, it is possible to stick to your diet while dining out at restaurants this summer, and you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your social life for that bangin’ summer bod.

Whether you’re going out to a nice restaurant for a first date, or some friends have invited you for appetizers at a local patio, you’ll want to hear these tips for eating healthy while dining out. On a date, you don’t want to be one of those girls who orders a garden salad, but you do still need to be careful. Some people naturally lose their appetite when they’re nervous, which is why a lot of women don’t eat much on a first date. Others, however, may actually need to take an appetite suppressant before a date if their nervous habits cause them to overeat. (Check out Review Critic to review different types of supplements that can counteract these nervous habits.) Generally speaking, there are a few great tips below that will help you stick to your summer diet while you enjoy a social life and dine out.

Eat a Healthy Snack Before You Go

Knowing you will be going out to eat for a date or social event can help you prepare for the extra calories you may be eating at the restaurant. You can start preparing by making sure you are eating throughout the day, and by having a snack before you head to the restaurant. This prevents you from over-indulging at the restaurant. In other words, the last thing you want to do is show up to the restaurant starving.

About an hour before you head to the restaurant, eat a healthy snack such as an apple with some almonds, or veggies with hummus. By not showing up hungry, you’ll order something modest from the menu and you’ll be able to maintain portion control.

Be Decisive

This could be one of the most important tips we share. Menus are typically romanced with tempting words to get you to order more lavish meals. To avoid going astray with a fatty meal choice, quickly give your menu a glance. Find a few options that stick out as being healthier alternatives, and ultimately decide on one. Don’t let yourself get tempted by a menu that is romanticizing a buttery pasta. Once you’ve made your healthier decision, close your menu.  Don’t allow your eyes to continue to wander and find other options that may lead you to break your diet. Also, if he orders first, don’t let his choice sway yours. If you’ve decided on the grilled salmon, and he orders the garlic butter steak, stick to your gut and don’t make a split second decision to switch your choice.

Avoid Excess Alcohol

Now, we aren’t saying you can’t enjoy a drink or two. But, it is important to be wary of the amount of hidden sugar in most cocktails. If alcohol seems to be an encouraged component of the dinner, allow yourself a drink or two, but make two drinks your absolute limit. Not only is this a great tip for your diet, but it’s a good date tip in general. Especially on a first or second date, you don’t want to allow yourself to get too drunk. First dates are about connecting and learning about each other. By limiting your alcohol intake, you are essentially allowing him to get to know the real you.

Take Some Leftovers Home

There are a couple of pros to taking a doggy bag home from the restaurant. For one thing, you’ll have a free lunch the next day. The main pro, however, is that by only eating half of your dinner, you’ve achieved portion control and you’ve limited your calorie intake while you were out for dinner.

Offer To Split Dessert, Or Just Skip It

Once dinner is finished, don’t let your date or your friend convince you that it’s a good idea to both choose a different dessert. Instead, convince them that picking a dessert together and splitting it is the right way to go – or simply say that you’re too full for dessert. If you must indulge, sharing in the last course may even give the overall meal a more romantic end, not to mention the extra calories you’ll save! Also, if you’re really counting your calories, by splitting a dessert, it is easier to take only a few bites, and then put your spoon down. Instead of leaving an unfinished dessert on your plate to cause extra temptation, putting your spoon down on a shared dessert signals to your guy that you’re full and can’t eat anymore. Most likely, he will continue to finish the dessert, leaving no extra enticement for an extra bite.