vaccinated against the virus continues to climb, more people are heading back inside to do something they maybe haven’t done since spring of last year: Sit down for a meal at a restaurant.

“I haven’t personally eaten inside of a restaurant since March 12, 2020,” says Angel Planells, a Seattle-based registered dietitian and spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

If you’re enjoying being back out in restaurants, but not enjoying how they make you feel, there are lots of ways to go out for a meal in a way that’s still conscientious of your personal eating goals. ?

It’s often helpful, Planells says, to think about your restaurant experience in relation to whatever else you’ve done that day.

“These things may help steer you during your meal choices,” he says.

It might make sense to go for a smaller breakfast and a lighter lunch if you’re going out for dinner, according to Kate Patton, a registered dietitian with Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition.

“If you’re getting alcoholic drinks or sodas, all those calories can add up,” Patton says.

Ryan played it as joke, but Planells says it's still a great way to health-hack your restaurant experience.

By vacuuming down your plate, you run the risk of thinking you’re still hungry as your body races to catch up to the amount of food that’s now in your stomach.

If you’re going to a favorite restaurant where you know the portions are bigger, plan to share the meal with one of your companions.

“I encourage folks to cut the meal in half, put it in a to-go container, and enjoy the rest,” says Planells