Achieving the balance between eating healthy and maintaining a social life can be tough. One of the most popular pastimes in America is going out to eat, but restaurant food—no matter the quality—can be difficult to navigate if your trying to keep up with a diet.

The next time your dining out, try some of these calorie-cutting tips and apps that can help you stay on track!

On the side, please.
Asking for dressings or sauces on the side, as opposed to slathered on your dish, can help you cut a surprising number of calories and fat. Oil-based condiments are often loaded in saturated fats, so dip, don’t pour.

Substitute with veggies.
It’s common for a sandwich or main dish to come with a number of sides—many of which are fried. Instead, choose the side salad or vegetables. Eating a light salad before the main course can help you with portion control, and is a better choice than French fries.

Go for the grill.
If you have the choice between battered and fried or grilled, go grilled every time. Not only will you avoid that greasy, full feeling when all is said and done, but you’ll save a little room to treat yourself, too.

Portion control is key.
Most restaurants give you an absurd amount of food—much more than you would give yourself if you were cooking at home. As soon as your meal comes, reserve half. When you’re done eating, give yourself at least fifteen minutes to digest before digging into the rest. You’d be surprised how full you feel when you eat a little slower.

Healthy Food Finder
These apps are hard to beat for finding a restaurant that caters to your clean-eating palate.

Clean Plates
This app and website is packed with information on ways to live your healthiest life, whether traveling, dining out, or cooking at home. Browse through thousands of restaurant reviews from across the country, watch healthy cooking videos, and pick up tips for eating better on a budget.

Healthy Out
Avoid the greasy take out meal with this app designed to help you find your healthiest bite in a hurry. Fast food doesn’t have to be bad for you, and that’s where Healthy Out comes in. Enter your zip code, and search through topics like low carb, low calorie, and heart healthy, until you find the menu that’s right for you.

Paleo Digest
The paleo trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, but it can be one of the most challenging lifestyles to stick to while dining out. This app allows users to post dishes from restaurants near you that they enjoyed, so you don’t have to wonder if that corner bar has something you can eat.

Going out to eat shouldn’t be a stressful situation. Try out some of these tricks and calorie-saving apps to make sure you can eat delicious meal without sacrificing your healthy-eating goals.