What do you eat on a date? If you're a man, you'll probably going to go for whatever looks good. If you're a woman, however, you're more likely to go something light like a salad. At least, that's what a study from McMaster University has recently determined. Lead researcher Meredith Young and team studied the eating habits of 469 students and found that what we order -- and how much of it we eat -- depends on who we're dining with.

Of the participants sampled, Young and co. found that women tend to choose lower-calorie foods when they're dining with a man than they would if they were eating with a group of girlfriends. On average, women ate 540 calories when eating with a male companion. But when they were eating with women? They consumed 670 calories when eating with one woman and 750 calories when eating with a group of girls. "It seems to fit with our intuition. We always hear advice about going on a first date and only eating salad," said Young.


What gives? Are we so painfully self-conscious when eating with men that we deny ourselves food? One reporter at the Daily Mail asked around and found that women who admitted that they did usually order salads and lighter fare when dining with men did it because it made them feel less bloated and more ladylike. Plus, as Young pointed out, "Our hypothesis was that we use food to signal attractiveness: 'We're healthy. We're in good shape. We're pretty.'"

Truth be told, ordering a healthy salad over a loaded burger with fries is never a bad idea, and 540 calories is a healthy amount to consume in one meal so it looks like the men in our lives can be a positive influence in this regard.

But that doesn't mean you have to give up your Sex And The City-style brunches and dinners with the girls. Just do your best to make healthier choices and go easy on the Cosmos.