How to Survive Buffets

Buffets are often thought of as a diet disaster. With unlimited food available it’s easy to overindulge. Try these easy suggestions in an attempt to leave feeling pleasantly full, not overly stuffed.

Don’t Skip Meals Before:

Many people that know they are going to have a buffet dinner or lunch may skip meals earlier in the day to save the calories. This often backfires and results in more calories consumed at the buffet because of the extreme hunger. Of course, don’t make the earlier meals extremely calorically dense, just your usual fare.

Save Calories from Drinks: 

Opt for no calorie water, unsweetened tea, or diet soda to prevent piling up more calories just from drinks that you can get anywhere and any time.

Scan the Buffet Ahead of Time:

If you enter the buffet line not knowing what lies ahead, you could end up with a heaping plate of numerous items. If you walk around the room looking at all the options available you can make note of what looks most appealing. Maybe the first thing you see looks good but then you see a similar item that looks even better. Doing this can prevent waste as well since you’re getting exactly what you want.

Choose the Smaller Plate: 

Chances are if you opt for a large dinner plate you will not only choose more items to fill the plate but also more of each item because you have the extra room. Using a smaller plate helps you to be more picky as you have limited space for items. It also helps prevent taking too large of a portion which you might not finish.

Start with a Soup and/or Salad: 

Beginning your meal with a broth-based soup or salad with many veggies can help fill you up with fewer calories.

Pick Only Special Items: 

If there are certain foods that you can easily make at home or eat often, skip it. Don’t waste calories on things like a bland dinner roll, opt for the seasonal items or labor-intensive things that you would normally not have the opportunity to eat.

If You Can’t Decide then Get Everything:

Sometimes everything looks delicious and you don’t want to miss out. Go ahead and try everything, but only get a sample-size amount. After trying a small spoonful of eat item you can go back for larger portions of the ones you really enjoyed.

 

Share:

Sometimes the desserts are already portioned such as a cupcake and maybe you want to have 2 or 3 different varieties that are offered. If so, find a friend or two and split the desserts. In the end you’ll only have 1 cupcake total but you were able to try many flavors.