Eating Healthy at a Buffet, Is it possible?!?!

jlbrown1985

So I try to avoid buffets when at all possible as I know you should. My 3 year old loves crab legs so tonight we are taking her to an all you can eat buffet which includes crab legs. I really want to stay under my daily calorie allotment sooooo.... please share any and all tips and advise on eating healthy at a buffet. Thanks!

mygrl4meee

Yea. It can be done by eating salads and small portions. I do tend to avoid the all you can eat cause its over priced.

jodielarms

My advice would be start with a salad and I've found those scooping spoons (for rice or anything) to be around a half cup. Just use good judgement, and remember that just because its an all you can eat buffet doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself.

PeachyPlum

You definitely can, just make smart choices about what you put on your plate! Head to the salad bar first and make yourself a giant salad. After you've finished that, you can fix yourself a plate - just look for high protein, low fat and carb items and you should be good!

999tigger

Well it depends whats in the buffet. You have 4 basic strategies.

1. Portion control, moderating portions and eating less or more in accordance with your calorific allowance is one way to go. In this case all you cna eat becomes all you cna eat up to your calorie allowance.
2. Go for items that are cooked in a healthier style or are less calorie dense. Steamed, boiled and avoid things in batter, deep fried, heavy oily sauces unless it fits in 1. Soups a good starter and then you are looking for things like fish, lean protein, vegetables etc. Combine 1 and 2.
3. Allocate strageies beforehand so you have more available i.e eat lighter/less during the days leading up to it.
4. Earn extra calories by exercise.
5. Above all dont sweat it and enjoy yourself. You cna always hav an idea depending on the buffet of the calorific content and know more or less what you will have beforehand.

Thought of 2 more

6. Dont over fill your plate.
7. Chew more and eat more slowly.

craftergin

Use a salad plate for everything instead of a full sized plate.
Crab legs sounds great with a nice salad - just not macaroni salad.

Dennis4766

I went to Golden Corral recently. Even the veggies were coated with butters and oils. I had to stick to raw salad makings.

peterjens

mygrl4meee wrote: »

Yea. It can be done by eating salads and small portions. I do tend to avoid the all you can eat cause its over priced.

Try to make your own version of a chef's salad with lots of greens, some (not a lot of) cheese, some roasted chicken/turkey and or ham. Many all-you-can-eat buffets have baked cod or some kind of white fish or salmon.

Consider it an all-you-should-eat buffet instead. Good luck.

ScorpioJack_91

mygrl4meee wrote: »

Yea. It can be done by eating salads and small portions. I do tend to avoid the all you can eat cause its over priced.

This

sullus

I don't understand the question ... buffets are one of the easiest places to eat "healthy" no matter how you choose to define "eat healthy"

cwolfman13

Of course it is...the issue with a buffet is quantity, but there are plenty of healthy choices in most cases. And crab legs are pretty healthy, lean protein...not sure what the issue is here.

FatOldManMN

Don't go to a buffet.

leggup

999tigger wrote: »

Well it depends whats in the buffet. You have 4 basic strategies.

1. Portion control, moderating portions and eating less or more in accordance with your calorific allowance is one way to go. In this case all you cna eat becomes all you cna eat up to your calorie allowance.
2. Go for items that are cooked in a healthier style or are less calorie dense. Steamed, boiled and avoid things in batter, deep fried, heavy oily sauces unless it fits in 1. Soups a good starter and then you are looking for things like fish, lean protein, vegetables etc. Combine 1 and 2.
3. Allocate strageies beforehand so you have more available i.e eat lighter/less during the days leading up to it.
4. Earn extra calories by exercise.
5. Above all dont sweat it and enjoy yourself. You cna always hav an idea depending on the buffet of the calorific content and know more or less what you will have beforehand.

Thought of 2 more

6. Dont over fill your plate.
7. Chew more and eat more slowly.

These are good tips. I like to fill up 1-2 plates of salad before trying a few mains. I will only scoop the world's smallest serving of the items i'm interested in- like, one macaroni noodle- and try everything I want to try. Then, I go back and have a serving of whatever it is I liked. Too often at buffets I used to pile on food and shovel it in my mouth so that I could try all of the things. Sometimes I wouldn't even like it that much. That's why I take tiny samples now before grabbing a big plate of anything. It has made me a real snob about desserts haha.

Dragn77

Thinking about all those random people breathing on the food Im supposed to eat helps keep me from over indulging LoL! I have issues with buffets...for me, thats the best place for me to eat out, cause I wont eat anything.

But yeah, agree with using a salad plate, lots of the raw veggies, anything steamed, like those crab legs or maybe roasted chicken type dishes, just dont eat the skin. Stay away from anything cream or fried... and yeah, think about all those people breathing on your food. That'll do it.

jrline

yes just watch portions

paulawatkins1974

Not possible for me. Still working on me. Lol but in for ideas.

Roxiegirl2008

craftergin wrote: »

Use a salad plate for everything instead of a full sized plate.
Crab legs sounds great with a nice salad - just not macaroni salad.

If I have to go to a buffet (I hate those places sneeze guards and all HAA) I will use the salad plate for dinner items and try to go with the grilled items (chicken or fish) and then try to find some steamed veggies. Some buffet places will even have a menu to order from. If that is the case I will always take that option.

ScorpioJack_91

Personally I would go to a Chinese buffet only on a cheat day, which wouldn't hurt as long as I don't do it often. But yeah get anything with sea food, a salad, fruits and all of that. Look in the menu if they have one for anything healthy.

jlbrown1985

sullus wrote: »

I don't understand the question ... buffets are one of the easiest places to eat "healthy" no matter how you choose to define "eat healthy"

I was just asking for helpful advise on what others do. I pretty much knew everything that everyone posted I just needed a little confirmation and reassurance not made to feel stupid for asking. I guess I know why this is my first post and will probably be my last.

Thanks to everyone else who posted their input. I am taking notes. Your support is really appreciated. After all that's what MFP is all about, right?

Lizzy622

I was watching a show on competitive eating and one of the top competitors was a skinny little girl. She "trained" at all you can eat buffets. Her strategy was to load up on salad and steamed vegetables.

sullus

jlbrown1985 wrote: »

sullus wrote: »

I don't understand the question ... buffets are one of the easiest places to eat "healthy" no matter how you choose to define "eat healthy"

I was just asking for helpful advise on what others do. I pretty much knew everything that everyone posted I just needed a little confirmation and reassurance not made to feel stupid for asking. I guess I know why this is my first post and will probably be my last.

Thanks to everyone else who posted their input. I am taking notes. Your support is really appreciated. After all that's what MFP is all about, right?

My intent was not to make you feel stupid. I'm pointing out that you asked how to eat healthy at a buffet, without defining what "eat healthy" means to you. Is it low carb? low fat? low sodium? only blue foods?

You also said that you know you should avoid eating at buffets - but why? I would argue that you should eat at buffets because it puts you in complete control of portion size, side dishes, sauces, etc. I would argue that they are a "better" way of restaurant eating.

Again - I apologize if my post made you feel stupid. I was simply trying to point out that your assumptions and subsequent question were too broad to be addressed with definitive answers.

So I will refine my answer and give you the definitive guide to eating healthy at a buffet:

Pick food you consider to be healthy that has been prepared in a way that you define as healthy, and eat it. But not too much.

Lourdesong

I avoid carbs. I don't do low carb, but if I can't count calories then avoiding carbs (including fruits) is a practical way to keep the calories and bloating down.

jlbrown1985

sullus wrote: »

jlbrown1985 wrote: »

sullus wrote: »

I don't understand the question ... buffets are one of the easiest places to eat "healthy" no matter how you choose to define "eat healthy"

I was just asking for helpful advise on what others do. I pretty much knew everything that everyone posted I just needed a little confirmation and reassurance not made to feel stupid for asking. I guess I know why this is my first post and will probably be my last.

Thanks to everyone else who posted their input. I am taking notes. Your support is really appreciated. After all that's what MFP is all about, right?

My intent was not to make you feel stupid. I'm pointing out that you asked how to eat healthy at a buffet, without defining what "eat healthy" means to you. Is it low carb? low fat? low sodium? only blue foods?

You also said that you know you should avoid eating at buffets - but why? I would argue that you should eat at buffets because it puts you in complete control of portion size, side dishes, sauces, etc. I would argue that they are a "better" way of restaurant eating.

Again - I apologize if my post made you feel stupid. I was simply trying to point out that your assumptions and subsequent question were too broad to be addressed with definitive answers.

So I will refine my answer and give you the definitive guide to eating healthy at a buffet:

Pick food you consider to be healthy that has been prepared in a way that you define as healthy, and eat it. But not too much.

I do not disagree with you but buffets don't work for me because it's just too tempting to eat what I want and too much of it! It relies on self-control which I have very little of unfortunately. I do better at Applebees for example where they have a low calorie menu where I order one thing (Napa chicken is my fav!) and when it's gone it's gone and I know I haven't over eaten.

I feel much better about going to the buffet tonight after this thread. I know that I can make the right choices.

4legsRbetterthan2

eat a salad and a bunch of crab legs, I love crab legs too! (delicious, lots of protein, and pretty freaking low calorie)

jgnatca

I fill up my one plate for the evening with salad and add a little meat and carb. That will be it. Cottage cheese because I love cottage cheese.

Serah87

I go to Disney World once a month and have their breakfast buffets, I already have an ideal what I get and enjoy it, but then I know I will be getting a lot walking in for that day, matter of fact going next weekend. I lost 121 pounds, took me almost 3 years, but slow and steady.

DKG28

the only problem with buffet is the "all you can eat" advertising. usually the quality is not that great, and if you only eat one plate (especially of unripe veggies), it's overpriced. But it lures people in with the hope of great savings if they can just consume enough. Takes a change of mindset to face the buffet not with the intent to eat your money's worth. If there are regular menu options, perhaps order one of those so you're not so tempted by quantity, and let everyone else do buffet. On occasion, I've seen places where you can get salad bar only, instead of the whole thing. Not often, but sometimes restaurants will have that option.

999tigger

which buffet is it btw? Crab claws are us?