Help all you can eat chinese buffet!!!!

rquantick
rquantick Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going to a friends 21st birthday and she's having a meal at an all you can eat buffet, which is going to be a bit of a nightmare!
i'm going to be good and only go up once and not overload my plate, but what would be the safer things to eat?
I'm thinking of staying away from anything with thick sauces and anything sweet, but would love some ideas on the best things to eat or not eat.
I rarely drink alcahol so that wont be a problem i'd rather have a cup of tea so i wont be drinking calories
thankyou in advance :)
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Replies

  • Ultragirl2374
    Ultragirl2374 Posts: 390 Member
    That would certainly be a challenge for myself. i would think you's have to stay away from deep fried foods. Try to load up on things with lots of veggies. Any grilled chicken or fish??
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I went to one last week. Lots of vegetables - fill up on them and stay away from deep fried foods :)
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    chinese? gross! now, you talk about an all you can eat mexican buffet, and im TOAST!
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Buffets have lots of choices just stay away from anything breaded which means deep fried. Beef and brococoli is good, there should be grilled veggies and chicken and hopefully salmon, yum. This is making me hungry.
  • ObtainingBalance
    ObtainingBalance Posts: 1,446 Member
    At chinese buffets....


    I usually get shrimp (non breaded. Add shrimp calories then some butter...)

    salad bar - easy enough to count with that.

    Brocoli and beef... they have estimates in the food database.

    Steamed rice...white... it's around 100 - 120 per half a cup.

    Egg rolls can be 200-300 depending on size.

    I'd avoid most fried stuff... it's too much of a problem to 'estimate'

    Good luck. Enjoy the day. Don't eat enough to fill sick. Drink a lot of water AND remember... "One cupcake won't make you fat, just like one salad won't make you skinny." =P
  • lenniebus
    lenniebus Posts: 321 Member
    Chicken, pork with veggies would probably be your best bet--I agree to stay away from the egg rolls, rangoons, all that yummy fried stuff. Good luck!
  • hap2010
    hap2010 Posts: 101 Member
    Start with a large bowl of soup, broth based. It may have lots of sodium but it will help fill you up. I would choose steamed brown rice and stirfry veggies with no sauce. They may have some fish.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
    The last time I went to one of these the guy in front of me served himself, licked his fingers, then picked up the next spoon to continue serving himself leaving his spit on the spoon I was supposed to use.

    I didnt take much food after that and once I noticed this d***head doing it I saw a few others, men and women. I dont go to buffets anymore....
  • melmckay99
    melmckay99 Posts: 358
    There really isn't much at these things that I would consider "healthy", lol. Everything is batteed, fried, slathered in sauces and loaded with salt (or even worse MSG!). Maybe just have a bowl of plain white rice, lol. I know white rice isn't all that great for you either, but there's nothing terribly bad in it for you. It would be like eating empty (no nutrients) calories I suppose, which you will be doing anyways by eating anythign else, except you will have all the added fat, sugar and salt on top of the empty calories.
  • aszwarc
    aszwarc Posts: 200 Member
    I'd say stay away from anything deep fried, including egg rolls and crab rangoon. But steamed things or stir fry would be safer. And some salad to fill you up if they have a salad table (the Chinese buffets around me tend to have a salad table). Or the Mongolian Bar if they have that - pick lean meat and lots of veggies.
  • peachfigs
    peachfigs Posts: 831 Member
    Go for soups, boiled rice instead of fried, and some nice vegetables :) also, there is usually fruit at a buffet too.

    Drink lots of water as sometimes chinese food can have high sodium content :)
  • Sballard418
    Sballard418 Posts: 153 Member
    The last time I went to one of these the guy in front of me served himself, licked his fingers, then picked up the next spoon to continue serving himself leaving his spit on the spoon I was supposed to use.

    I didnt take much food after that and once I noticed this d***head doing it I saw a few others, men and women. I dont go to buffets anymore....

    I've seen people drop stuff on the floor (little kids) pick it up and put it back :sick: I don't go to the mega buffets anymore....people are nasty lol
  • Getyourshineon
    Getyourshineon Posts: 114
    There's always pretty good chicken dishes(not the deep fried kind) with veggies or the beef and broccoli...Wonton soup shouldn't be too bad... but close your eyes and walk quickly past the crab rangoons (my personal weakness)... They usually have a salad bar and fresh fruit too... You can do this without too much damage but if you indulge, remember it's only one day...just get back on track! Have fun!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    chinese? gross! now, you talk about an all you can eat mexican buffet, and im TOAST!

    Same! I really don't like Chinese food, it makes me feel sick.

    Definitely stick to plain boiled rice and maybe prawns and chicken and veg.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    That's my worst nightmare right there lol. Think I'd just throw the macros out for the night and try to not over eat. Just have what you want in moderation. This is a lifestyle change, and sometimes in life these things come up. I don't get to eat out much, so generally just enjoy it and have what I want when I do x
  • aross001
    aross001 Posts: 237
    Stick to stuff that is easy to identify, like baked fish, steamed rice, mixed veggies, chicken teriyaki, spare ribs: all these things are in the database and tend to be fairly predictable. If you aren't good at eyeballing weight, practice weighing different things on a scale before you go or bring a little scale with you.

    Deep fried meats in sauces can be very high in calories - the sauce can simply be sweetened and thickened oil that turns 4 oz of pork to a 900 calorie entree. Stick to the sauteed stuff with little to no sauce.

    This is just how I do it, and I eat at the chinese buffet up the street at least once a week and usually do just fine.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    I would tear that thing up. Making your diet feel like a punishment isn't my idea of a good time. I like to indulge when I go out with family or friends. I only go out 2 or 3 times a month and never eat fast food so when I do go, I usually eat whatever I want and however much I want. It seems easier to watch what I eat when I know I can have some of what I want later, like buffet :). Good luck.
  • aross001
    aross001 Posts: 237
    That's my worst nightmare right there lol. Think I'd just throw the macros out for the night and try to not over eat. Just have what you want in moderation. This is a lifestyle change, and sometimes in life these things come up. I don't get to eat out much, so generally just enjoy it and have what I want when I do x

    Also this. If you eat slowly and carefully your body will let you know when it's time to stop, if your meals are generally consistant.
  • Sballard418
    Sballard418 Posts: 153 Member
    But that doesn't help you, try steamed rice or brown rice...sometimes they have menus you can order off of instead of going to the buffet. If that's the case just order off the menu and eat half and save the other half for another meal. :flowerforyou: Good luck!
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    The last time I went to one of these the guy in front of me served himself, licked his fingers, then picked up the next spoon to continue serving himself leaving his spit on the spoon I was supposed to use.

    I didnt take much food after that and once I noticed this d***head doing it I saw a few others, men and women. I dont go to buffets anymore....

    lol, after taking microbiology, ill never look at food buffets the same!!! its some pretty nasty stuff!!!
  • harribeau2012
    harribeau2012 Posts: 644 Member
    At chinese buffets....


    I usually get shrimp (non breaded. Add shrimp calories then some butter...)

    salad bar - easy enough to count with that.

    Brocoli and beef... they have estimates in the food database.

    Steamed rice...white... it's around 100 - 120 per half a cup.

    Egg rolls can be 200-300 depending on size.

    I'd avoid most fried stuff... it's too much of a problem to 'estimate'

    Good luck. Enjoy the day. Don't eat enough to fill sick. Drink a lot of water AND remember... "One cupcake won't make you fat, just like one salad won't make you skinny." =P


    thanks for this-I have this coming up too - love the cupcake/salad thing-brilliant!
  • rustvaar
    rustvaar Posts: 11 Member
    I wind up at a Chinese Buffet each week with my work colleagues. One approach I like to take is a little more calories burnt in the morning at the gym. Fun fact; 42 lb ago I was able to load three plates up and eat the lot, now I'm barely able to manage a plate and a half - my colleagues notice this too. It's quite a pleasant feeling for people to look and go "Hey, this guy isn't a glutton, now!" - Work toward that :)

    As others have said - VEGETABLES, VEGETABLES, VEGETABLES!!. I'd recommend you try and drain off any sauces as best you can and chow down on mushrooms, broccoli, water chestnut, baby corn and carrots - all tasty stuff in its own right! :D

    After that you'll hopefully feel full, if not just keep reminding yourself of your objective!
    You're not there to pig out, you're there to enjoy the food and prove to yourself that even with temptation staring you down you can flip it off and do your own thing.

    If you're not a fan of vegetables I would look for any chicken dishes - avoid batter and breadcrumb - chicken in a blackbean sauce would be a good bet. Also I found out recently our Chinese buffet does SALAD. I thought it was a joke, but there you go. Always exercise moderation, though :)

    Obviously everyone wishes you the best of luck but you may need some damage control just in case;
    If it doesn't all go to plan don't beat yourself up! It's not the end of the world and it's not the end of your journey.
    Chalk it up to experience and realise maybe you're not ready to go to a place where "all you can eat" is the order of the day.

    At very least, have fun and enjoy the time with your friend on their 21st! :D
  • rquantick
    rquantick Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks everyone for the advice i'm going to be good even though this is the 1st time i've been out for a meal for about 6 months but i need to lose weight so i'm going to be strong ( either that or i wont be going out for another 6 months lol)
  • krickeyuu
    krickeyuu Posts: 344 Member
    I eat mostly shellfish and veggies. But...I will not pass up at least one Crab Rangoon or eggroll or a few tempura vegetables. If they have sushi or sashimi I usually get that along with soup. Fruit for desert.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
    Eat what you like but eat LESS than what you would have before you started the weight loss process.

    Deprivation is not sustainable. Going over the limit once in a while for a celebration is normal.
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    Well, we have fajita bar buffet at my work right now and MAN it's delicious.

    When faced wtih any buffet, just be mindful and creative... for example, I did without the tortillas today and just made myself a bowl. I loaded up on flavorful and low calorie salsa to top it instead of cheese, sour cream and quacamole.

    For a Chinese buffet, I'd skip fried rice in favor of steamed rice (and I'd actually go a step further and request brown rice from the kitchen if they didn't have any out). I'd avoid deep fried meats, I'd poach lots of broccoli from the beef and broccoli dish, if there is any shrimp curry, I'd pull some of the shrimp out and try to leave most of the sauce behind, I'd try to go with what is most likely to be the leanest meat (probably chicken)... just think about your choices.

    When I sti down to eat, I'd have to also make a conscious effort to eat slowly. If I eat too fast and other people are still eating, it'd really make me want to get seconds which I know I wouldn't actually NEED. So, slow down. Enjoy your food. Engage in conversation so you eat slower too.
  • LouiseH238
    LouiseH238 Posts: 199 Member
    Start with a clear soup - you can add veggies to this if there are any you fancy. Then look for the veggies - my chinese buffet always has a huge pile of greens sauteed with garlic and soy sauce, and usually some sort of cauliflower dish. Fill up on these. There will be plain boiled rice. When it comes to protein, sometimes you can be between a rock and a hard place - my local buffet tends to either have overly reduced, gloopy, sweet sauces on meats or various forms of deep-fried seafood. Between the two, I'd pick a portion of fried seafood - usually prawns. You may be able to get prawns or chicken cooked simply with garlic, chili, ginger and soy sauce, though - that would be a better option. Or plain grilled meats if they have those. Then fruit for dessert.

    You are there to have a good time though - so don't deny yourself that - a spoon of egg fried rice is not going to undo all your hard work. Keep it under control, enjoy what you do have, drink PLENTY of water and prepare to retain some water weight for the next few days!
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
    " all you can eat" is an invitation and not a challenge :-)
  • stephcampbell77
    stephcampbell77 Posts: 112
    Ewwww. Never ever eat a chinese buffet. Ever. Check Health Dept inspections before you go. Almost every single one is ALWAYS on the verge of being shut down. Sorry I didn't help with your situation any.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    3 words;
    Steamed vegetable dumplings.

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