Pretty much as the title says, when choosing food at a buffet do you have any specific mindset or think about what your eating a certain way to ensure all nutritional bases are covered?
I’ve recently been thinking more and more about this and I’d like to hear what the pros have to say.
Thanks
Yes! Buffets are a personal favorite of mine because I’m not soooo picky with food. (I care more about nutrition than other factors, but price is a close contendor.)
I go to an Asian buffet here that has “sushi,” little baby octopus, and oysters, which I get for the protein and other nutrients. They also have real fish heads (I don’t know what species), which I find so intriguing!
I stock up on fish, pork, chicken, and veggies, opting for grilled instead of fried first, although fried is certainly a treat!
I stock up on protein and fiber first. It’s soooo much variety, I love it!
For dessert, I usually get orange slices.
But I also treat myself to those Chinese donuts and fried shrimp!
My hubby usually gets hibachi.
You typically have to prepare to load to on calories before going into a buffet. I admire those who don’t overload on calories at buffets, though!
So I typically reserve buffets for my cheat meals and I never expect to eat healthfully at them. However, my biggest tip would be to take a walk through the buffet first to see everything that’s offered. This way you can find the meats and fish that are grilled or broiled instead of deep fried, the plain veggies, and plain rice or potatoes if you’re doing carbs. Your plate should largely be made up of protein and veg. Put any sauces on the side so you can control the portion.
I rarely eat at buffets because the quality of the food is usually poor and the ingredients used less than optimal. As in, cuts of meat will be poor bulk cuts, non-organic, grain fed etc. Oil used is typically inflammatory vegetable oils or fried (trans fat).
If I do go, I load up on the veggies and will select the best protein I can find (which may or may not be subjective). I’ll get some whole grains if they have it and make my own salad. I typically steer clear of the dessert bar and opt for fruit or treat myself to an ice cream if really feeling it.
The best thing to do imo is save some calories early in the week for that day so that you have an allowance to work with and eat what makes you happy! One meal isn’t going to derail you from your goals but it’s always best to prepare.
Generally my thought is “look at all this junk”
If you are asking what my strategy is, I look for the food that is closest to whole food as possible, so that generally means some sort of meat and whatever vegetable I can tolerate. I avoid fried foods because they are usually deep fried in polyunsaturated oils and that’s a bad idea.
A public buffet by nature is a dirty food trough. Unless at a family only event, you are dealing with different degrees of physical hygiene around food you are going to put in your system.
Rule of thumb, better to order something at the deli counter than scoop up your own meal at one of those large buffet tables in many deli/grocery stores.
True Story: Was in WholeFoods one morning around 11am. It was empty as it was a Wednesday and most people are at work (remote/otherwise). I figured I’d get to the store early to grab a few things so I could avoid those crazy lines at night.
Sure enough I’m walking towards the checkout and notice an emotionally unwell person picking things out of various trays within the buffet setup with their hands. I made mention to an employee who said that the person has been told to stay out of the store any number of times but continues to come in and grab stuff out of the buffet. It’s hard for them to monitor. No thought to empty the trays or otherwise make changes based on this person putting their filthy hands in the prepared food. I din’t make a deal of it. I just realized that those buffets are like public bathrooms.
Stay healthy and happy in 2022.