Tips on Eating at a Buffet & Staying on Your Diet

All-you-can-eat buffets can be a welcome treat for your wallet, since you can have a large and varied meal for a fraction of what a standard meal in a "traditional" restaurant costs, but they can be murder on your dieting plans. Although one trip to the buffet can easily unhinge your diet, it need not do so. In fact, with a bit of conscientious effort on your part, your trip to the buffet can become a low-cost weight-loss solution, propelling you that much closer toward your ideal physique.

Food Selection

• Understand that menu selection is critical to remaining on your diet when you eat at a buffet. This will be a constant test of willpower, as you will be confronted with any number of non-compliant items that could set your dieting progress back for days. To avoid this temptation, blunt your initial hunger pangs with a minimum of two trips to the salad bar, loading up your plate with as much salad as it can comfortably hold both times. Do not make the mistake of using a high-calorie, unhealthy dressing--use a vinegar or balsamic dressing to avoid turning even your salad into a dietary menace while at the buffet.

  After two trips to the salad bar you can begin your standard meal, but you should stick to items that are in their natural state whenever possible. This means sticking to lean, unbreaded meats, fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid items which are fried, loaded with gravy or other types of sauce or heavily processed. Do not be afraid to scrape breading or sauces off of items when it is the only way to access lean meat. For example, if the only grilled chicken or turkey option is already smothered in gravy, use napkins to wipe as much as it off as possible before eating. Ideally, fill over half of each plate with plain vegetables and fruits, and the remaining portion with lean meat to make the most of your time at the buffet.

Eating Tips

• Follow these tips to further enhance your buffet experience. Remember that although most buffets are all-you-can-eat, you should naturally attempt to limit your food consumption while on a diet. Even if you are eating all of the right foods, you can still unhinge your weight loss if you overeat even healthy items. Therefore, limit yourself to no more than 30 minutes at the buffet, consuming no more than one plate every 10 minutes. This means that the first 20 minutes of your meal will be naturally taken up with trips to the salad bar, as that will be your first stop for at least two plates, leaving you with only 10 minutes to consume one final plate of entrees before making your escape with your dietary goals intact.

  According to information from the dieting website DietBlog.com, one way to slow your eating is to attempt to mirror the pace of the slowest eater at your table. Another method comes from a buffet survival guide from MSNBC.com; self-regulate the number of times you chew your food--aim to chew each bite at least 15 times to naturally pace your food intake. Regarding beverages, only drink water while at the buffet. Not only will this save you money, but it will avoid the potential temptations that might occur upon consuming a sweeter beverage, even including diet drinks.

  Finally, pay attention to your position in the restaurant. According to information from MSNBC.com, you will do better if you choose a seat that is both farther away and facing away from the buffet, as this can help remove some of the sensory input involved (both sight and smells), reducing your temptation to return for additional trips.