It is recognized that a meal at the restaurant often makes us swallow more calories than a meal at home. And when talking buffet, it can happen to us, despite us having appetite bigger than the belly at the sight of all that food at will. Aside from the weight gain that may follow in the long term a significant contribution in fat and sugar often results in severe fatigue, reflux and / or bloating, consequences of excess calories. To avoid these problems, here are some small, easily applicable tips to avoid increasing your calorie intake considerably during your next meal buffet.

 

1- Do not arrive hungry

This simple practice not to do his grocery store on an empty stomach to avoid impulse purchases of unhealthy food also applies to restaurant meals, but especially for buffets. At the sight of food that lie before you, you'll inevitably want to taste everything, which may result in a higher calorie intake that your body really needs. To avoid such a situation, take the time to make a nutritious snack 30 minutes before arriving at the buffet: 1 0% Greek yogurt and ½ cup (125 mL) berries, cheese 50g 20% fat and 1 apple or 4 toast Melba or ¼ cup (60 mL) unsalted nuts.

 

2- Take a glass of water

Before you head to the buffet and throughout the meal, grab a glass of water. This water will take up space in your stomach and so help to ease your hunger and reduce your energy intake.

 

3. Start with a soup or salad

To reduce your hunger, start your meal with a vegetable soup (avoid creams rich in fat) or a green salad, limiting the addition of dressing. These foods will begin the process of achieving appease your hunger and satiety to prevent you from helping.

 

4- Take the time to look at the options

On arrival at the buffet, take time to tour the dishes that are offered. After that, you can choose wisely the foods you eat without being too tempted at first glance. You may soon realize that the dish that makes you most want is at the end of the buffet.

 

Take 5 small plates

Several studies on dietary behavior have come to the conclusion that eating in small plates significantly reduced our calorie intake. Use salad plates, for example, could save you over 35% of your food intake and thus reduce the impact of those calories on your weight.

 

6. Keep in mind the balanced plate

To simplify the task lightly, always keep in mind the image of the plate balanced to make your plate. To do this, start by filling half your plate with assorted vegetables, raw and cooked for plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber that will give you a sense of satisfaction at the end of your meal. Subsequently, the proteins, choose lean meats, poultry or fish grilled, sautéed or roasted without breading or frying, which will fill a quarter of your plate. And beware of sauces often very high in fat and calories. Finally, for the last quarter, limit yourself to 1 cup (which is moderately to the size of your fist) of rice, pasta or potato to get your serving of grains or starches. One plate composed and fill your needs to help you avoid returning serve you a second or third base.

 

7. Eat slowly

Did you know it takes 22 minutes for your brain to receive the signal that you have eaten enough and your satiety is reached? Eat slowly, chew, put his fork a few times during the meal are all tips to pass this time and allow you to recognize that your satiety is reached.

 

8- limited to a single dessert

As you did for the main dishes, take time to tour desserts that are available to you. Obviously, a fruit salad would be a wise choice, for against, to satisfy your taste of sugar, allow yourself dessert that tempts you most. A small part will fill you and you may be less tempted to go find you a piece if you had chosen a different option. If you can not make your choice, share these with a guest.