Beat the Buffet

by Valerie Nahmad — October 18, 2007

Your heart loves a good buffet, but odds are your head (and your waistline) hate it--it's a calorie smorgasbord waiting to happen. Diet Blog offers ways to help beat the buffet:

• Get your food and go--Don't linger near the food; load your plate and leave.
• Choose a small plate--The smaller the plate, the less the surface area to fill.
• Memorize what a healthy plate looks like--Fill your plate with salads and vegetables first. Fill in the blank spaces with other foods.
• Scan before you fork--Walk around the foods before you grab your plate, make a mental list of the healthiest foods (lean proteins, vegetables, and so on), and bypass everything else when you help yourself.
• Find the slowest eater--Sit next to the slowest eater you know and pace yourself accordingly.
• Keep it all in balance--Want dessert? Skip appetizers.
• Drink wisely--Alcohol is surprisingly caloric. Try club soda with lime for something more exciting than water.