There’s two types of people who go into buffets: the ones who’ve been stuffing themselves and doing it wrong for many years, and the ones who eat smart.
There’s actually something you can do to enjoy your buffet meals even if it’s your first time. Here are some tips and tricks to get the most out of your visit to buffet restaurants like Bellagio Buffet, or even Old Country Buffet.
1. Wear something loose on the waist.
You’re going to a buffet and the best way to enjoy it would be leaving with a full stomach. That’s why you have to wear something that doesn’t need belts. It could be anything – your favorite track pants pre-Christmas, or your pants when you didn’t hit the gym 3 years ago.
2. Don’t make the buffet your first meal.
Contrary to popular belief, going hungry prior to eating doesn’t actually help you eat more. The best way is to slowly train your stomach to accomodate more food. To achieve this, you may need a day’s worth of preparation.
3. Drink lots of water.
It’s the same concept as number 2, but drinking water is a more effective way of expanding your stomach. Drinking water easily fills up your stomach and makes you feel full. Drinking water several hours before a buffet may just give the necessary space for more food in your stomach.
4. Start walking around.
One of the best ways to engage your digestive tract is to be active. If you’re an avid fan of exercise, you may enjoy your buffet visits. If you’re more of a couch potato, then you may have to look for your summer training sneakers and work up a sweat so you could binge on cakes the following day.
5. Eat lots of small portions.
Depending on the food that you’re eating, some may look instantly unappetizing when there’s too much servings. It’s always safe to eat in smaller portions as you can always go back for more. It’s also better to eat your favorites first as you don’t want to be near max capacity when you’re going down on your favorite dessert.
6. Avoid sweet foods first.
Some buffet restaurants will intentionally serve you more drinks than you could possibly consume. If this is soda, avoid it at the start of your meals. Soda is both sweet and gassy, and you may instantly lose your appetite on your first dish.
Sweet dishes usually satisfy our cravings and other food may taste bland or uninteresting afterwards.
7. Go for acidic drinks.
There’s soda and then there’s infusions. Lemon-infused water, or generally any other citrus-infused water facilitates digestion. These also stimulate your digestive tract to start digesting and help you feel hungry.
Tea or coffee are acidic drinks and drinking them prior to eating may help improve your appetite. Just make sure it’s not iced tea or iced coffee as these make you feel fuller instead of hungrier.
Now that you know these 7 tips for making the most out of your buffet visits, you can go ahead and start gorging on your favorite foods. Just remember that some buffet restaurants have a surcharge for leftover food – take only what you can finish!