Happy & Healthy

HEALTHY CHOICES AT THE BREAKFAST BUFFET

You're going on vacation, spending ten wonderful days in a beautiful resort, all inclusive or also known as; all you can eat all day every day.

Help.

A buffet can be quite a weakness for you on vacation. Unlimited snacking on all the goodies in front of you, as much and as long as you want. Unlimited eating (and drinking) until you drop. There are ways you can apply to prevent a calorie catastrophe at buffets.

With a few easy tricks, you can avoid stuffing yourself and returning home with five extra kilos of baggage.

• First, walk through the entire buffet to see what is being served. Pick out the healthier options and make a plate of those first. Still hungry? Treat yourself to something less healthy on a second round.
• Have a large glass of water with your meal. This also curbs your hunger, as we often confuse hunger with thirst. By drinking water, you partially fill your stomach. Eat enough throughout the day so that you don't arrive at the buffet starving. Because you are hungry and your blood sugar is likely low, you are more inclined to make poor choices and eat much more.
• Eat light meals spread throughout the day to prevent getting extremely hungry later. Avoid white rolls, pasta, and rice. Do you still want a sandwich? Go for a whole grain variant. A layer of butter is fine.
• Look for grilled chicken, fish, or seafood. But also protein-rich products like beans, lentils, and tofu are filling and nutritious.
• First, visit the salad bar and fill your plate with grilled vegetables, lentils, and other fiber-rich foods. This way, you prevent filling your plate halfway with calorie-rich and fatty products.
• Avoid sugary drinks and cocktails. Have a splash of red with lemon or a cold glass of white wine.
• Enjoy delicious fruit as dessert with possibly a scoop of sorbet. Fruit contains a lot of fiber and useful nutrients and significantly fewer calories than the cakes, cookies, and pastries on display.

But umm, don't forget to enjoy yourself? Don't be too hard on yourself. You're on vacation and you can definitely treat yourself. I always say: one salad doesn't make you slim and one pizza doesn't make you fat either.