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Chow down: Getting your fill at all-you-can-eat buffets

Posted Jan 03 2008, 04:16 PM by Karen Datko
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You've probably heard about the two big guys in Houma, La., who were charged extra at an all-you-can-eat buffet -- the waitress supposedly said, "Ya'll fat, and ya'll eat too much" -- and claimed they were banned from the place as well. Well, those guys couldn't hold a candle to Nick at Punny Money. We thank Clever Dude for directing us to Nick's side-splitting, belt-busting post, "Eat your money's worth at any all-you-can-eat buffet." Clever Dude also provides a link to getting the most from a side salad when Pizza Hut limits you to one bowl.

Buffets are great for people on a budget. But, Nick observes, "one major problem has plagued buffet-eaters throughout the ages: a few plates later and you can't eat any more." This problem will go belly up if you follow Nick's pre-meal, mealtime and post-meal tips. Forget about starving yourself earlier in the day. If you do that, "you'll usually find that your stomach can't handle the shock of going from 'help, need food' to '12 pounds of beef' just like that," Nick advises. Eat carbs to stimulate your appetite, don't forget to "clear the runway," and "break out the fat pants."

At the restaurant, eat meat, meat and more meat, and sip some water between trips to the buffet. On your fourth visit, you may now try other things. Then take a break, read a book, and rest up for the next go-round. Among the post-meal tips: Stay up for several hours before bedtime and drink water. "You know how your body is normally 70% water?" Nick writes. "After a buffet, it probably drops to about 12% water for a bit. Drink a glass or two of water to refill your body's liquid levels. It'll aid digestion too."

Comments

 

Should not be too hard to make more than two trips through anyway, have you noticed the size of those plates these days.

Buffets, what a load of crap.  Being a vegetarian, people think my diet is more expensive.  That's ridiculous.  It actually saves me money b/c I don't waste it on meat, milk, or corn products.  The only dairy product I buy is yoghurt, which is fairly cheap if you go through a quart a month b/c  it lasts so long, and cheese, which I use modestly.  Everything else is veggies, apples, leafy greens, nuts, etc.  Believe it or not my grocery bills amount to about $80-$100 a month tops.  My health has improved b/c of my lifestyle and my health insurance has gone down to $150/mo.  Eating in buffets might be economical, but it's really unhealthy.  It's still about $8-10 a round (which will amount to about $40-50 wk or $160-200 a month just for dinner five days a wk) and your health insurance and medical bills will go up if you live off that crap and you become obese.   Wanna save money?  Stop buying anything that depends on corn or soybean crops in the Midwest.  This includes beef, milk, and eggs produced there.  The ethanol has driven the prices for these up, but these are not the only sources of food.  Buy local, grow a garden, eat less food.  Get off the trough, America.

Emily, you're an idiot.  We must buy corn products if only to drive up the price of corn so the soda manufacturers will be forced to switch to cane syrup.  World peace follows next...

Have you ever noticed how LARGE a lot of people are that frequent buffets.  I wonder why.  It seem you get to eat a whole lot of lousy tasting food and usually feel badly afterwards...

Some of the best buffets are in the Southeast.  Georgia has some really good plain cooking, just like home.  Don't pig out, just enjoy!

Buffets are nice because you can pick and choose but if the plan is to go and eat all I can ,so I can get my moneys worth, then you better figure in all the cost. For instance what will it cost for you to buy new clothes when you grow to big for the ones you own now. What will all the antiacids and other meds cost when you can't settle down the old stomach. Not to say how much more your future medical cost will be or how much more the government will have to pay for your medical cost when you get older because you indulged. So eat wisely, live well, and enjoy life. Food is not everything.

Regarding buffet meals:

I also am a "natural foods" / vegetarian type diet person, male 54 yrs...

Hey, once in a while it´s nice to treat yourself, and a friend or your family, to something nice, and enjoy!  Try to go early afternoon or miday, so you have a chance to burn off the food!  Try not to overeat and "pigout", but do enjoy the treat, and "have a nice meal!"  Eating is one of the many pleasures of life.

geez i think buffets are great where else can you get ALL the fruit and veggies you want?

when i go to a buffet, i feel so bad afterward.... i usally eat about 2 plates of stuff, but its all the bad stuff for me.... i now would rather go to a sit down resturant and order a meal... i mentally cut everything in half and take the rest home... even with a sit down resturant you get way more than a typical meal should be.....

I find that buffets actually give me a better choice of healthy foods if that's what I want. I'm too cheap to order fruit cups or salads at a restaurant, but I'll pig out on them when included. Then I screw it all up at the dessert table!  

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