h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If you do it wrong, eating at an 'All You Can Eat' buffet place can be overpriced and underwhelming. But if you do it right, certain tactics can ensure you get your money's worth. I don't think they have ever been codified though: I've just done an EG search, and nothing comes up. Yet.
So, what are your "Do"s and "Don't"s?

Hit the cheap carbs like noodles, rice and potatoes last. Turn to them if you still need filled up at the end.

Load your plate carefully using engineering techniques.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/multimedia/dynamic/00237/salad_237797k.jpg

Take tour own large plate.

PP.

Smuggle as much food as possible out for later.

Take mainly the food that you would not cook at home and pick the most expensive stuff.

Hit the "all you can eat" buffet immediately after fasting, for medical tests, or whatever.

If you go there in the evening don't eat much on that day so you will be reasonably hungry and have space in your stomach.

Pace yourself - graze, don't gorge

The strategies of All-You-Can-Eat? Surgery to add an extra stomach.

Take small breaks between courses and between finishing one plate and getting the next one.

No matter how full you are: get dessert.

Wait for the restaurant to open and then spend the whole day there.

Don't be fooled by tiny plates.

I disagree about not eating earlier in the day - nothing sets me up for lunch like a good breakfast, and nothing sets me up for dinner like a good lunch. I like to think of it as stretching

I agree about avoiding too many carbs too early.

From a recent experience, in future I'd avoid a plateful of fried food to start, made me feel slightly queasy and *almost* diminished my appetite.

I also agree with pacing yourself. I think you tend to get the table for a couple of hours, and that's longer than you think.

Coming from the other side of things, if you're trying to lose weight and want to maintain some control whilst eating what you want, have something colourful on each plateful - by which I mean veg. Some salad, perhaps. I recently went to a place which had crunchy sauteed green beans & baby corn, which I added to each plate. Lovely.

Deb

As we are here talking about buffets I think a general goal is also to try as many different dishes as you can. So especially at the beginning you should not be greedy and take too much of the same food - this would limit the amount of other food you can try.

I have a favorite place. I start with broccoli salad, a cup of soup [usually chicken noodle or Italian bean and sausage], and a slice of pizza. That's a warmup. Next, it's the main course - chicken, fish, and meat loaf, accompanied by spaghetti sauce over mashed potatoes, and veggies. I used to eat three desserts, but now I'm trying to watch my weight, so only three.

[Sorry, I meant only two desserts nowadays. If I really need to be restrictive, it's only one]

Pretty much what everyone else has said; go easy on the rice, potatoes, etc. Just a desert spoon or two to go with the meat/veg and soak up sauces. The aim should definitely be variety rather than lots of the same. It never ceases to puzzle me why some folk go to a Chinese buffet and return with plate after plate piled high with chips Isn't a chip shop a cheaper way if you like chips that much? (chips should not be on the menu in a Chinese or Indian, full stop . I don't believe these restaurants should pander to fussy unadventurous eaters).

Carbs are a killer.

I got roped into doing this bastard last year: http://ilovemanchester.com/2013/05/20/manc-v-food-are-you-manc-enough-for-burger-challenge/

30 minutes to do the whole thing, and my plan was sheer, unadulterated speed. After 5 minutes, I'd demolished all the chilli and chips. 10 minutes, and all bar the last burger were gone.

15 minutes, and there were about three bites of a burger left. I had to give up, because apparently cheap burger bread swells in the stomach and makes you want to vomit into your own mouth.

Two bulls stood on a hill. They looked down on a valley where a dozen cows grazed.

The young bull said, "Hey Dad, let's run down there and one of those heifers."

"No, Son," said the old bull. "Let's WALK down there and ALL those heifers."


As with sex, so it is with food. Go slow, enjoy it more, get more

Mr603 - did you have to pay for it then?