Exploit an All You Can Eat Restaurant
"All you can eat" restaurants are fun! Great for meeting friends, especially for hungry students on a budget. However, they all make income on the basis that you will not eat as much as you pay and can easily leave you hungry or sick if you don't know how to prepare. Here are a few tips.
Steps
- Prepare: Don't starve yourself in advance. Many people think if you skip the meal before going to the all you can eat restaurant, you can eat more. This is not true. Have a light but complete meal in your regular time, otherwise your stomach will tighten and you will not enjoy the meal at all. Also, drink enough during the day, you will need a lot of water to digest all that food.
- Learn about the pricing of the restaurant. Can you eat unlimited for a fixed flat rate? Does this apply to everything, or only the buffet? Are drinks included? This can spare you some nasty surprises on the bill. Some restaurants have different rates for different days of the week and times of the day. If you are on a budget, find the best time.
- Start by getting a large glass of natural mineral water or fruit juice. Slightly acidic fruit juices are the best. The gas in fizzy drinks escapes inside your stomach and you will feel full long before you have had a good meal. Sweet or alcoholic drinks also require more water to digest them so avoid them or drink more water to keep your balance. Refill as you go, never go thirsty! Iced water will facilitate the opening of the pylorus (the link between the stomach and the intestine) and thus help your digestion.
- Eat a small dish of soup or starters, ideally warm and not very salty. Also, enjoy having a meal with friends, have a chat, don't focus fully on eating.
- Eat the most expensive foods first, and avoid cheap fillers like bread and pasta as these fill you quickly not allowing you to get value for money.
- Eat small portions of everything that looks appealing. Don't experiment too much with food you have never eaten before (such as exotic seafood or fruit), they might cause an uncomfortable feeling. Balance meat with garnishes such as rice, vegetables or potatoes. French fries are great but they are usually very salty so you will again have to drink a lot. If you feel full, stop eating, and rest and drink. You will probably be able to resume eating a bit later.
- Go to the toilet whenever you feel like it, don't save it for home (you might get surprised on your way if you have eaten a lot). If you have to break a conversation, excuse yourself politely. It is important to free yourself from excess weight.
- Have some desserts when you feel quite full. They will help balance your blood sugar level and overcome drowsiness. A light coffee can also be a good idea at this point.
- If you feel completely full, but would still like to stay, fruit, especially fruit salad can be a good idea. Grapes, strawberries or other small fruits will make it easy to select the exact amount
Tips
- If you feel you have had too much, stop eating at once and take a rest. You may feel better after some time. A light walk can help ease the load.
- Plan your day before and after your big meal. You will probably not be able to focus on work or spend a night out afterwards. The best thing to do is to have a good rest after a large meal
Warnings
- Don't produce leftovers, it is a waste of good food. Take small portions, eat them and go back for more when you know you can eat it. Many buffet restaurants do charge customers for any wastage left on plates.
- Don't drink too much alcohol, it can upset your stomach and influence your decision on how much you can eat
- If you have any kind of illness or allergy, it is usually better to eat a bit less than your normal amount. If you are not sure whether some food contains anything you are allergic to or do not want to eat for any other reason (vegetarianism, religion) ask a member of restaurant staff.
