The Huge Mistake You're Making Before You Even Arrive At A Buffet

You don't simply eat any old meal at a buffet. It's really more like engaging in a sport inside a theme park. When done properly, there should be physical preparation and some mental strategizing. But to get the most out of a buffet, customers should avoid one common mistake: going on an empty stomach. It may sound counterintuitive, but skipping meals prior to any marathon eating session could actually hamper your goal of overindulging.

There are plenty of buffet dining missteps, but one of the most common is fasting before the main event. When you skip meals, your blood sugar level drops, triggering a range of undesirable symptoms — from uncontrolled trembling to fatigue to the sweats, according to the Mayo Clinic. The adrenal glands also begin producing cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone," leading to that agonizing state when self-control goes out the window: hanger. Let's face it, no one wants to be in an irritable mood right before visiting what amounts to a food carnival. You'll also arrive extremely hungry, cramming down as much as possible after the first lap, leaving you full (and uncomfortably bloated), unable to sample more. Fasting followed by binging can result in digestive disruption, particularly when you're devouring fatty, heavy foods — because buffet plates are meant to be piled high with slabs of prime rib and seafood drowning in clarified butter. So instead of starving yourself, consume small, light meals to subside hunger and keep blood glucose levels in check.

When you're actually in the buffet, it's easy for all rational decision-making to cease to function when facing dozens — or at some Vegas casinos, hundreds — of menu items on steam trays and platters on ice. Mindless grabbing is not the way to approach this situation. Take time to make a plan to navigate the buffet and certainly make one or two laps to assess the options before diving in. To eat your money's worth, always start with items that would be expensive to order at a regular restaurant or buy at the grocery store — think flaky snow crab, fat king prawns, and tender filet mignon from the carving station — then go back for more filling carb-heavy options like mashed potatoes and pasta.

There are also foods you should absolutely avoid at a buffet, primarily due to safety factors. For instance, consuming raw seafood is more likely to lead to illness due to the risk of contamination. The buffet may also have trouble maintaining the proper temperature for sushi rolls or shucked oysters. And unless you're eating at one of Vegas' premier casino buffets, the quality of the sashimi at a regular buffet is probably questionable at best.