What to Eat at a Buffet When You’re Trying to Lose Weight - 167

Coach Brian Parana (0:00) Picture any catered spread you know of — a family get-together, a holiday, a birthday, a client dinner or lunch, a conference, a company meeting lunch that's been brought in. The food sits there, all of it, loads of it, the whole time — on that table or off in the corner, in whatever amount you want to take. Coach Brian Parana (0:30) No one's timing you, no one's checking whether you're hungry, whether your stomach and brain say the meal's over, or whether someone else went back to the table for more. The backyard barbecue with the whole spread laid out, a birthday party catered with trays of Italian food, an actual buffet restaurant — the setting can change, but the trap stays the same: Coach Brian Parana (0:59) food sitting out in whatever quantity you want to put on your plate, for as long as you're at the event. Today we're building a plan around real buffet-style restaurants and other events where food is just available — whatever it is, however long you're there — and we're going to figure out how you can actually have a game plan going into these mass-food events, Coach Brian Parana (1:29) so you can be successful and not just gain one or two pounds walking out. Three pieces of fried chicken, a roll with honey butter, and a bowl of banana pudding — thinking of buffet-style here — that completely fills the first plate, before anyone's even gone back for seconds or thirds, and that's already over 1,200 calories. Well, gentlemen, Coach Brian Parana (1:56) welcome to one event every guy secretly thinks he can win without a plan at the buffet. Let's get you there — four real trips through this buffet-style spread. Each one has its own job, to help you make better choices, and by the end you'll have a plate you know how to build to meet Coach Brian Parana (2:24) your needs, instead of face-planting into that banana pudding by the end. Welcome back to Driven For Health. I'm Coach Brian. This is episode 167, and thank you so much for joining me this last year. September 23rd, the day I'm recording this, is my one-year anniversary — a huge event for me. The day I started this, Coach Brian Parana (2:54) I said, wow, I only have one person to talk to today, I probably need to change that — and that led me down a step-by-step process of putting on a podcast, from figuring out what to call the show. I picked "Driven" for motivation, "Health" — obviously the undertone, for guys over 40 looking to live their best, healthiest lifestyle. And I've talked a lot about that along the way. We're still in the "what to order" at different restaurants series, part of the Eating On-The-Go guide, Coach Brian Parana (3:23) and I want you to grab that right now — go to go.brianparana.com/eatingonthego, all one word. This is a cheat sheet that can help you, and it's been running since episode 145 — I hope it's brought a lot of value. We have two more planned episodes, unless something else pops up — Coach Brian Parana (3:52) we're going to do some fine-dining experiences, $20-to-$50-a-plate, and then finish with desserts, the cherry on top. Back to this event. Again, thank you so much for hanging out with me this long. Buffets are everywhere — weddings, holiday work parties, family get-togethers — and a buffet in front of you can get things out of control. Coach Brian Parana (4:17) Walk in with no plan, and you walk out with 2,000-plus calories in your belly. I know from personal experience — anytime I go somewhere with "free food," in quotations, I feel like a kid in a candy shop. Can I have some of this, a little more of that? Just think: if Coach Brian Parana (4:44) every spoonful, every bite, is anywhere upwards of fifty calories, the calories multiply, because you're not putting on just a spoonful — you're doing a ladle-full, maybe two, and going back multiple times. I do this — I remember a thirtieth birthday party, Sarah's birthday, and she had really good tacos, from La Loma, Coach Brian Parana (5:12) a street-taco place around here that dishes out amazing tacos. I swear I had over ten of them — street tacos are about 250 calories each, plus all the other toppings. I had a plate in my hand the whole time. People were like, "are you still eating?" Yeah, this is really good food. So let's help you out. The question stuck in your head the whole time should be: Coach Brian Parana (5:40) what am I going back for? Why am I going a second or third time, and is it actually worth it? Today we're doing the "buffet plate challenge" — a game-show style theme, just to make it a little more fun — four different ways you go up to these things. One more thing — this reminds me of the buffet, China buffet, a huge ongoing joke with Amber and me. Very funny — Coach Brian Parana (6:10) this is before kids. I've known Amber since I was eleven — we dated as high school seniors, then we married when we were twenty-three. In the early phase, "where do you want to go eat?" I'd always say China buffet. She'd say, "no, I'm not going there" — I get her there once or twice every once in a while, but no. Or at the beach, "let's go to the seafood buffet" — Coach Brian Parana (6:37) it was always a running joke, had to share that. Okay, let's get into the first round — call it the Scout Round. This is straight from my Eating On-The-Go guide: walk around the whole spread before you take anything. Analyze and assess what you should be eating and where the food is, pick your favorites on purpose, instead of grabbing one thing after another and getting to the end thinking, "I want some of that too." Coach Brian Parana (7:08) This matters because at a real buffet, this always happens — you just keep adding more and more. One published nutrition list I checked carries more than 70 chicken items alone — that reference was Golden Corral, a popular nationwide buffet chain — 70 chicken items: fried, baked, grilled, teriyaki, barbecue, rotisserie, Coach Brian Parana (7:36) plus a carving station where you can carve it yourself — you could do just that in the first lap if you're not paying attention. So the move: lap one, empty hands, no plate, just analyze and assess what's going on — whether it's a barbecue wedding, a catered event, or Coach Brian Parana (8:04) a Korean barbecue client meal with family-style appetizers where they ordered the whole appetizer list — assess what's up there first. I call it the "empty plate reset." Have a plan: once you're sitting, stay sitting, eat away from the food table so you're not looking at it every time you look up, because Coach Brian Parana (8:33) proximity matters — the closer you are to something, the more you're pulled toward it. Think of gravity: closer to the sun, the sun being the endless-calorie table. Here's the order I eat, once I'm settled: drink water first. Coach Brian Parana (9:02) If you can get at least 15 to 25 ounces in before you eat, that's huge — or even before you go in, chug 30 to 40 ounces within the hour of arriving, and you'll feel full by the time the food gets to you. If you haven't done that, drink the glass of water they serve you before you eat anything. So — water first, Coach Brian Parana (9:32) then vegetables. If you can put three to five cups on your plate, that's huge. I remember on the Alaska cruise we did this past August — I'd go get a huge amount of vegetables on my plate first, then protein, sit down, eat all of that, then reconsider what to do next. This keeps you full. So: three to five cups of Coach Brian Parana (10:00) vegetables, then four to seven ounces of protein, then small spoonfuls of the carbs you actually want. If you're still hungry after that, go back for another small serving of whatever sounds best — but that becomes a calorie multiplier at that point. Recap: water, vegetables, protein first, and keep the bread and fried stuff Coach Brian Parana (10:30) off the plate. Round two — the Protein Round. You go up with that clear plan. At the carving station, if there's ribeye and prime rib next to each other, same three ounces for each: ribeye is about 170 calories with 23 grams of protein, but Coach Brian Parana (10:59) close to equal amounts of fat, and prime rib can have a lot more fat — three ounces of prime rib, about the size of a deck of cards, can run almost 300 calories with 18 grams of protein. So they vary — ribeye's a bit lower in fat and calories, prime rib's tasty for a reason. Just pay attention to which one's the right call. Coach Brian Parana (11:29) The real protein king of the spread is chicken breast — 360 calories, 55 grams of protein for a typical serving, or something like a honey-teriyaki chicken breast. Compare that to a plain chicken breast, which they don't usually serve — a smaller, roughly one-to-one-and-a-half-ounce piece is only about 70 calories, about 12 grams of protein. Coach Brian Parana (11:57) Get it grilled if you can — always better for chicken — and get the smaller serving rather than the larger one, because there will be more calories than you think. At a buffet-style place, hidden calories add up fast, potentially hundreds if you're not paying attention. Butter, oil — those add up very fast, a big calorie multiplier. Coach Brian Parana (12:27) A trap almost everyone falls into: three pieces of fried chicken, three ounces each — Coach Brian Parana (12:52) about 240 calories apiece, times three, that's 720 for the chicken alone. You think you're doing a good job, "I'm getting all this chicken," but the carbs and fats stack up fast. Then you go two steps down and grab some rolls — each roll is a minimum of 100 to 200 calories, depending on the butter. A better swap: if the place has rotisserie chicken, that could be Coach Brian Parana (13:22) a lot better — easily half the calories, and upwards of 40 to 50 grams of protein — a really big win. Round three — the Side Round. What else goes on the plate? My guide, the Plate Blueprint, keeps this simple: half your plate should be vegetables or salad, a quarter Coach Brian Parana (13:51) should be protein, and a quarter should be a starch you love. That starch quarter — you have to be very conscious of how many calories will be there, because it adds up. It could be mashed potatoes, sweet potato with Coach Brian Parana (14:20) marshmallows on top, or the green bean casserole — that's not a bad idea, but check what else is in it — the cream-of-mushroom soup base, the crunchy onion topping — these all add extra calories and change the impact of the Coach Brian Parana (14:50) plate and how much you're really eating. Even grilled or steamed vegetables could still have butter on them — pay attention. That's a good way to fill a plate. Round four — the Dessert Round. My guide keeps this simple too: pick the one thing you want to eat, and see how little of it you can eat and still be satisfied. Coach Brian Parana (15:20) Maybe pick one or two things, do a spoonful or three of each, and pass on the rest. Maybe split it with someone. Cookies run 100 to 200 calories each. The safest thing at any buffet is probably Jell-O — not a lot of calories, because it's Jell-O, unless there's a huge amount of sugar Coach Brian Parana (15:50) in it. Be careful with things like the banana pudding example at Golden Corral — 240 calories, only two grams of protein. Sure, it tastes good in the moment, but it's not going to keep you anywhere near reach of your goals. Coach Brian Parana (16:20) Now, finishing the plate — we've gone through four different rounds. Ultimately, no matter what, you have to understand how many calories you're eating at these buffet-style places — weddings, barbecues, client meals, corporate lunches, the box lunch that comes out. I remember at a conference they had three different box lunches — a falafel chicken box, Coach Brian Parana (16:47) and a roast beef sandwich option, plus a cookie, an apple, and a bag of chips. I ended up grabbing two boxes because there were leftovers — felt all right about that, since I paid for it, so felt justified. I put all the meat from both sandwiches onto one sandwich, passed on the cookie and chips, and had two apples. For me, that's locked in. Coach Brian Parana (17:16) The cookies aren't even that good at these conferences anyway — you know that, you've been there. It's not like your mom made them Toll House chocolate-chip style — so it's just not worth it. The plate method is the best way to manage it: first round, half the plate vegetables and salad, then rotisserie chicken, then something else Coach Brian Parana (17:46) on the next pass. And remember, every spoonful could easily be 50 calories, simple math — that's an advisable way to manage it too, so pay attention. Always go for the lower-fat versions of proteins, because a higher-fat protein doesn't help you — there's just too much fat, sometimes Coach Brian Parana (18:16) 20 to 40 percent of the calories coming from fat on some of these items, and that's not a good way to do it. I hope this helps you understand how to approach it. The biggest thing is having a strategy. Inside the Eating On-The-Go guide there's a plan for managing buffet-style events, catered food, weddings, all of it. Coach Brian Parana (18:45) We want you to be successful and stay on target. And even at the end of the day, you can just eat once or twice — I always practice and preach good food behavior, three meals a day, but in a situation like a big event, you could literally eat once or twice and make it work. Say it's Christmas dinner — I'm going all out for that one meal, and I'll have a protein shake and call it Coach Brian Parana (19:15) a one-off day, and that's okay. On the topic of big buffet chains that build their whole brand on having everything there — go look at the "hot mac and cheese" on the menu at one of the biggest ones, like Golden Corral again — the only macaroni item published is the cold macaroni salad, half a cup, 280 calories, because of the Coach Brian Parana (19:43) fat and cheese — a hot mac and cheese would probably run about the same per cup, because of the cheese and fat content, even though it's pasta. So pay attention. Now, the Fast Five. This was a good episode to put it in. Number one: popcorn shrimp, about 15 pieces, 130 calories, breaded and fried — plain shrimp at almost the same weight is only about 20 calories, Coach Brian Parana (20:13) nearly identical portion of shrimp, but the frying and breading is the big difference. Number two: one buffet chain's national nutrition list shows sirloin steak at three ounces, about 130 calories and 14 grams of protein — but that same chain's website lists an eight-ounce cut at about 340 calories, Coach Brian Parana (20:41) about 38 grams of protein. Same move I shared back in episode 162 on Mexican food, and again in 163 on Italian — when the exact size you want isn't the one in front of you, scale the numbers up or down to figure out how much is actually there. Number three: party drink math. Coach Brian Parana (21:10) Straight from the guide: a five-ounce glass of wine runs about 120 calories. Beer ranges 100 to 200 — a light beer like a Michelob Ultra is around 100, IPAs can run upwards of 300. Mixed drinks run 200 to 500 — a margarita can be 500 calories. Eggnog punch runs 200 to 400 depending on how much is in the cup, we'll average it at 300, and the Coach Brian Parana (21:39) punch is going to be straight sugar calories, a big challenge. If you want the default low-calorie drink, go [unclear], tequila, or soda water — spare yourself — or champagne or prosecco, or a Michelob Ultra, so you can still have a beverage, but it has to be counted into your calories for the day. Coach Brian Parana (22:08) Number four: eat before you drink. Pace alcohol and water in between — don't start the meal off with alcohol, because your judgment goes down quite a bit. Coach Brian Parana (22:37) Number five, the last of the Fast Five, my own rule for a party plate: keep it under a thousand calories, keep your plates small — even if you need to go up four times, only put 200 to 300 calories on the plate each time, go sit down, then get back up. That lets you feel like you're enjoying and taking part in being at a buffet, without the excessive calories. That's the Fast Five. Coach Brian Parana (23:06) So next time you're at a buffet or catered food event, ask yourself: what am I going back up for seconds for? Or the bigger question: why am I here? Not just to put 2,000 or 3,000 calories in my stomach and eat and eat and eat — I'm here for the social gathering, the entertainment, other reasons you should respect, not just to put food in your mouth. Coach Brian Parana (23:35) You can still go to the party and have fun, walk in with a plan, and walk out without thousands of calories. Go grab my Eating On-The-Go guide at go.brianparana.com/eatingonthego, download it for free — it breaks down Mexican, Italian, Indian food, fast casual, fine dining, all of it. And if you need more support and accountability to actually lose weight sustainably long-term, that's Coach Brian Parana (24:03) what The Call To Rise is — my 100-day fat loss challenge, where guys regularly lose 20 to 30 pounds or more in 100 days, their blood panels improve, and they build a lifestyle around their nutrition, fitness, and how they think about food and taking care of themselves — their identity as a healthy person, and they leave a legacy of being that healthy person for the people around them. Everyone knows Coach Brian Parana (24:33) "Brian's healthy, Brian's fit, he takes care of himself" — and that makes a huge impact. Next episode, we're doing fine dining, $20-to-$50-a-plate, and how to order with all those interesting menu names and the endless daily specials. So you've got the menu, but then there's "today's special," and it goes on and on. Around here, we have Ken Stewart's, a fine-dining spot Coach Brian Parana (25:02) that's been around as long as I've known it — you go in, you have the menu, but there are so many options you forget them, and you're always amazed the waiter or waitress remembers all the different daily extras. Coach Brian Parana (25:31) If someone around you needs to hear this episode, or this series — 145 to now 167 — please share it with them. You can leave a review on Apple and Spotify, I read them all. That's it for this episode of Driven For Health. I'm Coach Brian — train hard, eat smart, and I'll catch you in the next one.