How to Navigate a Holiday Buffet Table for Healthier Choices
Safe Handling of Holiday Leftovers
After your next big holiday feast, when you’re too full or tired to clear the table, remember this: Hot and cold foods left on the table are a breeding ground for bacteria.
To prevent food-borne illnesses, you should refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours after finishing the meal, following these rules:
- Set you refrigerator between 38º F and 40 º F and your freezer at 0 º F
- Remove stuffing from the turkey and store it separately
- Very hot foods should be cooled slightly before refrigerating
- Do not overload the refrigerator, which prevents cold air from circulating
- Divide large portions of warm food into several small, shallow containers
- Use glass or plastic containers with airtight covers (most non-acidic foods also can be stored in metal containers)
- Choose plastic wrap over foil to create a better seal and to prevent moisture loss and absorption of other food odors
November 2004 — Beginning with Thanksgiving and continuing through early January, you’ll most likely face one of your biggest dietary challenges: the buffet table. If you’ve vowed not to overeat this season, you may need extra reinforcement on how to make healthy choices.
Start by scanning your options, then develop a game plan. “Look over the buffet and see what you really want, instead of filling your plate because the food is there,” says Andrea Morganstein, MS, RD, LD/N, dietitian and nutritionist at Memorial Hospital West Fitness & Rehabilitation Center. “If you want a high-fat, high-calorie food, then make it something you really like.”
The First Course
A typical buffet begins with bread, which isn’t fattening by itself. But before grabbing a roll, think. Are you going to butter it? Would you rather save the carbohydrate calories for potatoes or stuffing? Decide for yourself and move on to the salads.
“Green salads are a good choice because vegetables are low-calorie and packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants,” Morganstein says. “Unfortunately, most people ruin salads by putting on high-fat dressings, oil and other toppings. Instead, put the dressing on the side and dip your fork in it with every bite.”
Salad items to avoid: croutons, cheese, olives, seeds and bacon bits. Chicken, tuna, potato and pasta salads are a hazard, too, since they are often loaded with mayonnaise, oil or dressing.
Veggies and Starches
Vegetables are next in line. The problem here is what has been added. You’re not doing yourself any nutritional favors by eating sugar-glazed carrots or deep-fried onions. Use common sense with this course.
Starches, however, are more complex. Watch out for creamy sauces and cheeses on pasta, potatoes and rice. Another issue with starches: “We eat too much of them,” Morganstein says. “Again, select what you really want. Just because the food is there doesn’t mean you have to eat it.”
The Main Course
As far as meats go, turkey is a good choice. The question is whether to have dark or white meat. Because it is lower in saturated fat, white meat is the best option. But avoid the skin and limit the gravy and stuffing.
If the buffet’s other meats are more tempting, exercise control. “Beef, pork, other poultry and seafood can be eaten in moderation,” Morganstein says. “One serving is 3 ounces — about the size of a deck of cards — and some cuts are leaner than others.”
Sweet Success
The dessert table is where you’re most likely to rationalize. After all, pumpkin pie has pumpkin in it, right? “Unfortunately, pumpkin pie doesn't count as a vegetable serving,” Morganstein says. “But if you want a slice of Mom’s pumpkin pie, prepare. Eat less of something else and limit yourself to a small piece.”
The basic rule: moderation. “Continue to exercise during the holidays,” Morganstein says. “Don't skip meals. Watch out for appetizers, which are usually high in fat. Control portion sizes and be careful of the eggnog and alcoholic drinks.”