Beware The Buffet Table

Steer clear of buffets, potlucks and variety packs. The more flavors available, the more willing we are to eat past being full.

Rein in your options for the sake of your waistline. Variety may be the spice of life, but it’s the bane of dieting. The reason we chow down at all-you-can-eat buffets and major spreads like Thanksgiving isn’t because there’s a metric ton of food at our disposal. It’s because our taste buds have nearly limitless options. If all of the food laid out before us came in only one flavor, we would be much less likely to act like human garbage disposals. The more varied the options are from one another, the more we will consume.
For instance, all-you-can-eat pasta will be less tantalizing than a buffet with pasta and pizza. The same goes for entrees: One-dish meals will make you less likely to gorge past your comfort zone.
While you don’t have to turn every eating experience into a homogeneous, boring dish, do limit your choices. A little taste of everything can turn into a big dieting disaster.