You would think that a place that supposedly specializes in salads would be an ok place for a restaurant-phobic person engaged in a long-term weight-loss project. WRONG !
Speaking as a person whose aging parents’ idea of dining out is to make a visit to the local Hometown Buffet, I am fully aware of the perils of a venue with what can only be called ”too many bad choices on a steam table.” But what about the lovely salads ?
My survey of these places starts off pretty well. They seem to try to “front load” you with the leafy greens and raw veggies– or at least they are pretty close to the various prepared salads, like cesar and some things with chicken and mandarin oranges that actually lead the parade– and one has the option of various vinegars and oils.
The train derails after the cash register, though, when one discovers that the soups are all cream-based, or worse. There wasn’t a single simple soup to be had. And then there are the various focaccias– thinly veiled pizzas, in fact, and those adjacent to the gooey “volcano cake” and muffin trays.
There are enough calories there in various super-tempting guises to derail all but the most resolute. And that’s before the dessert side, with the brownies and ice cream— although there is a choice between low fat and no fat there, before you put chocolate syrup or something equally no-no on it. The somewhat safer alternatives, on the other side, include grapes, but you probably won’t see them before you get pulled into the bad stuff.
So what’s a dieter to do ? Probably just stay away. But if that’s not an option, you need to be ready to do battle. There is nobody there to stop you from doing real damage to yourself. Well, not really. There’s you.
Hi catdog. I used to love salad bars. But since I gave up salad-dressing completely, they aren’t quite as appealing. I seem to be able to by-pass those tempting treats — but give me some high-fructose-corn-syrup combined with fat — yummy. It’s too much for me to resist.
But that HFCS makes my blood sugar skyrocket so I’ve stopped adding most salad dressings and all catsups to my meals. Now I sprinkle malt vinegar on everything.
What I don’t get is WHY do these restaurants push the calories so hard? Have you seen the ad for the new biscuits & gravy sandwich one of the fast food places is selling? Like eating biscuits and gravy is — oh, I don’t know — something you have to SELL people.
Heh… KB, the idea is to get you in that fast food joint, and not one of the competitors’.
As far as the buffet goes, what’s stopping anyone from making two trips to the salad bar? I like raw veggies better than cooked anyway, but get a plate of salmon and what veggies are on the steam tables. That’s usually enough sodium for two days.
Mister’s cooking some oats and they smell wonderful. I guess my tastes are finally starting to change.
How are you today FARfetched?
Doing OK, KB. {hugs} We were out most of the day, picking up Daughter Dearest from her aunt’s. Thinking about getting to bed earlier than usual (for a weekend) because I need to get up early & make Parker House rolls for the family dinner.
Bedtime? Darn! I was going to work on a Saturday Poster. But, if you won’t be around to see it, I might lose my momentum.