Navigating the Breakfast Buffet
Breakfast buffets, the place of happy weekend mornings, and the source of carb heavy, calorie traps for the frequent flyer.
Depending on where you are staying, you may have the choices of kings, or the sadness of a highway motel continental.
Let’s look at how you can make the most of your trip to the buffet without expanding your waistline.
What to include at breakfast:
Ideally dietitians love to see a good balance of items that contain carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, and lots of fruits and veg.
Now before you start ranting about the evils of carbs – hear me out. Carbohydrates can be a great source of thiamine, folate, B6, vitamins A & E, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and energy.
People who eat no/very limited carbs can often run into issues around mood, constipation, energy and more. I’m not claiming all carbs are created equal. There’s a difference between lentils and lollipops or in this case pancakes with syrup vs. a bowl of sprouted oats with ground flax, nuts, seeds and topped with fresh fruit or berries.
Including carbs from fruits, and high fiber, lower glycemic grains is part of a healthy diet.
What could that be at the breakfast buffet?
fresh whole or cut up fruits, or previously frozen berries/fruits in their own juices
canned fruits (try to leave most of the syrup behind), as well as small amounts of dried fruits
multigrain, whole wheat, rye breads, high fiber crisp breads,
oat meal, porridge, steel cut oats
high fiber cereals like bran, muesli, weetabix
It's no secret that the low fiber, high glycemic usual suspects are best limited to special days rather than the every day. Examples include:
hashbrowns
white bread & rolls
croissants, muffins, pastries
pancakes, waffles
sugary cereals, unsweetened low fiber corn & rice cereals
maple syrup, hazel nut spreads, jams & jellies
juices
Regardless of which carbohydrate you choose, it’s best paired with a protein source and/or healthy fat. This helps to keep your blood sugar levels more steady and even.
Proteins are in important item to include at breakfast.
Look for protein options such as:
eggs – poached, boiled, scrambled, omelette station – these can be a great way to quickly add a complete protein to your meal.
No eggs, just a toast station? Look for peanut or any kind of nut butter (preferably all natural) to help get that protein in.
Baked beans are a source of plant protein but often come with lot of sugar in that sauce. If there are bean salads, lentil dishes or other legume options, opt for those instead.
Cheese & Greek yogurt are also protein sources. Choosing low fat dairy over fat free can help aid the absorption of vit D and calcium.
You may be able to find fish, tofu, chicken.
When it comes to cream cheese, bacon, sausages, cooked ham, deli meats and cold cuts - walk on past as often as possible. These tend to be high in saturated fats, salt and/or nitrates. Not great for your blood pressure, cholesterol or cancer prevention goals.
Tip: The maximum taste enjoyment you get from a food happens with the first bite or two so having “just a taste” or smaller servings of less healthy items can be a satisfying alternative to taking a full sized portion.
Healthy fats to look for:
Olives, olive oil, fish, avocados, nuts and seeds or all natural nut butters –if offered make sure to take advantage.
For the limited option locales:
Sometimes there really aren’t a lot of options period. If you are staring at a few boxed cereals, some bananas and an assortment of bagels, you may not have a lot to work with but take a close look at what’s there.
Is there a protein source? Boiled eggs? Cheese? Greek yogurt? Peanut butter? A breakfast that consists of a protein (or healthy fat) source combined with a carbohydrate helps provide a slower, more sustained release of energy, as well as helping you to feel full longer.
Tip: frequenting the same limited option hotels on your route? Bring your own protein powder, condiment sized peanut butter packets, mixed nut packets, or oat meal sachets to increase your chances of a more balanced breakfast.
Need alternatives to the breakfast buffet ? More on bringing your breakfast from home HERE.
Where are the antioxidants at?
For all you fabulous folks looking to keep your skin on point in addition to undoing cellular damage, don’t forget to get as many fruits and veg as possible. Those are going to be great sources – the brighter the colour, the better.
I get it, often times there’s just a couple sad bananas, but if you can find anything – apples, oranges, ANYTHING, use it.
Also, a lot of foods will have some antioxidants in them: onions, garlic, lentils, soy, nuts and seeds, whole grains etc. (More on antioxidants coming soon). Don’t forget about tea, especially green. So even if your favourite produce isn’t on offer, you can still get some by eating a good variety.
Alright, now that we’ve discussed the basics of what to include, let’s share some examples of what to make with buffet offers.
Whole fruits – take them to go, slice up apples/bananas and dip in peanut butter, slice a banana to add to cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt. Cut up your own fruit salad if you have to. Butter knife not cutting it? Ask for a steak knife instead.
Make your own salad – grab those slices of tomatoes, cucumbers and some feta for a do it yourself side salad. Bonus if they have other veggies or green leafy ones around (don’t feel shy to steal the garnishes if those are the only greens you see).
Peanut butter and banana toast (sprinkled with extra nuts and seeds if an option)
Crisp bread or whole grain roll with sliced up boiled egg, cucumber and tomato wedge, side of olives
Cut up melon wedges with cottage cheese, baked tomatoes, crisp breads
Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs & any greens they may have on hand
Congee loaded with steamed veg & fish
Oatmeal with fruit, nuts and seeds
Raisin bran with milk, sliced banana, and boiled egg
(Greek) plain yogurt, fruit salad, mixed nuts and muesli
Dinner/meals they are serving again next morning with as many veg as you can add
Omelettes – go easy on the ham and cheese and go heavy on the veggies. Served with a side of salad, cooked veggies, or fruit, it’s a great way to start the day.
(Note: An egg a day is considered safe to consume even if you are watching your cholesterol levels. Looking to have more than 1 egg a day? You can always ask for one whole egg with one extra egg white.
Why not just eat the egg whites? While a lot of diet plans will talk about avoiding the fat and cholesterol in egg yolks, they’re also robbing you of a great source of vitamins A, D, E, choline, iron and folate. More on heart health coming soon)
I would love to expand this list! Tag us in photos of your breakfast creations based on what’s available at your buffet.