Fancy a ramadhan buffet but afraid of over-eating? Following are some practical tips to help you make better choices when faced with a buffet, especially when breaking fast.

1. 1.

   Always start with a balanced meal: No matter how much you are craving desserts, always always always start with a balanced meal. What is balanced? For me at a carbohydrate:protein:fat ratio of approximately 55:30:15 percent. Not sure how to calculate these? Check out my ebook.

2. 2.

   Serving size: From my ebook calculations, you should know roughly how many calories you need per meal. Stick to that for the first balanced meal. Desserts, fruits etc are an addition to that.

3. 3.

   20 minute rule: I know you are probably starving but remember, it takes about 20 minutes from the first bite until you feel satiated (full). So take your time.

4. 4.

   Plan ahead: The first thing you should do when arriving at the buffet is to 1. look at the spread 2. see what you like and 3. make a plan. Example: if there are some irresistible cakes and sweets, make sure you leave enough room and yeah, calories for them. Don’t stuff yourself with main courses and over-do with more cakes. Plan ahead and stick with it.

5. 5.

   Water: We all are social drinkers and yes, orange juice tastes better than plain water. But, try and balance the two. I personally always go for both water and say a juice. Water is for thirst while juice is for my taste buds. Here, I would never refill my glass of juice until I have finished my water.

Good luck and selamat berbuka puasa.