Whether you’re buying lunch at your office or school cafeteria, or trying to navigate through a buffet at a party or restaurant, arming yourself with smart strategies before you load up your plate will help you make the best food choices. Here are a few healthy eating tips to remember the next time you’re in a cafeteria or at a buffet:

1. Choose the salad bar.
   Eating regularly from the salad bar is a good way to stick to your healthy eating plan. Load up on filling vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower and go easy on the cheese and salad dressing (olive oil and vinegar is a good choice; just remember that 2 tablespoons is the right amount to use for dressing salads). Choose dark leafy greens, such as arugula, spinach, Swiss chard, and romaine lettuce, instead of iceberg lettuce. On Phase 2, enjoy the pre-cut fresh-fruit offerings (except sugary watermelon). Also avoid the bacon bits and croutons, as well as the pasta, potato, and macaroni salads.

    

2. Go for broth-based soups.
   Soups are an excellent choice on the South Beach Diet because they are light, flavorful, and can be made with a variety of nutritious ingredients, including vegetables, lean meats, fish and shellfish, and whole grains (Phase 2). Try a minestrone soup, or one made with broccoli or cauliflower in a beef, chicken, or vegetable broth base. Be sure to avoid soups made with heavy cream, full-fat milk, or with added white rice, potatoes, or pasta.

    

3. Embrace the choose-it-yourself stations.
   Some cafeterias and buffets offer individual stations that allow you to select the ingredients for your own omelets or stir-fries. Again, choose wisely avoiding the sugar, starchy, or fatty options.

    

4. Say no to hot and greasy.
   Most cafeterias offer an endless supply of pizza, french fries, and creamy pasta dishes. Avoid these on Phase 1 and 2 and enjoy occasionally when you’ve achieved your weight loss goal.

    

5. Postpone dessert.
   Many of the desserts in cafeterias and buffets are diet busters. Rather than choosing a dessert right then, wait until the end of your meal to select fruit or reduced-fat cheese or limit yourself to three bites of a decadent dessert. Better yet, wait until you get home to enjoy fruit or a sugar-free Popsicle, no-sugar-added Fudgsicle, or a ricotta crème.

    

6. Ask for it if you don’t see it.
   If you'd like your chicken breast without the creamy sauce or you wish there were broccoli on the salad bar, speak up! Many party caterers and food managers at cafeterias can accommodate special orders and meet your requests.

    

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