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Sravanthi Challapalli

The tendency is to stuff oneself at buffets, especially if you've paid for it. But remember, you're paying for the choice of food, not for the quantity.

Are you the kind who, in the face of temptation, went on a steady diet of Christmas cake only and nothing else, hoping that `nothing else' would somehow maintain the status quo? Or the kind who eats something furtively, slowly, painstakingly, like you really don't want to eat it, in the hope that the body won't recognise its calorific content?

If yes, this is an article that attempts to tell you how you can fit in the temptation into your meals. One had originally hoped to give tips and tricks to con your body into thinking all the food it consumed was good or harmless, or even slimming, but tough luck; as it turned out, there's no prescription as sure-fire as self-control.

Well, if you're going for a party, do what all those Southern belles in Gone With The Wind did — eat at home and nibble daintily at the gathering! Chennai-based nutritionist Shahnaz B. Gulrez suggests eating a bowl of sprouts, a fruit chaat, or even a milkshake made with thin milk — these fill you up somewhat and the quantity you eat outside your home diminishes. As for the calories that are conveniently forgotten, Chennai-based diet consultant and nutritionist Nimmi Ittycheria John says: "A lot of calories are consumed prior to the meal, over a drink, and they're compounded by the aerated drink that is often mixed with the alcohol. Combine that with the peanuts and that accounts for 800 calories."

If you don't fancy the plain soda or fresh lime soda or small fresh juice or even a soft drink, cut down the potency of the alcohol by consuming only two small drinks, she suggests. And if you have to have alcohol, red wine is the best option. A glass of red wine is equivalent to half a peg of whisky calorie-wise, she says, adding that it is good for the heart. Hosts, please note. Also, that roasted masala papad is a better alternative to peanuts.

It's easier if dinner is at a hotel. An a la carte menu gives you the freedom of choice. A buffet has multiple options that usually include soup and salad. So start with those. A thin soup is good, thick soups are okay and cream soups are best avoided. As for the main course, go in for the vegetables, not the rice. If there's a choice of rumali roti and naan, prefer the second, and take only one half; a rumali roti is often made of maida, which is not a good option. Look out for the non-vegetarian dishes — there is a sea of oil there, and the fat from the meat, which is a double whammy, says Shahnaz. Nimmi says she knows of people who soak up the gravy with a piece of roti and discard it.

Dr Tusna Park, Chennai-based weight management expert, says one should ensure only a fifth of their plate is occupied by rice. She also advises that maida-based items such as cake, pizza, paratha, samosa and puffs are best consumed only once a week, and that too to avoid craving for them. Other options for the main course: choose yellow dal rather than black, tandoori roti, not butter naan, chicken/paneer tikkas/kababs over non-vegetarian gravies, most vegetables but only a little of roots and tubers. If the menu's Continental, go in for grilled fish or chicken or a vegetarian sizzler.

If you're at a South Indian restaurant, go for the idli and sambar but go easy on the coconut chutney, says Nimmi. Steamed items, such as the idli and the idiappam, are better than a nice big masala dosa, she says. Dr Park recommends only two idlis or plain dosas or one appam.

More than anything, it's portion control and willpower that matter, chorus these dieticians. Shahnaz makes an interesting point: "The tendency is to stuff oneself at buffets, especially if you've paid for them. Remember, you're paying for the choice of food, not for the quantity."

And what can be the crowning glory of the meal but a dessert? Avoid the temptation to have one more. Here are the lesser evils... if eaten in moderation. Nimmi says a fruit salad is a good choice, so is a rasgulla with the syrup squeezed out (if there's rasmalai for choice, take the rasgulla); sorbet rather than ice cream; rasgulla, not kulfi; and share it with someone if the dessert is a cheesecake/soufflé/tiramisu. By itself, a serving of any of the last three is 400-500 calories, she says.

Shahnaz says it won't make much difference if you have a scoop of ice cream once a fortnight or gorge on pudding once in a blue moon. She finds "a limited choice" between an ice cream and a jalebi, but the former's better because it has milk in it. Dark chocolate is good for the immune system because of its anti-oxidants but be warned, it has calories too.

Says Dr Park, "Help yourself to a little pudding. Sit down and enjoy it slowly as you watch others filling up many times. What's important is for how long you can taste it on your tongue, not how much goes into your stomach." That's how you can have your cake and eat it too!

Picture by N. Sridharan

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