Page 15 - March 2003 • Southern California Gaming Guide

We’ve listed are some possible healthy choices from casino buffets to keep you eating well and healthy.
Salad Bar
Pile those greens high, the greener the better. Dark greens (spinach, green leafy lettuce) are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and ber. Add broccoli, carrots and raw mushrooms for a beautiful salad, topped off with tomatoes. Resist the fatty dressings (they’ll make you sluggish) and use either balsamic or rice vinegar.
Seafood — Shrimp and Crab Legs
We love the peel-and-eat shrimp! And so do
most buffet eaters. Nutritionists say to go easy on the shrimp as they are quite high in cholesterol, but the crab legs are a go-for-broke item. Those on
high-protein diets will be in heaven at this buffet station.
Carving Station
Roasted turkey (without the skin) or chicken is the best bet on the carving stations, as they are a great source of low-fat protein. And the roast
the experience of eating well at the a sharp mind, and you want to
for your maximum winning
beef or prime rib? Great for a once-in-a-great while special treat (and the casino buffet may be it), but limit yourself to a small piece—even the best roast beef is fatty.
Action Stations
Casino action stations, where cooks
prepare individual dishes that are custom created,
are perfect for healthy eating. For example, at the Mongolian station at Barona Valley Ranch’s buffet, you
get to choose what goes into your dish,withalltheingredients.
buffet. After all, a healthy body has hone your awareness to be open
potential at the casino, right?
Seafood, chicken or beef can be combined with vegetables andcondimentsforaverytasty, healthy stir-fry meal.
Desserts
This is one of the most dif cult areas of the buffet for healthy eaters.
With the huge array of pastries and sweets on the buffets, it’s hard to say no.
Fruit is the obvious healthy choice, but many casinos have sugar-free dessert versions. Here quantity is the issue. One bite may be enough. (Sure.)
Beverages
It’s a must to drink a lot of water at
March 2003
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Page 15
Casino buffets are alluring—all that wonderful food, all those beautiful presentations. But let’s say you are watching what you eat these days — trying to make healthy food choices — and think, “A casino buffet! No way! I’m trying to eat healthy!”
A casino buffet doesn’t preclude eating healthy and eating well. On the contrary, using a buffet’s enormous choices can keep you in the spirit of the experience, grazing from this station and that, trying that dish and this. The key is not to graze yourself into an overeating stupor, but to enjoy
a
casino. Casinos are heavily air conditioned which has a drying effect on the body, that
eventually leads to fatigue. Drink lots of water or juice. Go easy on the caffeinated coffee, tea or cola drinks. And by all means, drink alcohol sparingly.
Yes, you can eat healthy and well at casinos buffets, and not