illness

Buffet restaurants and all-you-can-eat buffets can be a great deal for a meal. However, they do come with some risks. For some people, all-you-can-eat buffets feel like a challenge and can lead to overeating, extreme fullness, and even illness. There is also an increased risk of foodborne illnesses from buffets where the food is not handled correctly. It can be very difficult to tell if the food is being kept at the correct temperature. The danger zone for many foods is between 40 and 140 degrees because bacteria grows very quickly. To reduce your risk of getting sick from a buffet, here are the top foods and items in the buffet line you should avoid: Don't touch the sneeze guard Flickr The sneeze guard is there for a reason. It is to keep germs from reaching the foods in the buffet line. Many times, the reason you get sick from a buffet is that someone touched, coughed on, or sneezed on a food that you ate. Yuck! Always wash your hands before and after going through the buffet line and don't touch that sneeze guard. Sprouts Flickr Sprouts are the cause of many illnesses because it is hard to get them cleaned properly. They grow in damp environments and often breed bacteria. Just skip them at restaurants altogether. Sushi Flickr Stick to sushi from high-quality restaurants. Good sushi that won't make you ill requires the best quality seafood and lots of knowledge about sushi preparation. The sushi also needs to be kept at a precise temperature. Tuna Flickr Tuna is another fishy option that is hard to keep at the correct temperature. It has to be colder than other types of fish and buffets may not be able to do this. Tuna is more susceptible to bacteria than other fish, so just go ahead and avoid tuna at buffets. Read on to the NEXT page for more foods to avoid at buffets! Fried foods Wikimedia Commons This is another item to avoid not necessarily because it will give you a higher risk of getting sick, but because it is so bad for you. Buffet restaurants often use cheap oils to fry foods and contain much more grease than other fried foods at other places. Eating these items regularly can cause a lot of diseases. Creamy dishes Flickr Another bad health choice is any cream-based dish like soup or pasta. These contain butter and cream which means they also contain a lot of saturated fats. Saturated fats are not good for your cholesterol or your heart. Choose a red sauce for pasta or a healthier broth-based soup instead. Mayonnaise-based salads Flickr Potato salad and other similar dishes are not only bad for you, but they are more susceptible to food-borne illnesses if they aren't kept in the right temperature. Creamy dressings pose similar risks as well. Try a grain-based salad or vegetables instead for a healthier and safer option. Sweet drinks Flickr Lastly, if you are sticking to a healthy diet, avoid any sweetened beverages. They contain a lot of extra sugar and calories. What are your favorite foods to eat a buffet? What foods do you generally avoid? If you found this article informative, please SHARE with your friends and family who love eating at buffets and could use these tips! Watch this video of the best tips to learn before hitting up a buffet: