How to Survive Wedding Season: 5

Healthy Eating Strategies

for Guests

Hydrate Like It’s Your Job

The amount of time spent dancing, walking, and standing through the various ceremonies at an event can lead to rapid dehydration, and dehydration often masquerades as hunger. Consuming one glass of water before leaving home, and then continuing to sip on water during the event, can radically reduce the quantity and speed at which you eat, reduce bloatedness, and hopefully keep your energy level up by preventing the sudden dip of no energy mid-event.

Choose Your Treat Intentionally

At a wedding buffet, you can typically overanalyse what food is available to you. Instead of selecting items just because they are available, choose one dish you genuinely want. For instance, consider choosing the dessert jars, the biryani, or the jalebis. By consciously choosing the dish you want, you will find that the meal you consume is much more satisfying. In addition, when you choose one dish to indulge in, you will find that the rest of your plate will naturally be made up of lighter foods such as dal, salads, or grilled meats.

Use the “Pre-Event Fuel Hack”

A more effective option than bringing along your own snacks to the function is to eat a small “buffer meal” 60 to 90 minutes before the function begins. This buffer meal should not consist of a full meal, but rather should be just enough food to balance your appetite. A buffer meal could consist of something as simple as a piece of fruit combined with a handful of nuts, toast topped with peanut butter or a small bowl of yoghurt with seeds.

Eating a buffer meal will help prevent you from eating mindlessly due to panic when you first see the starters that are being served to you. This technique will also keep your blood sugar level constant throughout the event and assist you in being more selective about the foods you eat, rather than rushing to “get everything” because you're feeling starving. Lastly, eating a buffer meal can help to reduce bloating because it allows your body time to process food and absorb nutrients gradually.

Eating what you think will make up for later by not eating before a wedding is likely to be counterproductive for most people. One of the best strategies for managing your behaviour during your wedding season is to eat a reasonable-sized portion before leaving.