Tales of a (Recovering) Disordered Eater

As a child, I loved buffets on vacation. We dined out quite a bit as a family all year round, but on vacation, buffets were an easy route, especially when we were little.

The variety, the excitement of the never-ending plates … it was just heaven in my mind, whether aged six or sixteen.

But as I’ve gotten older, my love affair with buffets waned significantly.

I’m way more health-conscious and I don’t eat most of the foods on display at breakfast buffets. Or if I do, I modify them at home: I make frozen waffles, not Belgian waffles; I make eggs, but not dripping in butter and cheese; I eat turkey bacon, not bacon and sausage. Even at fancy buffets, I usually don’t find a ton I want to eat.

And even pre-WW and pre-disordered eating, I never liked my meats drenched in sauces or my salads swimming in oil, so dinner buffets were usually disappointing, too.

There’s only one kind of buffet with which my love affair hasn’t died no matter my age or size … dessert buffets.

I think I was born with one tooth: a sweet tooth. Put fried or salty treats in front of me and I can easily turn myself away. But sweets? Sigh … so much tougher! (more…)