[Rob43]

Hi, Have a question here about the restaurant below called Golden Corral.

goldencorral.com

Is this not a good idea to eat out at restaurants like this?

Rob.

[sydneya]

If you have good self control have at it. It looks like they have plenty of food that is okay. The problem for me is they have plenty of food for the picking. I always like to try a little of everything, and that is way too much food in one sitting. Can you spend the whole day and keep going back? LOL

[JediSkipdogg]

I love that restaurant. I just hate the price. I wish I was 60 years old right now and could get the senior discount. For a type 1 it's pretty easy to eat there. If you are on a pump, you just pump quite often. If you are on MDI, you either give lots of shots or just give a few larger ones (depending on how much you eat.) As for a type 2, I think you have to learn control on what to eat. But I wouldn't think eating there once in a while would be a bad thing. They do have a large variety of food so I would think they'd be healthier than say McDonalds or Bob Evans.

[Belinda]

I rarely eat at buffets but it is possible for a diabetic to eat at them. It is almost like holiday parties where the grazing goes into effect

[Penny]

Originally Posted by sydneya

If you have good self control have at it. It looks like they have plenty of food that is okay. The problem for me is they have plenty of food for the picking. I always like to try a little of everything, and that is way too much food in one sitting. Can you spend the whole day and keep going back? LOL

I had to laugh at this one! My sister was a single mother of two very skinny teenage boys, that she could never fill up. On a vistit with her, I intended to take her family out to eat, she suggested Golden Corral. Her boys ate until I was sure they could not eat another bite. She sat there with me and talked for the longest time, until I suggested that we leave. Her answer, she wanted to stay there until the boys got hungry again, which they did and they again ate much more than I thought they could!
I do really well at these type places. I take a "taste" (just a small spoonful) of everything I like, including dessert. I don't go that often, but have never had a big rise in my BS when I did it. I have more problems if I go someplce where I order a complete meal, my instincts to not be wasteful, make me clean my plate.

[Lynpenny]

My nephew manages one of the Golden Corrals. I like eating there since I can get lots of veggies and pick the kind of meat I want. I know there are lots of things I can't have but there are plenty that I can. Unfortuntly we don't have one here where I live. I really hate Montana Mikes.

[lelggren]

We have a golden corral down the street I love to eat there! I would say that you can eat there anytime if you want, but just don't go nuts on everything. Moderation is the key. And, if you want to binge on a certain part of the meal, make it be veggies or the salad bar, or have your meat fix. But, if you know you won't be able to stay away from the mashed potatoes and mac-n-cheese, then I would say better safe than sorry.

[am1977]

I would say NO, diabetics should not eat at these types of restaurants. I think there's way too much temptation and it's TOO hard to control your blood sugar even if you cover what you eat. I think it's okay to do every once in a while, but I wouldn't make it a habit

[DeusXM]

I think it's okay to do every once in a while, but I wouldn't make it a habit

Really that's irrespective of whether you have diabetes or not. I think it's perfectly ok for people with diabetes to eat whatever they want, whenever they want, and how much they want. You just have to make sure that you can cover those things.

[someone]

Originally Posted by am1977

I would say NO, diabetics should not eat at these types of restaurants.

I completely disagree. If your ratios/doses are correct, and you count the carbs correctly, it shouldn't matter if you eat 10 carbs or 500 carbs.

Originally Posted by DeusXM

Really that's irrespective of whether you have diabetes or not. I think it's perfectly ok for people with diabetes to eat whatever they want, whenever they want, and how much they want. You just have to make sure that you can cover those things.

Completely agree. I think you should eat where ever you choose. There is no reason to limit where, or what you eat just because you are diabetic. As a matter of fact, it really pisses me off when people think this way.

[am1977]

Originally Posted by someone

I completely disagree. If your ratios/doses are correct, and you count the carbs correctly, it shouldn't matter if you eat 10 carbs or 500 carbs.

That's fine...you don't have to agree with me, you are entitled to your opinion just as much as I am.

I think buffets aren't the best choice for anyone and, yeah, you can carb count and cover what you are eating with insulin, but I think it's often hard to do that. People tend to underestimate what they eat and that can lead to blood sugar issues.

[DeusXM]

To be honest, I don't think we should eat at buffets like this - but not because we have diabetes. Eating that much food is bad for anyone, diabetic or not.

[jen_slc]

Originally Posted by DeusXM

To be honest, I don't think we should eat at buffets like this - but not because we have diabetes. Eating that much food is bad for anyone, diabetic or not.

I agree, it's just so tempting to stuff your face! But if you can go there and not come out totally overstuffed, good for you, you have much more self-control than I would ever have in a place like that! Personally, I tend to avoid places like this not because of anything related to my diabetes... it's because places like this are notorious for outbreaks. I'm not saying buffet places are dirty - I took part in some inspections of buffet restaurants this week and they all scored very well. It's just that the situation provides more opportunity for spreading disease, so it's a leeeetle bit more risky eating there than at a full service restaurant. If you do choose to eat at these places, it makes no difference whether you're diabetic or not, maybe consider washing your hands after running the buffet line & handling all those spoons/spatulas/tongs. Nobody ever thinks about those as the culprits, they always think of the food!

[someone]

Yeah, I usually try to grap the very end of the spoons/spatulas/tongs where it looks as though no one has touched it. I too find it hard to walk in a place where you are using serving materials that someone touched after coughing on their hand. I, however, am probably much more overboard than most when it comes to the subject. Generally I do not eat at, or enjoy eating at buffets. I was just trying to make my point that you should not restrain from going to buffets, or eating certain things simply because you are diabetic.

[travis]

Ok, am I the only one who thinks their food ranges from flavorless to gross? I've only been once, but it wasn't good.

Diabetics shouldn't eat at these kind of places. Non-diabetics shouldn't eat at these kind of places. Dogs shouldn't eat at these kind of places. It's not normal or healthy to eat 5000 calories in one shot. I know otherwise normal people, people who wouldn't dream of making an extra serving for dinner at home, who get all worked up about going to these kind of places. They'll skip lunch, and then the goal of the evening is to eat until they can hardly walk so they get their "moneys worth" and really stick it to the man by eating a lot.

Thank you, I'll spend my money at places that feature quality over quantity, and where little kids aren't taught to shove people around so they can be the first to the new tray of fat or sugar.

I worry about utensils too -- I worry about food-service workers who are supposed to be trained in hygene, so it's even worse when you're sharing a serving spoon with 200 other people.