A small or lavish Indian wedding reception, for maximum guests it will always be the food which will be the main attraction of the day. The bride and groom may receive some amount of patronage from their guests throughout the party, but take a look at the over-crowded food counters and you’ll know where everyone’s priorities lie..

But who’s to blame?? We Indians always go overboard with the food menus. The open buffet or Indian pangat/ shahi bhojan is a total feast. No wonder people always end up overeating.

If you’ve been through this confusing ordeal too, here are a few tips and tricks to avoid giving into it.

1. Rely on portion control: The plate in your hand may be big, but you don’t have to fill it up. Ask yourself, would you have eaten so much on any other day? Then why today? Your stomach isn’t going to magically expand. Eating more than your usual meals will obviously cause you to feel overfull and uneasy.
2. Keep yourself busy: Remember you’re not there for the food alone. Engage in other activities, greet people, play with children, linger near the main functions and help people around. Enjoy the wedding to the fullest.
3. Scan the whole buffet: As you walk through the counters, the platter will definitely make you pile up all the food on your plate. Instead of giving into this temptation, start by scanning the whole food counter beforehand. This way you can pick only the best and enjoy it without overeating.