Read These Tips Before The Summer Brunch Craze Hits

[caption id="attachment_827996" align="alignleft" width="1068"] Bigstockphoto.com/leisure, food, drinks, people and holidays concept - happy friends eating and drinking at restaurant[/caption] Summer is almost here and that means more brunch! When the sun comes out, you just want to stretch out across some benches at a trendy brunch spot, sip on mimosas and share French toast and frittatas for hours. For some reason, warm weather just inspires long meals, and long meals inspire a lot of eating. If you want a bikini body and you want to attend weekly brunch with your friends, you’re in a bit of a pickle. Restaurants don’t exactly make a name for themselves by serving oatmeal and egg whites. Brunch menus are typically filled with butter, bread and bacon, and any recipe that might incorporate those. But that’s not what you’d be eating if you had breakfast at home. So before the summer brunch craze hits, read these tips. [caption id="attachment_617438" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Have a little breakfast

Brunch falls at a weird time—people usually suggest an 11 am seating. If you don’t eat breakfast, you’ll arrive starving and gorge on everything. Have a little breakfast (maybe some Greek yogurt with fruit or two eggs on whole grain toast) so you can have more control at brunch.   [caption id="attachment_695134" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Have tea or coffee before ordering

Have tea or coffee before ordering, both of which make you feel full. Once these liquids have filled up your tummy, you may think the sky-high stack of pancakes isn’t the best idea.         [caption id="attachment_622828" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Get these egg dishes

Try omelets with lots of veggies. As for protein, try adding feta cheese or turkey. Scrambles and frittatas are also healthy.         [caption id="attachment_827997" align="alignleft" width="420"] Bigstockphoto.com/Plate of Eggs Benedict with Hash Brown Potatoes and Asparagus[/caption]

Not these egg dishes

Eggs benedict, quiche, steak and eggs and the breakfast sandwich are all loaded with calories and fat and should be avoided.             [caption id="attachment_713621" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Don’t even touch that bread basket

You’re probably going to have carbs in some capacity—perhaps your short stack of pancakes or your hash browns—so don’t waste them on the free bread basket.         [caption id="attachment_627025" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Eat plenty of fruit

At lunch and dinner you load up on vegetables, and at brunch, you should load up on fruit. Fruit is high in fiber and water, and low in calories, so it will fill you up without fattening you up.         [caption id="attachment_617471" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Split things like this

Everybody at the table wants French toast, or the chicken and waffles, but nobody wants to sacrifice their waistline and order these items solo. So get one or two for the table to share.     [caption id="attachment_617470" align="alignleft" width="500"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

And get toppings like these

Opt for fresh fruit, cottage cheese, almond butter, cinnamon and nuts for sweet things. As for savory items, add avocado, chevre, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.     [caption id="attachment_717256" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Skip these toppings

Do not add Nutella, whipped cream, syrup, honey, Belgian chocolate, butter or compote. While we’re at it, don’t add ice cream!               [caption id="attachment_624766" align="alignleft" width="590"] New York City's Lolo's Seafood Shack[/caption]

Get to know the buffet

If you must eat at a buffet, take a good look around before making your selection. Everything looks good when you don’t know what’s up next, but if you can compare all of the items, you can be more selective.           [caption id="attachment_697222" align="alignleft" width="468"] Shutterstock.com/Menu[/caption]

But get a la carte if possible

If at all possible, don’t eat from the buffet and order a-la-carte instead. When you eat at a buffet, you always end up over-eating because you want to “get your money’s worth” but you end up bloated and lethargic.             [caption id="attachment_705792" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Don’t do the bottomless drinks

They’re tempting, but they’re going to send all of your self-control out the window. Plus, you rarely drink enough alcohol to make the price worth it.             [caption id="attachment_822943" align="alignleft" width="400"] Bigstockphoto.com/close up shot of two Bloody Marys with garnishes[/caption]

Opt for bloody marys

Mimosas have a lot of sugar, so go for the bloody marys. These are very low in sugar, and offer some health points by way of vitamins. Plus, you’ll get a bigger buzz from fewer since they contain vodka instead of champagne.         [caption id="attachment_703363" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

But don’t opt for the bloody mary buffet

Just get a plain bloody mary: don’t pay extra for the bloody mary bar. Then you’ll end up adding salami sticks and blue cheese-stuffed olives to what once was a healthy beverage.           [caption id="attachment_736595" align="alignleft" width="500"] Flickr.com/Shrimp cocktail[/caption]

Try these high-protein options

Don’t go for the obvious egg and batter dishes. There are some other tasty, high-protein options like the smoked salmon platter and the shrimp cocktail.       [caption id="attachment_714820" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Fix your bread

Scoop the insides out of your bagel, baguette, English muffin…you get the idea. You can save yourself a lot of carbs this way, and make room for the best part—the filling!             [caption id="attachment_717496" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Split these dishes

It’s hard to choose between the pancakes and the omelet, which may drive you to get both. But there is a good chance your friend is dealing with the same dilemma and would happily split these dishes with you.         [caption id="attachment_706509" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Beware of the salads

Brunch salads are usually the fatty kinds, like cobb salad which is more bacon and blue cheese than it is vegetables.             [caption id="attachment_703377" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Choose bacon over sausage

Believe it or not, bacon is the healthier option. Bacon has fewer calories, less fat and less sodium than sausage.             [caption id="attachment_702085" align="alignleft" width="420"] Image Source: Shutterstock[/caption]

Talk to your friends!

You are here to socialize, after all. Focus on your friends and you may not focus as much on the stack of pancakes your friend left in the middle of the table.

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