Can a brunch ever be healthy? Yes – as long as you follow our fail safe guide on how not to pig out.
The brunch burn
We’re talking about burning calories, not the heartburn you get from wolfing down your dinner. Dine at the venues below then zap those calories on a long walk.
Ditch the cured meats and paté at the buffet at Le Deck in Monte Carlo Beach Club in favour of oysters, prawns, crab and lobster – all low in fat and high in healthy omega three fats. All the food is free from preservatives, and some of the cheese such as Tor from Somerset in the UK is vegetarian. Once your brunch has settled, walk it off along Saadiyat beach – all 9km of it. Walk on the soft sand instead of the firmer sand near the waves for a proper calf work out.
Dhs270 with soft drinks, Dhs400 with grape. Fri noon-4pm. Saadiyat Island, www.montecarlobeachclub.ae (02 656 3500).
Dine on seafood at the buffet at Flavours in the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort and you won’t miss forgoing red meat. Later, walk from Heritage Park opposite Mina Port through Formal, Lake and Family Parks along the Corniche – it takes about four hours.
Dhs249 with soft drinks, Dhs294 with grape and hops, Dhs349 with bubbly. Fri 12.30-3.30pm. Corniche Road, www.sheratonabudhabihotel.com (02 677 3333).
Some meals have nutritional information displayed at CuiScene and Frankie’s brunch buffet in Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. Look out for veggie curry, steamed fish and vegan dishes such as avocado or spicy mango maki and sweet tofu nigiri. Gluten-free options include a generous selection of salads, while the Angus beef carpaccio and bresaola is the best lean meat option. Call ahead and the chef will tailor-make healthy dishes, too. Afterwards, walk the creekside promenade that connects the hotel with Traders and Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri.
Dhs269 with soft drinks, Dhs319 with grape and hops, Dhs489 with bubbly. Fri noon-4pm. Bain Al Jessrain, www.fairmont.com (02 654 3333).
The Japanese chef at Ingredients in Eastern Mangroves Hotels & Spa by Anantara prepares sushi and sashimi – stick to the latter to cut your carb intake. After you’ve eaten, stroll the 2.5km Corniche along the mangroves, which takes an hour round-trip – or 30-minutes if you’re powerwalking.
Dhs225 with soft drinks, Dhs280 with grape and hops, Dhs425 with bubbly. Fri 12.30-4pm. Eastern Ring Road, Salam Street, www.abu-dhabi.anantara.com (02 656 1000).
Healthy brunches
Still sticking to your New Year resolution to eat healthily? Then hot foot it to Cafe Arabia. Everything is low fat, grilled rather than fried and cooked with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. Many options are vegan, such as foul medames, a hot dish made from chickpeas and fava beans soaked overnight. Carnivores can have the baked lemon chicken, and if you can’t resist dessert then go for a gluten-free chew bar, low-sugar rice pudding or umm ali, made with low-fat milk instead of cream and filo pastry instead of calorie-ridden puff pastry.
Dhs75. Fri 11am-3.30pm. Al Mushrif, (02 643 9699).
Origins buffet in Yas Viceroy offers organic salads and berries from Al Rawafed Organic Farm, so you can feel virtuous while filling up on your five a day. If you want a meal with more substance, opt for sashimi or an egg white omelette. Wash it down with soya or rice milk or a healthy shooter – celery and carrot or beetroot and cranberry. Gluten-free bread is available if you order 24 hours in advance.
Dhs195 soft drinks, Dhs350 with bubbly, grape and hops. Yas Marina, Yas Island, www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com (02 656 0600).
Brunch needn’t be an eat-all-you-can food fest. Nathalie’s café in TwoFour54 serves normal portions of healthy food which is low in fat and salt. What’s more, none of the dishes contain additives or preservatives so nothing is a day old – leftovers are donated to charity. Founded by a nutritionist, diners can request nutritional information for any dish. Just want a snack? Then try the Nutella wholewheat croissant (Dhs5) which has a mere 58 calories compared to the 300-calorie Starbucks’ version. You could also have a mushroom and low fat cheese omelette with grilled tomatoes (Dhs35) which weighs in at 439 calories, or the healthy breakfast – a white omelette flavoured with asparagus and herbs; yoghurt and fruit and juice or coffee (Dhs35, 522 calories).
Sat 8am-4pm. TwoFour54, Khalifa Park, www.nathalies.ae (02 441 1330).
Home brunches
• When you arrive at parties, say hello to everyone instead of making a beeline for the buffet
• Take healthy presents such as flowers or a fruit salad instead of chocolates
• Stand as far from the buffet table as you can
• Hold someone’s glass for them as well as your own
• Hosting a brunch? Nutritionists and endocrinologists at Bite Rite, a NMC Healthcare initiative, screen the buffet to ensure it’s low fat and suitable for diabetics. The buffet includes brown rice, wholemeal pasta and grilled fish.
Dhs70pp. For further details. www.biterite.ae (02 641 1660).
It’s all too easy to overload your plate at a brunch, then regret it when you’re so full you can’t move. But brunching is a sociable affair so ditching it isn’t an option.
Dr Luigi Angelini, a weight reduction specialist at Al Noor Hospital’s Khalifa Street branch says, ‘Eating at a buffet is like eating junk food, as you can easily consume 2,500-3,000 calories in one sitting. People need to understand the risks of obesity, as it can lead to diabetes, infertility and cancer.
‘But dieting for life is impossible, as food is important for our happiness. The trick to brunching is to not do it every week. Keep it as a treat; that way, you balance happiness with heath.
‘Go for quality over quantity and pick healthy options such as fish over burgers and fried noodles. Stick to one or two courses rather than three plus sides, and stop eating before you’re full.’
Follow Dr Luigi’s advice and you can still have your cake – and eat it.
Top tips to avoid a buffet blow-out
Do
• Have a glass of water first to fill yourself up
• Opt for a watery broth or vegetable soup as a starter
• Browse what’s on offer before filling your plate
• Fill up on salad
• Opt for white fish over red meat
• Fill half your plate with steamed or boiled vegetables
• Choose fiddly food that takes time to eat, such as shelled prawns
• Choose fruit for dessert, or if you must, dessert with fresh fruit on top
• Got to have chocolate? Ditch the chocolate cake in favour of fruit dipped in the chocolate fountain
• Stick to a single glass of grape and savour it
• If you can’t resist another glass, alternate between grape and water
• Put your knife and fork down between each bite
• Sabotage your food once you’re full – pour salt over it or put your scrunched up napkin on top
• Take mints along – curb nibbling by popping one in your mouth
Don’t
• Skip breakfast to make up for it – go starving and you’ll overeat
• Use the biggest plate you can find; fill side plates instead
• Overload your plate with food you haven’t already sampled
• Choose salads drenched in mayonnaise
• Eat too quickly, as it takes 20 minutes for your brain to send ‘I’m full’ signals to your stomach
• Eat more than three cubes of cheese
• Go overboard on the dessert stand
• Choose treats you can have anytime, such as sweets
