“Are you a runner?” I asked my dinner companion as she galloped ahead of me.

“No, but I am kind of a slow jogger — a ‘slogger,'” she replied.

I trotted slowly on the cobblestone sidewalk, trying not to break my “hoof” on the uneven surface. She slowed to a canter since I was making a whinny sound. Maybe I was whining.

Usually, I can keep up with fast walkers. I also rarely eat enough calories and fat for two days in one sitting.

We were returning from eating a heavy restaurant meal in a Southern state. We had about a mile to go. A mile walk feels like 10 miles when you overeat.

I had wanted to try authentic Southern cuisine. We ate with a group in an all-you-can-eat family-style restaurant with never-ending bowls of food brought to us upon request.

We had fried chicken, fried okra, fried potato wedges, creamy macaroni and cheese and creamy chicken and dumplings. Notice a theme?

We also had a casserole made from sweet potatoes. There were leftovers in the lettuce salad bowl at the end of the meal.

Our plates were quite large, so we had lots of space to fill. The food was delicious, high-fat comfort food. I could not resist temptation, and I ate far too much. I was not hungry again until 24 hours later.

Most of the bowls were emptied because we could not take leftovers home. We did not want to waste food, of course.

That’s my story, and I am sticking with it.

Meals can be served in many ways, both at home and in restaurants. Buffets are popular because you see all the possibilities on the line and make choices consciously.

Be sure to take a trip around the buffet to check out your choices before you begin selecting your food. Make the calories count.

Our meals at the conference consisted of displays of food for breakfast and lunch. Buffet-style eating is tasty but can be a challenge if you are trying to manage your portions.

With buffet-style service, you need to exercise a lot of self-control if weight management is on your mind. In fact, surveying all the foods and starting with a simple salad or cup of broth-based soup would be a good plan to take the edge off your appetite. A glass of water also helps fill you.

Plated meals limit your choices but help with portion management. In a restaurant, you might order a protein entrée with a side item or two. In restaurants, the plated meals allow you to take the rest home to enjoy later.

For families, serving family-style bowls of food allows people to take what they want and eat more mindfully. That can help children and adults know when they are hungry and when they are full.

When possible, use smaller plates when making your choices. Slow down when eating because your brain takes at least 20 minutes to register that you are full. Enjoy visiting with your companions if you eat out at a tempting spot.

Remember: don’t talk with your mouth full.

I learned my lesson during my uncomfortable trot back to the hotel. I wish I had brought some antacid with me.

Here’s one of my favorite recipes, similar to the sweet potato dish I tried. We scaled it down from a large recipe used in the NDSU food class. Baked sweet potatoes could be substituted for the squash. The orange pigments in squash flesh (carotenoids) are converted to vitamin A in your body, keeping your eyes, skin and immune system healthy, among its many functions.

If you’d like to try some North Dakota-area cuisine, search online for “North Dakota Food and Culture: A Taste of World Cuisine.”

Butternut Squash Bake

4 cups cooked butternut squash (or mashed sweet potatoes)

2 large eggs

6 ounces canned evaporated non-fat milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup granulated sugar

Topping:

4 tablespoons melted butter

2/3 cup crisp rice cereal

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or to your taste)

Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Prepare squash by rinsing with cool water and scrubbing the skin if needed. Next, cut squash in half and lay flesh side down on greased baking sheet. Poke holes in skin and allow to cook for 45 minutes to one hour at 350 degrees. Mix eggs, milk, vanilla and sugar together by hand or with a hand mixer. After squash is cooked, scoop out four cups. Add squash to milk and eggs mixture. Mix until combined. Pour mixture into a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Make topping. Melt butter in microwave and combine cereal, brown sugar and butter in a bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar topping over squash mixture. Top with nuts if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Makes 10 (1/2-cup) servings. Each serving has 180 calories, 7 grams (g) fat, 4 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber and 50 milligrams sodium.