The joys of a buffet

A few weeks ago I was staying in a hotel in Asia which had a magnificent breakfast buffet. The hotel appeared keen to cater to every cultural taste, from the Continental to the English cooked breakfast, from the Korean to the Hawaiian and a lot of other foods I didn't recognise. As with most buffets the guests could eat as much as they desired.

Once I had navigated my way round this sumptuous feast I was able to work out what was healthy and what needed to be left alone. I was able to enjoy an immense variety of healthy food, and was particularly impressed by the chefs whose sole job was to prepare eggs in every way possible for the guests. They had several ingredients they could add to omelettes in addition to cooking your eggs to your personal preference.

There was also a range of food that was less healthy including different styles of pancakes that could be accompanied by the guest's choice of melted chocolates, flavoured syrups and candied fruits. There were sweet breads and a variety of chocolate cakes and muffins.

Over the days I began to take more notice of what people chose. Within a few days I was able to predict what style of food a person would choose based on their body fat percentage, and how much food they would choose. Those guests with a lower body fat percentage would generally choose healthier foods that were more plant based and they would avoid the foods with low fibre and high sugar contents. Those guests with a bigger body percentage tended to choose foods that were higher in fat, salt and sugar, and in addition to starting with a large portion they would go back to refill their plate at least once with more of the same.

The joy of a buffet is the variety that it offers. There may be dishes that you have never eaten or rarely eat, and there are other dishes that are too complicated or expensive to cook at home.

The problem with a buffet is that it can offer foods that tempt the taste buds and it offers unhealthy food in large amounts. There is another problem with a buffet: the price is the same if the guest eats one piece of fruit or plates of foods. People want value for money and it could appear that eating more offers more value.

To keep a buffet a joy (and not an unhealthy feast) start with healthy foods and save the treats for one day a week at the end of a breakfast. Fill you plate with plant-based foods first. Enjoy new tastes and textures and the fact that you didn't have to buy, prepare and cook it.

warm regards
Sarah