I’m gluten free and really surprised about the comments about how difficult buffets abroad are and why you need to eat only beige food.
I’m just back from an AI holiday in Greece and this is what I ate
Breakfast - omelette made to order, yogurt ( many kinds ) with fresh fruit, topped with nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Watermelon, fresh pineapple. I took my own Gf bread ( as I’m fussy ) and they brought me my own special butter from the kitchen ( due to breadcrumb issues ). Other places have had individual butter pats. Decaf coffee
They also had smoothies, freshly squeezed orange juice, GF bread (sealed in packets ) with a separate GF toasting machine . Lots of Gf choices on hot buffet ( beans, tomatoes, eggs, mushrooms, spinach, bacon) . They made GF pancakes to order ( yes in a clean pan with clean utensils ). Cold meat, cheeses , pickled veg , salads, coleslaw. Many types of coffees and teas, including herbal teas.
Lunch and dinner - amazing choices of soups , salads, freshly grilled meat and fish.
They also had Rice, potatoes and chips of course ( which i don’t eat because I’m low carb ( out of choices ).
Everything was labelled with allergens.
They were happy to cook me Gf pasta to order.
Deserts were more limited of course ( as in the UK ) but there was always a couple ( usually halva, various jellies, pannacotta, rice puddings and fresh fruit ). They would always bring me ice cream if I asked , or a GF cake ( they were obviously kept in the freezer and defrosted and warmed up for me ) .
I really can’t understand why anyone would need to eat rice and chips for every meal because they were GF. Yes of course there’s a worry about contamination, but that’s just as likely to happen in the kitchen during the preparation of a meal cooked for you alone.
Salad is much less likely to be contaminated than a plate of chips probably cooked in the same fat as breadcrumbed items, like chicken nuggets. It’s not like beige food repels breadcrumbs and vegetables and salad attract them!
Salads are usually on a different serving area from others so you only have to watch out for pasta and cous cous contamination. If you are worried you can use a clean spoon and take some from underneath .
I know it’s another complication is you are vegetarian. I eat meat/ fish but didn’t at breakfast and could easily have missed it out at lunch and dinner and still eaten well.
I am saying this in an effort to help BTW and not trying to be argumentative. Im sorry your child had such a bad time on holiday.